Housewarming: A Tenement Flat in 1913

Explore the Museum in the late hours!

In the Rooms Through Time: 1878-2049

Join our curator to hear about the stories around A Tenement Flat in 1913 as the Delinsky family is setting up Shabbos dinner.

In the Studio

The Art of Mending: A Contemporary Workshop Inspired by 1900s Living Conditions of a Jewish Family in London led by Nadien K.

Explore the art of darning in the context of the living conditions of the Delinsky family who lived in a Rothschild’s tenement flat in 1913. Like many in the East End, the Delinsky father worked as a tailor, while his wife brought home textiles to mend at her sewing machine.

The living conditions of the time often dictated that families shared clothing, passing down items from one generation to the next. Darning, a technique that involves stitching up holes in the fabric, was widely practiced. In the early 1900s, mending was not merely an art; it was a necessity born from the realities of limited resources and the need for durability in clothing. In my visible mending workshops, participants are guided through the basics of darning, starting with the tools of the trade: needles, threads, and a wooden darning mushroom or embroidery hoop to support the fabric. They learn how to evaluate the damage, select appropriate materials, and execute mending techniques to create practical and aesthetically pleasing repairs.

Mending is deeply intertwined with the principles of sustainable living. As participants learn to repair their clothing, they engage with broader issues surrounding fast fashion and its environmental impact. The practice of darning encourages mindfulness in consumption favouring quality over quantity and promoting a lifestyle where clothing is cherished rather than discarded.

All workshop equipment including darning tools, yarns, materials, fabrics, darning samples, instructions, and mending kits will be provided. 

Darning kits can be purchased at a discounted price in the Museum Shop.

In the Rooms Through Time: 1878-2049

Join our curator to hear about the stories around A Tenement Flat in 1913 as the Delinsky family is setting up Shabbos dinner.

In the Atrium

The Oi Va Voi Klezmer Experience performance with Steve Levi-Kallin on the clarinet and Josh Middleton on the accordion.

Nadien K is a sustainable brand based in London, UK, that creates natural, unique children's clothes and offers sewing workshops where you are invited to slow down and learn how to repair and upcycle garments. Sharing inspiration and practices around mindfulness, gentle parenting, and sustainable ways of living, Nadien also helps people work towards a more sustainable wardrobe in her one-to-one workshops.

www.nadienklages.uk

@nadien_klages

Oi Va Voi have returned to their roots to form a new group called The Oi Va Voi Klezmer Experience, two of the musicians from the group will perform at the Housewarming: A Tenement Flat in 1913.

The group features some of the UK's top Klezmer musicians playing sounds of the old world with their trademark energy, pathos and joy. The triumphant trumpet, crying violin and laughing clarinet all weaving lines that take the listener and dancer on an emotional journey. Oi Va Voi's musical roots lie in klezmer, the instrumental music originally played by Jewish musicians in Eastern Europe in the late nineteenth and twentieth century. Klezmer music has influenced many of the melodies and styles of their much-loved songs.

Formed at the dawn of the millennium by six young Londoners with diverse musical roots, Oi Va Voi made an instant impact with their debut album, Laughter Through Tears which was a double winner at the BBC Radio 3 World Music and was listed in The New York Times Top 10 albums of the year. The album also launched the career of guest vocalist KT Tunstall. The band has gone on to record another three studio albums to widespread critical acclaim, which lead to sell-out shows across Europe, The US, Russia, Turkey, Israel, and memorable appearances at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire, Glastonbury and WOMAD. Having long been standard bearers of musical exploration and artistic integrity, Their unique blend of traditional Jewish, Eastern European and Balkan instrumentation with modern song writing rooted in their urban surroundings, have established the band as a leading light in modern crossover music. They have performed at some of the most prestigious venues and festivals in the world and continue to release music that pushes the boundaries and perform shows with explosive energy to the delight of audiences around the world.

www.theklezmerexperience.com

@oivavoi_klezmer_experience