A Black Chiswick through History Project with Hounslow Action for Youth (HAY) and Rachel Long.
Working with prize-winning local poet Rachel Long, a group of young people from Hounslow Action for Youth (HAY) have developed a collection of new written works taking inspiration from the presence of Persian and Arabic floral designs found throughout Chiswick House. Floral details can be evidenced on the carpets, wallpaper, fireplaces and paintings throughout the House.
HAY’s work also draws connections from the 17th century Kitchen Garden, itself inspired by the walled paradise gardens of Ancient Persia dating back to the 6th century BCE with the earliest recorded garden, that of Cyrus the Great in Pasargadae. Persians are the first nation to have built extensive paradise gardens; with the word “Paradise” derived from the Old Persian ‘pairidaeza’.
The resulting collection of poems and prose, is on display in the Gallery of Chiswick House from 6 July, presented both as a beautiful book and in frames. The design work, supported by young people from C-Change West London, is influenced by the ‘Charbagh’ or ‘Chahar Bagh’ (meaning “four gardens” in Persian). This Persian and Indo-Persian concept is mentioned in Qur’an as well as the bible (Genesis 2: 8-10) and presents the idea of the world divided into four parts. This quadrilateral design is also evidenced in the grid structure of Chiswick House & Garden Trust’s Kitchen Garden.
Poet Rachel Long said –
It was a distinct pleasure to work with HAY at Chiswick House & Gardens as artist-facilitator, supporting the young people to explore and to write poems inspired by the rich history and design of the House & Gardens. Writing outdoors, in context and in close contact with nature, was a real highlight in terms of what it was able to enhance sensorially, how it uniquely sparked personal experience and memory. In the coming weeks, the young people’s creative writing will be gathered together and collected in an illustrated anthology, which I will edit. I have no doubt that this will be a wonderful testament to HAY’s engagement on the project, and an important celebration of their time at Chiswick House & Gardens.
HAY run workshops for young people of colour who are primarily of South Asian, Middle Eastern, African and Caribbean origins in Hounslow and the wider West London area. As well as learning about the history of Chiswick House & Gardens the group will be developing oratory, speaking and communication skills.
HAY group leader, Bijal Karavadra, said, “This project provided our young people with the opportunity to look at history differently. Being able to connect with the history of Chiswick House and Gardens has been a turning point for the young people.”
HAY group participant, Bilqis, said, “Through the workshops, I was able to freely write without any judgement and the people at the workshop always gave me good feedback and compliments.”
Notes from a Paradise Garden is available to view in the Chiswick House Gallery, 6 July-1 October 2023. Included with a Chiswick House & Kitchen Garden ticket. Members go free.
About Hounslow Action for Youth (HAY)
HAY run workshops (primarily) with young women of colour who are primarily of South Asian, Middle Eastern, African and Caribbean origins (NB there is one man in our cohort) and who are based in Hounslow and surrounding areas. HAY use Chiswick House & Gardens regularly, with group leaders bringing young people to the gardens and to help them connect with nature. The group have been particularly drawn to the gardens and the botanicals. As a lot of the silk road has Persian and Middle Eastern, Arabic and Islamic designs, the themes and the designs in the house and gardens have been pertinent and of interest to the women of colour in the group.
https://hayonline.org/
Twitter: @HounslowAYouth
About Rachel Long
Rachel is a local poet and a trained and experienced facilitator. She was formerly based near Chiswick and currently working from Paddington. Her areas of work include: literature, craft of speaking & oratory, spoken word and performance skills.
She runs workshops, week-long residencies and courses for hard-to-reach young people and a range of education provision. Rachel fosters safe spaces and facilitates and encourages the crafts of writing, speaking out and creating from lived experience. She is known for supporting, mentoring and nurturing girls and women of colour and founded Octavia Poetry Collective for Womxn of Colour which started out small and is nowadays based at Southbank Centre. She is a recipient of a Forward Prize (2020 Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection My Darlings from the Lions, Picador Poetry).
https://rachelnlong.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @rachelnalong
Black Chiswick through History
Re-interpreting our history and collections through a diversity of voices and perspectives.
Chiswick House and its silks
A Black Chiswick through History Project with Chiswick School.
Putting the colour back into Chiswick House
A Black Chiswick through History Project with Hogarth Youth and Community Centre and Ayesha Weekes