BTCOTC project – Family Archives Open Call (CLOSED)

20 December 2021
By The Cut of Their Cloth BTCOTC web banner
Poster advertising By the Cut of Their Cloth project. The letters BTCOTC are written in orange in large horizontal capitals. The words By the Cut of Their Cloth are written in black in smaller capitals next to them. A cut out photo of a couple taken in 1921 is shown. The woman is white and is sitting in a chair with her hands folded in her lap. She is wearing a white blouse and black skirt. A mixed race man of Black heritage is sat on the arm of the chair, leaning into her. He is wearing a coat over a suit and tie.

BTCOTC OPEN CALL #1 - FAMILY ARCHIVES

The BTCOTC project is looking to preserve and celebrate the mixed-race and multicultural histories of Brent residents. Can your family photos help us learn more about Brent’s diverse racial past?

We are using fashion as a lens to help us understand and display overlooked interracial family stories of Brent. We would love to see any images you have that represent and celebrate the coming together of different races and cultures in Brent families!

Contact us at BTCOTCproject@yahoo.com

What are we looking for?

Below are examples of the sorts of images we are interested in. In short, anything that tells a story of your family or Brent's mixed race or multicultural history. For example:

  • Family photographs
  • Items of jewellery Items of clothing (scarves, hats, occasionwear)
  • Magazine or newspaper articles
  • Official documents/files
  • Furniture, ornaments, paintings or other heirlooms
Linton and Maggie Drinkwater

Linton Smith and Margaret (Maggie) Lee on their wedding day, c1965.

Maggie wears a wedding dress and veil from Biba, which she bought using her own wages after saving up for months. Biba was an iconic London fashion store of the 1960s and 1970s.

Image copyright and courtesy of Warren Reilly with permission of Maggie Drinkwater.

Open Call Outcomes

Some of the narratives and images shared with the BTCOTC project will be curated into our digital museum, hosted by The Mixed Museum.

The material collected may also be used in our February 2021 half term art and design workships as talking points or creative inspiration.

Our filmmaker will also draw on the material to create a series of short videos about the project and Brent's wider mixed race and multicultural history.

Donated material may also be offered to Brent Museum and Archives for inclusion in their collections. Additionally, some of the donated images may be used in an installation to celebrate the launch of the exhibition at ASC Alperton Studios.

All uses of material offered will be for non-profit and educational use only.

Any questions or to offer material, please  contact us at: BTCOTCproject@yahoo.com

BTCOTC - WHO WE ARE

By The Cut of Their Cloth (BTCOTC) is a collaborative community art, photography, fashion and heritage project between Fashioning Our History (www.brentfashioningourhistory.com ) and The Mixed Museum (www.mixedmuseum.org.uk ). BTCOTC seeks to share, preserve and celebrate the history of mixed race families and multiculturalism within the London borough of Brent. The project is part of the Being Brent Wellbeing Fund 2021 and is supported by Brent Council via The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Poster advertising By the Cut of Their Cloth project. The letters BTCOTC are written in red in large horizontal capitals. The words By the Cut of Their Cloth are written in black in smaller capitals next to them. A cut out photo shows Warren Reilly, a mixed race man of Black heritage, in an art gallery. He posing in front of black and white abstract art pieces and is wearing an elaborate black robe and looking directly into the camera.

Images in branding copyright and courtesy of Valerie Pattison-Bergson, private collection, and Warren Reilly.

Graphic design by Jenny BM.

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