Sat 9th May

Dalston Square, London E8 3BQ

Time	Title & Description
10.30 - 12.30	The Octagon Tie, 80's Activism and much more… Hackney Archives is kicking off our free day of Hackney History events with a morning of interactive activities. Join us for stalls, lightning talks and show ‘n’ tells of our featured collections, including 1980’s Activism in Hackney, The Multiethnic Women’s Health Project and the newly catalogued collection of a local clothing company founded in 1857. Sign up for a tour of our store rooms, register on our catalogue, and try the treasure hunt! All ages welcome; children under 7 must be accompanied by an adult.
13.30 - 14.30	Hoxton Hall and the 70s arts and theatre movements from May Scott to Terry Goodfellow David Sulkin OBE, chair of the Hoxton Hall board of trustees, will talk about his time at the Hall from the 1970s looking at how the Hoxton Hall archive helps uncover and preserve this legacy as well as exploring some of his own contributions to it. He will talk alongside Suzannah Hall, project manager of the current Activate Heritage program at Hoxton Hall, which looks to uncover and celebrate the hidden histories of Hoxton Hall’s women.
14:45 - 15:45	Well Settled: Archiving Vietnamese histories in Hackney Named after a Vietnamese phrase meaning ‘well settled’, the An Việt Foundation was established by Mr. Vũ Khánh Thành in Hackney in 1981. The organisation offered essential support to Vietnamese refugees, growing into a vital community hub during its almost 40 years in existence. In this session, An Việt Archives Steering Committee member Phuong Anh reflects on the history of the organisation and the work currently being done to preserve and share what is the largest known British-Vietnamese archive collection in the UK.
16:00 - 17:00	“Not a thing was moving”: the 1926 General Strike in Hackney and beyond In May 1926 two million workers joined the only official General Strike Britain has ever seen, in support of miners facing drastic wage cuts. After nine days, despite widespread and growing support for the Strike, it was called off by union leaders - in defeat. How was the Strike supported in Hackney? How did workers organise, and how did the local authorities in the then boroughs of Hackney, Stoke Newington and Shoreditch respond? Could the Strike have been won? Do the myths about the Strike help or hinder progress today? Hear exciting tales of militant battles to stop trams in Mare Street, pickets at factories in Well Street, scabs keeping electricity running, mass meetings, and the army occupying Victoria Park. A talk by Alex Hodson of the Radical History Faction.
17:15 - 18:00	Strike Songs Sing-along Top off the Archives day with a right old knees-up led by Peter Jarvis from Shrubland Road TRA and Eric Segal whose grandfather was involved in the strike. We’ll be singing strike songs sung by the 900 Rego and 600 Polikoff Women Strikers in 1928 & 1929. Joining in is not mandatory but strongly recommended!