Cockney Cultures

16/04/2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaHk7JSKVIg

Songs, Poetry and Dance of the People: live performance showcase at Hason Raja Centre, London

The RadhaRaman Society hosted an evening of live performances celebrating working-class poetry from Bengal to Britain, alongside the launch of the New School of Cockney Poets project. Curated by poet Ahmed Kaysher, the event brought together both emerging and established performers who explored themes of labour, resilience, and community through song, poetry, dance, and visual imagery.

Drawing inspiration from the experiences of workers - from the paddy fields of Bangladesh to the factories of northern England - the performances highlighted shared struggles and cultural connections. Held in London’s East End at the Hason Raja Centre, the evening blended the lively atmosphere of a Cockney knees-up with the intimate, social spirit of a Cockney-Bengali adda. The event concluded with Dhamail, a traditional folk music and dance from the Mymensingh/Sylhet region, inviting audience members to participate.

A heartfelt Thank You to all the talented artists who participated in the showcase.

Part of the Modern Cockney Festival: www.moderncockneyfestival.co.uk
Organised by the RadhaRaman Society: https://radharamanleeds.wordpress.com
Host at the Hason Raja Centre, London: https://spitalfieldsha.co.uk/community/hall-hire-information

Date of event: 29/03/2026
Length of video: 18:07
Background music: Mondamusic
Film, photography and video by: S. Osmani

You can park your vehicle off of Vallance Road, Pedley Street or in localised car parks. To unload your vehicle you may temporarily stop at the corner of Pedley Street and the Hason Raja Centre entrance. This map indicates localised car parks near the Hason Raja Centre.

27/03/2026

'Being Cockney: an intimate lens' has been extended until Tuesday 31st March 2026

In-person and online exhibition
Being Cockney: An intimate lens
Photography exhibition

A presentation of recent work by photographer Eileen Jamieson, Where You’re Supposed To Be, documenting her father John and their shared Cockney identity.

British-Bangladeshi artist Saif Osmani presents Framing Banglatown, a series of photographs taken during the Covid-19 lockdown, shown alongside the Modern Cockney Festival - a project that began in lockdown and has since evolved into a platform for human reconnection.

Event details
Dates: Sunday 1st March - Tuesday 31st March 2026

Times: 10am-6pm weekdays, 11am-3pm on weekends
Venue: Rich Mix London, 35-47 Bethnal Green Rd, London E1 6LA

Find out more about the Modern Cockney Festival at www.moderncockneyfestival.org.uk

17/03/2026

Modern Cockney Festival
1st - 31st March 2026

A month-long celebration of Cockney culture, heritage, and language in all its rich diversity.

The Modern Cockney Festival takes place every March, bursting with brilliant talks, fresh insights, cutting-edge research, live events, performance, exhibitions – and the legendary National Pie ’n’ Mash Week. It’s a full-throttle celebration of everything Cockney: traditional roots, modern voices, and the global diaspora.

Ticketed events:
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/moderncockneyfestival

For further information about the Modern Cockney Festival, visit: https://www.moderncockneyfestival.org.uk

17/03/2026

Songs, Poetry & Dance of the People (In-person live performances)

Join the RadhaRaman Society for a evening celebrating working-class poetry from Bengal to Britain, and the launch of the New School of Cockney Poets project

Drawing on the struggles of workers - from the paddy fields of Bangladesh to the factories of northern England - poet Ahmed Kaysher curates an evening of song, poetry, dance, and striking imagery featuring emerging and established performers. Inspired by generations of British and Bengali poets, the performances bring to life stories of resilience from working-class communities around the world, gathered here in London’s East End.

The night blends the spirit of a Cockney knees-up with the warmth of a Cockney-Bengali adda, and ends with Dhamail - an energetic folk music and dance from Mymensingh/ Sylhet that invites the audience to join in.

Event details
Date: Sunday 29th March 2026
Time: 6pm-9pm
Venue: Hason Raja Centre, 117 Vallance Road, Whitechapel/ Bethnal Green, London E1 5BW

Standard ticket £5. Limited places. Register here:
https://buytickets.at/moderncockneyfestival/2119138

More about the Modern Cockney Festival 2026:
https://moderncockneyfestival.org.uk

17/03/2026

Project launch
Nellie Cressall: A New Opera

A working-class suffragist and trade unionist who fought relentlessly for women’s rights, workers’ dignity, and political equality.

This event will launch East London Music Group’s new opera Nellie Cressall, to be premiered in 2028, which will tell the incredible story of the Poplar Rates Rebellion. As a borough councillor in 1921, Cressall stood up against discriminatory government policy and was jailed for it while six months pregnant.

Hear conversations with the project’s creative team and Cressall's descendants, see a short film about the project, and hear a live performance of a song from the opera.

Music, film, storytelling and more!

Event details
Date: Wednesday 25th March 2026
Time: 6.30pm
Venue: Oxford House, Playhouse, Derbyshire Street, Bethnal Green, E2 6HG
Free to attend. Donations encouraged. Visit: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nellie-cressall-launch-tickets-1980594918718?aff=oddtdtcreator

17/03/2026

Free online talk and presentation
COCKNEY ROOTS
How to discover your Cockney ancestors

Cockney ancestry in your blood? Find out about your Cockney roots, the stories of your grandparents, great grandparents, and beyond.

Join Patricia Sears MSc, a member of the Register of Qualified Genealogists (RQG). Learn valuable tips of where to start, clever shortcuts.

Discover how to avoid frustrating wastes of time, and useful sources of help and guidance.

Event details
Date: Thursday 19th March 2026
Time: 12.30pm
Venue: Online

Book your free ticket here: https://buytickets.at/moderncockneyfestival/2064291

Find out more about the Modern Cockney Festival at www.moderncockneyfestival.org.uk

Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel

17/03/2026

Online talk + in-person gathering

In Search of the Pearly Moon of Eid

An online panel discussion on when to celebrate Ramadan and Eid in London.

The discussion explores local moonsightings, why Eid dates can differ between mosques, and how Cockney communities have celebrated Eid over time. The panel also looks at how Eid celebrations in London have evolved and the best ways to enjoy a hyperlocal Cockney Eid. The main speakers are Imad Ahmed, co-founder of the New Crescent Society, and Puru Miah, a community activist and organiser - both of whom have strong links to London’s East End.

The following day, an in-person gathering will take place at a suitable moon-sighting location in East London, where participants will (hopefully) observe the new crescent moon.

Event details
Date for online talk: Wednesday 18th March 2026
Time: 12.30pm -1.30pm

Date of moonsighting: Thursday 19th March 2026, 5.30pm for in-person gathering to look out for the new crescent moon. Location in East London (exact location to be confirmed).

Booking link for both talk + gathering: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/moderncockneyfestival/2084012

Find out more about the Modern Cockney Festival at www.moderncockneyfestival.org.uk

17/03/2026

Hot off the press - check out the latest Pie ’n’ Mash Futures report

In case you missed it, last week marked National Pie ’n’ Mash Week… though for us, every day is a celebration of this classic dish.

To mark the occasion, the Modern Cockney Festival and its partners have put forward a proposal to grant Pie ’n’ Mash ‘Traditional Speciality Guaranteed’ status, helping to secure its recognition as a true national dish.

Read the Pie ’n’ Mash Futures report here:
https://moderncockneyfestival.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Pie-n-Mash-Futures-report_compressed.pdf

National Pie ’n’ Mash Week - website: https://www.nationalpiemashweek.org.uk/march2026

Modern Cockney Festival website: https://www.moderncockneyfestival.org.uk

09/03/2026

Being Cockney: An Intimate Lens (Photography exhibition)

Watch video:

In-person and online exhibitionBeing Cockney: An intimate lensPhotography exhibitionA presentation of recent work by photographer Eileen Jamieson, Where You’...