Come Dine in Blue received funding from the Arts Council, the Heritage Fund and Lewisham Council and was a part of the We Are Lewisham, London Borough of Culture programming, which has been going on for the past year.
While some of the work highlighted the plight and struggles of migrating to a new country, a lot celebrated the everyday experience and cultural nuances of people from migrant backgrounds. The work also featured messages of hope, inspiration, nostalgia and community.
The theme of white and blue is inspired by artist Tisna Westerhof’s own practice and Dutch heritage appearing in the Delftware style. Originating in China, these two colours are seen all over the world, especially in a dining environment. The colours could represent many different emotions and memories to the participants and were purposefully used as a unifying factor to bring together all the different cultures found in Lewisham today.
“This is a project indeed of identity and belonging… and celebrating the different cultures in Lewisham, but also to try and redefine what heritage is or means in Lewisham today. Heritage is not just an old English thing. We thought it was time to kind of rediscover that and reclaim it,” said Westerhof.
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