The Liming Chronicles - We Going Out!

What are your experiences of going out? Where did you lime, what did you wear, who were your friends, and what memories can you gift, share, and contribute to our collective understanding of this important living narrative of our history and heritage?

    

Over three episodes, this documentary-styled event led by writer and artist Dr Michael McMillan, will chronicle the reasons for, and the experiences of, going out in London over the last 75 years. We focus on acts of freedom, resistance, survival, spirituality, distraction, and joy, including the political trappings of a working-class life. This event should inspire a common ground with others, help to appreciate the relevance of our individual stories and experiences that might sometimes seem irrelevant, that go undiscussed, and at times are even forgotten.

Relive and retell your experiences of the places you frequented - churches, clubs, cultural arts and community educational centres, cinemas, sports centres, markets, concerts, Shebeens (house party) and the importance of curating your own spaces. Discuss the elation when getting ready and dressing up to lime; cutting your own sartorial style; the weekend meet-ups, the music you grooved to; church services and the celebration of life at weddings, christenings, and funerals, how liming dealt with the external forces of social change, protests, uprisings and racist subcultures, and the safety of home and where you lived. Your personal voices will evoke and inspire your stories and enhance the objects you choose to bring and share alongside key items within the V&A collections.

If you love to talk to others, share in collective listening, want to see your life factually represented and acknowledged in history, and you like objects, storytelling, enjoy dancing, and networking, then this is where you need to be.  Light refreshments will be available, but please feel free to bring your own.

Dr Michael McMillan is a London based writer, artist/curator and scholar, best known for The Front Room installation, now permanently at the Museum of the Home, and the basis of his book, The Front Room: Diaspora migrant aesthetics in the Home (Lund Humphries, 2023). His project 'I Miss My Mum’s Cookin’ was nominated for a Brighton Fringe award, 2023. Website - https://www.michaelmcmillan.uk/

If you missed the first session you can join us for sessions two and three by using the special promotional code LIMING40 for a £40 ticket when booking your tickets by phone on 020 7942 2000.

 For further event information click Download Programme.