The Hackney Peace Carnival Mural celebrates its 40th anniversary on Sunday 28 September, with a street party on Ashwin St and events and activities in and around Dalston Curve Garden and across the road in Hackney Archives.
This much-loved public artwork was designed by muralist Ray Walker and painted by Anna Walker and Mick Jones and Sunday’s ‘Peace in Colour: 40 Years in the Community’ event has been curated by Roland Walker, the son of Ray and Anna.
We’re delighted to be hosting a number of very special events at the Garden on Sunday. Details are listed below. Check out the full day’s programme on the ‘Love Hackney’ website.
1.30 – 2pm: Holly Walker
Ray Walker’s granddaughter Holly will be kicking off the afternoon with a live acoustic set on our stage.
2-3pm: Al May and the Muralistas
Al May, who is depicted in the Mural, will ‘step off the wall’ and into the Garden for a special performance with ‘The Muralistas’, including some of the original members of the Chat’s Palace ‘Arkestra’. Their set will include a song written by the late Jah Globe, well-known community activist and saxophonist, also immortalised in the Mural.
2-3pm: Children’s workshop with artists Paul and Linda Butler
Paul Butler painted the Cable Street Mural with Ray Walker in the 1980s and in 2014 he and his wife Linda restored the Hackney Peace Carnival Mural to its former vibrant glory. They will be running a free creative workshop for children. Places are limited and children must be accompanied by an adult.
Sunday’s celebrations will also mark the unveiling of the Garden’s ‘This Is Hackney’ installation, in the window of Dalston CLR James Library. We have been creatively exploring the Mural in workshops with our ‘Tuesday Group’ for older people, with young people and with children from Holy Trinity Primary School, thanks to funding from ‘Cultural Hackney’. One hundred individual lovingly crafted and incredibly detailed models, or ‘3D self portraits’ made in these workshops will all be united together, on display, in a miniature re-imagined ‘peace carnival scene’.
