Celebrating Cultural Diversity and Inclusion in Tower Hamlets

Tower Hamlets in East London is one of the UK’s most ethnically diverse boroughs which stretches from the City of London to the West, Canary Wharf to the South East and the Olympic Park to the East. Their Songs That Move Us and Exchanging Notes projects aimed to celebrate the borough’s diversity and provide young people with opportunities to explore and express their cultural identities. Alison Porter, Projects Manager at Tower Hamlets Arts & Music Education Service, tells us more.

Tower Hamlets is home to a vibrant, diverse community, where over two-thirds of the population belong to a global majority group. It has the largest Bangladeshi community in the country (32% of the borough’s population), the highest proportion of Muslim residents in the country (39%), and more than 90 languages spoken. This rich cultural tapestry inspired the creation of two special projects during the 2023/24 academic year: Songs That Move Us and Exchanging Notes.

Through these projects we wanted to celebrate the borough’s diversity and to provide young people with opportunities to explore and express their cultural identities through music and dance. By engaging students in these creative experiences, the projects aimed to foster a sense of pride in their heritage while promoting cultural understanding and inclusion across the community. Cross-cultural projects like these are needed now more than ever.

Songs That Move Us took dance as the central theme, exploring how around the world, the different rhythms and beats in songs inspire us to move as well as to sing. 250 primary school children performed a combination of English and Bengali songs and dances learned and created during the project. This was a collaboration between several organisations and artists: THAMES, South Asian dance company Akademi, classical singer Jessica Summers, and British-Bangladeshi singer Sohini Alam with her band Khiyo.

Exchanging Notes was a fusion of global musical traditions and involved 100 young musicians from various secondary schools, along with the THAMES Wind Band and Soundbox inclusive ensemble. The project featured new interpretations of pieces representing the diverse musical cultures of Tower Hamlets. It exposed students to a wide variety of musical styles and traditions, incorporating music from South Africa, India, Somalia and Jamaica and was led by a musical team representing a range of global backgrounds and instruments. The project was a year-long collaboration with Grand Union Orchestra, pioneers of cross-cultural music making. Through a youth voice consultation in collaboration with Sound Connections, we also delved into young people’s musical journeys, identities and interests, and the barriers they encounter in accessing music. Exchanging Notes was made possible by funding from the London Music Fund, supported by The Karlsson Játiva Charitable Foundation through the Signatur programme for the advancement of the art of music.

Both projects culminated as part of the THAMES Festival in June 2024 at Shoreditch Town Hall.

Watch the highlights film:

The Impact

The benefits of these projects for the young people involved were significant. They were introduced to new music, dance, languages, and cultures, which not only deepened a connection to their own heritage but also opened their eyes to the vast world of the arts beyond their current experience. It gave students the tools to appreciate and understand the value of different cultures and fostered a sense of pride and inclusion.

Students expressed how the projects made them feel connected to their families and cultural roots. One student remarked,

“It makes me feel like I’m home because I’m Bengali and it reminds me of my family”

and another,

“It makes me feel more connected to my mum because she sang the song when she was a child.”

A teacher commented that:

“It was good for the Bengali children to see EVERYONE singing in their language”.

Others appreciated the exposure to new musical genres from around the world, finding it both unique and enriching. Students reported that the experience had made them more open-minded and culturally aware with one saying,

“I do really enjoy this project because all these different kinds of music, I wouldn’t usually be exposed to. It’s quite different, but the difference is quite interesting.”

and another saying,

“This project has really helped me to see that there’s so much more to music”.

Looking Ahead

Our future plans will expand our partnership projects and performances to further celebrate and champion diversity and inclusion in Tower Hamlets. To kick off the new term, we’re hosting a tutor INSET session, led by Sohini Alam, focused on integrating Bengali music into vocal and instrumental teaching in schools. Additionally, we’re planning another Bengali singing project for the next academic year and are in discussions with new partners to explore Somali music, reflecting the importance of this community in Tower Hamlets.

We’re also fortunate to collaborate with other fantastic organisations like World Heart Beat Music Academy, Border Crossings, and Akram Khan Dance Company, all of which are dedicated to providing culturally diverse arts education in the borough.

Another key initiative is the development of a resource bank of musical materials from across the globe. Over the past year, we’ve recognised the challenge of finding songs and resources from various global music traditions, particularly Bengali and Somali. Our goal is to gradually build a collection of relevant resources, empowering teachers and tutors with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to deliver a more diverse and inclusive curriculum in schools.

Key Takeaways

For other music services looking to organise similar initiatives, our key takeaways were the importance of collaboration and the provision of appropriate resources and CPD. Partnering with artists and organisations that reflect the diverse backgrounds of the community can help ensure that projects resonate with the young people and the broader community and are delivered as authentically as possible. Additionally, providing educators with resources and CPD that reflect the community allows more students to explore music from their own cultures, as well as exploring new ones, fostering a deeper connection to their heritage and promoting inclusivity.