East African Asians – extensive collection of 20 video oral history interviews, photographs, paper items and objects associated with East African Asians who live in Redbridge created for the 2005 exhibition ‘India-Africa-Redbridge’ (south Asians who lived in British Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania before moving to the UK in the 1960s – 1970s). Also have a good range of contacts with people who loaned items for the exhibition.

East African Asians – extensive collection of 20 video oral history interviews, photographs, paper items and objects associated with East African Asians who live in Redbridge created for the 2005 exhibition ‘India-Africa-Redbridge’ (south Asians who lived in British Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania before moving to the UK in the 1960s – 1970s). Also have a good range of contacts with people who loaned items for the exhibition.

Oral history interviews with Chinese people about what they wore for a special occasion

Interviews with local people and photographs about Chinese New Year in 2004

Chinese New Year objects (from 2004) – Good luck scrolls, firecrackers and DVD of a lion dance

Children-sized Chinese dragon designed for an exhibition about celebrations

Video interviews with local south Asian shopkeepers (2005) made for an exhibition on shopping in Redbridge. Ilford Lane is a vibrant Asian shopping area of Ilford and this Museum documentary captures the flavour of the area.

Oral history and filmed interviews with local people about their favourite Bollywood films, created for the exhibition ‘Bollywood in Love’, 2004

Bollywood dance costume (2002) and jewellery donated by Honey Kalaria, Britain’s top Bollywood dance tutor who runs ‘Honey’s Dance Academy’ based in Seven Kings, Ilford. Also an oral history interview with Honey.

Interviews with local children about Diwali (Hindu) and Guru Gobind Singh’s birthday (Sikh) celebrations

Mehndi Night dress from a woman of Zimbabwean-Pakistani origin with oral history interview about her 1980 wedding.

Video interviews with local south Asian shopkeepers in 2005

Interviews with local children about Eid (Muslim) celebrations in 2004

Permanent displays on an Afro-Caribbean family (1950s). In addition, other displays signify the diversity of the London Borough of Redbridge.

Other collections include:

Oral history interviews with Afro-Caribbean people about their life histories and topics including ‘Moving to the UK’, ‘Home’, ‘Childhood’, ‘Hair and beauty’, ‘WW2’, and ‘Clothes’

A small number of Black beauty products, personal photographs and objects associated with local people from the Caribbean

Permanent display on Kathleen Maguire, World Irish Dance Champion 1971 and 1972. Kathleen now runs the Maguire O’Shea Dance Academy in Seven Kings, LB Redbridge, one of the most successful schools in the country. Her students have won countless trophies and some have gone on to appear worldwide in the Irish dance show ‘Riverdance’ and in TV and film.

Interview with young Irish person about moving to UK (2003)

Permanent display about Ilford Jewish Primary School featuring photographs, archival material and oral history. Originally based in Stepney, the whole school relocated to Barkingside in the 1970s as the Jewish community moved out of the East End into the London suburbs. Today, the Jewish community totals around 8% of the London Borough of Redbridge’s population

Oral history interviews (and photos) with Jewish youth group in 2000 about what they would wear for a Bar / Bat Mitvah

Interviews with local children about Channukah celebrations in 2004