The Muslin Trust celebrated the results of their two-year Bangladeshi heritage project called ‘Bringing Jamdani to England’ on Sunday 10th October 2021 at the Museum of London Docklands. The celebration took place in the Riverside Room at the Museum of London Docklands with an opening speech from the Officer for Trade, Commerce and Investment at the High Commission for Bangladesh to the UK, Mr S. M. Jakaria Huq.
Bringing Jamdani to England is an oral history project that has been funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and supported by Merton Council’s Library and Heritage Services, Museum of London Docklands and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The celebration event was attended by 80 guests who all received a copy of the publication, watched the project film, during which the online exhibition was launched on the website. You can view the film, publication and online exhibition through this link: http://www.muslintrust.org
What is ‘Bringing Jamdani to England’ about?
The project has secured 24 oral histories from older generation women who arrived in the 1960s and ‘70s in the London Borough of Merton. The project showcases the personal memories and textile heritage of each of the participants and an additional 11 chapters and interviews from the younger generation. A printed publication of the interviews were launched on 10th October alongside a multi-disciplinary online exhibition and a short film about the participants. ‘Bringing Jamdani to England’ has been led by Rifat Wahhab, written by textile historian Dr Sonia Ashmore and the exhibition curated by Saif Osmani.
The project team welcome registered guests inside the museum building where once lascars and early seafarers arrived with goods from Bengal by the East India Company.
About Muslin Trust
Muslin Trust was set up in 2013 as a non-profit charitable organisation registered in the UK to protect, preserve and promote Bangladeshi heritage fabrics. This is the second of two major projects about Jamdani. Muslin Trust has previously participated in the Muslin Festival in Dhaka (2016). Jamdani means ‘flowered’ muslin (in Persian) and is a highly regarded heritage fabric still worn today as a sari in Bengal, Bangladesh and by the diaspora women from around the world. For further information about Muslin Trust visit: http://www.muslintrust.org
Muslin Trust 