This summer we are thrilled to celebrate our Material Histories project as part of Made in the East End. The exhibition showcases a collaborative initiative exploring the rich and layered history of Bethnal Green’s textile industry.

Working alongside contemporary artists Anne Ogazi, Aya Haidar, Denise Hickey, Freya Gabie, and Ruhela Begum, local community groups have created five textile banners inspired by the area’s longstanding connections to the rag trade. Through workshops centred on weaving, mending, and embroidery, the project honours the craft traditions embedded in East End heritage. Drawing on our archive and slow-making practices, the artworks show textiles as carriers of shared histories and collective memory.

The exhibition runs from Wednesday 1 July to Wednesday 3 September 2026, in the Oxford House Gallery.