When I Get Home was a multimedia installation by the third cohort of New Architecture Writers, forming a love letter to the act of hosting and the creation of shared spaces by migrant and ethnic minority communities in the West. Through film, writing and live readings, we invited our guests into an ephemeral living room to reflect on a shared understanding of “home” as a space that can be ephemeral, transitory and (in)complete. Taking place at Host in Leyton, the event was rooted in Walthamstow’s rich diasporic culture, and celebrated its incredible diversity. The budget for this project was £3,000.
Scene 01: The Market
Every Saturday we became foragers as we
piled into our mother’s ancient BMW
South London unfolding before us as our
territory to scout.
We’d hit up Tooting, West Croydon,
and Brixton,
Ekua and Ewurama out on the town.
The bustle of the markets embraced us like a
loving friend bringing the sights and smells
Of a distant land that is familiar and yet foreign.
What’s on the list today? A few balls of kenkey.
Fresh tilapia. And the holy grail –
Bunches of golden plantain
Ripe to be peeled and fried into soft yet
crunchy slices.
What about some chips?
Dare to ask and you’d be told
“You know there’s rice at home!”
Excerpt from “Akwaaba: Scenes from the Ghanaian Diaspora”, one of the nine pieces in “When I Get Home”
