Pearly King of Woolwich Clive Bennett wearing his clothes decorated with mother-of-pearl buttons in the workshop.
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As a part of the Morden Cockney Festival, a free art workshop has been launched in Whitechapel calling for the reviving and recognition of Cockney.
The artists and campaigners have united to immerse children in Cockney heritage through conversation and art.
Research by the University of Essex found that Cockney is no longer a common dialect among Londoners aged 18-33. They are more likely to speak Southern British English (49%), multicultural English (25%), and Estuary (Essex) English (26%).
Mr Erderm has been living in London for three years. He believes that preserving and acknowledging Cockney culture is essential for all Londoners, regardless of their age.
He said: “My children and I have learned a lot about the Cockney and its accent and slang through the workshop. I think Cockney is definitely a part of London culture.”
Children and parents inspired by the Pearly King made their garments. CREDIT: ZHENG SUN
The Origins of Cockney
Cockney originally meant someone who was posh. Later in 19th century, it has been assigned socially salient features to working-class characters. Since then, the popular conceptualisation of Cockney refers to something distinctively working class or ‘non-posh’.
This workshop aims to spark conversations among people who identify as ‘Cockney’. Or people who identify with the values of Cockney and ‘working-class’ cultures.
In the workshop, the children and parents designed their own garments inspired by the Pearly King. Pearly King is an organised charitable tradition of working-class culture in London.
With pearl buttons on his clothes, the Pearly King of Woolwich Clive Bennett said: “This creative workshop is aiming to bring back the lost art of the East End culture and show that any Londoner can be a Cockney.
The Pearly King of Woolwich Clive Bennett performs the spoon dance and sings cockney slang in the workshop. CREDIT: ZHENG SUN
However, he is concerned about the heritage of this special culture.
“Many fear that in time the Cockney accent will be brown bread (dead for those who aren’t in the know).”
Cockney recognition
In May last year, Tower Hamlets recognised this 660-year-old culture as the community language of the East End. This decision marks the first-ever formal recognition of Cockney as a community language.
The event organiser, Saif Osmani, envisions Cockney as an integral component of London’s collective identity.
He said: “We still have a lot of people in different cultures and backgrounds who identify with Cockney and the working-class culture which is still very much alive.
“Working class communities are part of the East End and large swathes of them still speak Cockney or in a Cockney accent. It is still a part of the communication.”
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HeadlineWorkshop brings back Cockney as a part of East End culture
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StandfirstNew initiative hopes to preserve cockney culture by having Londoners design their own 'Pearly King'.
As a part of the Morden Cockney Festival, a free art workshop has been launched in Whitechapel calling for the reviving and recognition of Cockney.
The artists and campaigners have united to immerse children in Cockney heritage through conversation and art.
Research by the University of Essex found that Cockney is no longer a common dialect among Londoners aged 18-33. They are more likely to speak Southern British English (49%), multicultural English (25%), and Estuary (Essex) English (26%).
Mr Erderm has been living in London for three years. He believes that preserving and acknowledging Cockney culture is essential for all Londoners, regardless of their age.
He said: “My children and I have learned a lot about the Cockney and its accent and slang through the workshop. I think Cockney is definitely a part of London culture.”
Children and parents inspired by the Pearly King made their garments. CREDIT: ZHENG SUN
The Origins of Cockney
Cockney originally meant someone who was posh. Later in 19th century, it has been assigned socially salient features to working-class characters. Since then, the popular conceptualisation of Cockney refers to something distinctively working class or ‘non-posh’.
This workshop aims to spark conversations among people who identify as ‘Cockney’. Or people who identify with the values of Cockney and ‘working-class’ cultures.
In the workshop, the children and parents designed their own garments inspired by the Pearly King. Pearly King is an organised charitable tradition of working-class culture in London.
With pearl buttons on his clothes, the Pearly King of Woolwich Clive Bennett said: “This creative workshop is aiming to bring back the lost art of the East End culture and show that any Londoner can be a Cockney.
The Pearly King of Woolwich Clive Bennett performs the spoon dance and sings cockney slang in the workshop. CREDIT: ZHENG SUN
However, he is concerned about the heritage of this special culture.
“Many fear that in time the Cockney accent will be brown bread (dead for those who aren’t in the know).”
Cockney recognition
In May last year, Tower Hamlets recognised this 660-year-old culture as the community language of the East End. This decision marks the first-ever formal recognition of Cockney as a community language.
The event organiser, Saif Osmani, envisions Cockney as an integral component of London’s collective identity.
He said: “We still have a lot of people in different cultures and backgrounds who identify with Cockney and the working-class culture which is still very much alive.
“Working class communities are part of the East End and large swathes of them still speak Cockney or in a Cockney accent. It is still a part of the communication.”
These changes reduce the amount of hubs across England from 116 to 43, as part of the Music Hub Investment Programme, which provides £79m to organisations across England.
Merton primary schools are using a framework first used in special educational needs settings as they try to prove the link between music education and wider academic progress.
