Thursday 26 April 2012


Goldsmiths & HSBC Archives invite you to Archiving the Present 





Friday 4th May, 11:00-13:00, Level 40 room 2 

You are most welcome to join us for a morning of presentations on the History of the Docklands on Friday 4th May.  This discursive event is part of an ongoing collaboration between five students from Goldsmiths (MA Art and Politics) and the community of Millwall in partnership. 
  
HSBC was founded in 1865 and many of its earliest customers were merchants with strong trade links stretching between South East Asia and the West. The Port of London was at the very heart of this activity and herein lies an interesting connection with Millwall FC. The football club was originally founded near to Canary Wharf by the workers of J.T. Morton's canning and preserve factory in 1885. The ground has moved 6 times since then, and is now located in South Bermondsey; but its strong roots with the Docklands are not forgotten. 

This event will celebrate the historical importance of our surroundings in Canary Wharf; drawing on HSBC's Archives and material from the London Docklands Museum. As this is part of a collaborative research project there will be opportunity for dialogue and discussion between presentations. 

The event is now fully book but any documentation, photos and comments from the event will be posted on here.


A snippet from HSBCs website advertising Friday's event. 

Monday 16 April 2012



On Saturday 7th April Millwall FC played Hull City in arguably one of Millwall's most unusual matches, in their long history. 
As advertised a collaboration between Millwall, 5 Goldsmiths students and Jocelyn Pook saw the live playing of several recorded tracks from Jocelyn's opera "Ingerland". After recording the tracks with the help of several musicians and a soprano, a number of the tracks were played before the match and during half time. This event coincided with the memorial service for the late and the great Barry Kitchener and the response we received from the fans and the club was overwhelming.

Below are a few images from the day as well as the link to the podcast from "Lions Live" which explains the reasons behind this collaborative event. 


http://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail?pid=36811







Very soon you will be able to download the tracks which were played at "the Den" and we will keep you updated as to how to access them.


Tuesday 3 April 2012

"Ingerland at Milwall" Saturday 7th April 2012. 1:45pm.






Come along to the premier of Ingerland at Millwall.  A modern opera composed by London based Jocelyn Pook - originally inspired and made in collaboration with Millwall fans and featuring “No one likes us, we don’t care” which will be brought back to the Den on 7th April 2012


On this of all days, as we mourn the passing of the legendary Barry Kitchener, whose name features in one of the pieces, that quotation has never rung more true.
A modern opera composed by London based Jocelyn Pook – Ingerland,  originally inspired and made in collaboration with Lions fans and featuring “No one likes us, we don’t care” will today be brought back to Millwall at The Den.

So please join us for the memorial of Barry Kichener and the Opera at 1.45pm.  Tracks will also be played during half time.

If you click on the link below you will be able to view the schedule for Saturday's event:
http://www.millwallfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10367~2721957,00.html


“Football gives you the highs and lows of every emotion you can have...it’s like the church of emotion.” Millwall fan, involved and featuring in the Ingerland Opera.


This is the second event of an ongoing collaboration between  Millwall FC and Goldsmiths College ( MA Art and Politics students ). Jocelyn Pook was invited to re-record the opera specifically for this occasion and the recordings will be played before the match and at the half time.

Though it is called an opera, Ingerland is far from a traditional opera and follows on from the music she composed for films and theatres including Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut (1999) and Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York (2003).  Songs include interviews with fans and the roar of the Dockers crowd making Ingerland  a unique ‘opera’ which until 7th will have only ever been played in Royal Opera House;  where it set to challenge the audiences' expectations of what might be considered operatic and theatrical.

And so in its return to its rightful home, Ingerland seeks to emulate the sense of solidarity produced by Millwall’s chants, and the rituals of football, and celebrate it at the best theatre in town, the MILLWALL STADIUM.  This event coincides with Dave Sullivan’s current research into Millwall’s impressive musical history and  Ingerland will consequently become part of this impressive archive.

You are invited to share your thoughts on the event here on our blog. 




This event is supported by the Goldsmiths Annual Fund.




If you are interested then grab your tickets from:
Goldsmiths Students Shop - £2 for students
Millwall FC Ticket Line - 020 7231 9999


Millwall Football Club,
Ilderton Road,
London.
SE16 3LN. 

Monday 2 April 2012


On Friday 16th March a historic sporting event took place. The first match in nearly 100 years between
two of the largest institutions in the area – Goldsmiths College and Millwall Football club.
The match retraced the game between Millwall reserves and Goldsmiths from February 1914,
evidence of which is a single match-day card found by Millwall historian Dave Sullivan.
The collaborative event invited footballers from Street League, the Lion’s Community
Centre, Open Book, Goldsmiths and local people from the surrounding area into Goldsmiths
to play on the seldom used college green. The event was supported by the Goldsmiths Annual Fund.

Rather than Millwall vs. Goldsmiths over two, 45mins halves, it was instead a game
of THREE halves; three teams, three goals, two referees and one football. The
game was kicked-off by Bernie Seaton at 3.15pm, the same kick-off that historically
gave the Dockers time to walk to the match from the Isle of Dogs to New Cross
after work. The three-sided football match was a high speed, tactical encounter
full of drama and plenty of goals. With the touch-line bursting with spectators on
all three sides, their cheers only interrupted by the two energetic and philosophical
commentators, Millwall’s very own Sam Brown and local sports journalist Adam
Clarke. Their voices described the action as if unfolded in front of them, filling the air
throughout the college campus via loud speakers, letting all who heard them know
that Millwall had arrived.










Local Millwall Fan Laura Romitelli commented, ‘The day itself was great. Although
the game was nothing I'd ever seen before: a three sided football match with the
teams trying to concede the fewest goals, there was no hiding the enthusiasm,
commitment, and some skill, of the players. The wide mix of spectators showed
the event was a big success. Millwall and Goldsmiths are arguably the two biggest
institutions in the area and are both very well known in their own field. The fact that
there has been so little collaboration between the two in the past is a great shame
and it would be a real bonus if Friday's event led to a longer lasting relationship.’

The event was a great success and even made headlines in the Southwark News.



The collaboration between Millwall and Goldsmiths will continue and the second leg is
hosted by Millwall at the Millwall vs. Hull match 7th April. This next event brings the music
of the opera ‘Ingerland’ originally inspired and produced using Millwall chants, songs and
fan interviews back to Millwall for the first time. Composer Jocelyn Pook has specially re-
recorded the tracks for their return and to celebrate this, the tracks will be played before
the match and at half time. The songs will then be given to Millwall for their archive which
Dave Sullivan has been bringing together.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Tuesday 21 February 2012

Reflections thus far.

After the meeting yesterday with Neil I have discovered a deeper respect for Millwall fans. It was with regards to him speaking about the loyalty he has for the club even though he has now begun to view his loyalty almost as a chore.
Millwall's notorious reputation has been a huge burden to the fans over the past four decades so to me it seems incredible that a club which receives such bad press probably has the most loyal fans in London, maybe even England.
I know that this project held a personal connection to me due to the geographical location and my father's heritage but it was refreshing to hear Neil say yesterday that even if there was no match being played he would still go to "the den" to socialise and be a part of the atmosphere and scene. The attraction to a football match for me had no relation to the football aspect but wholly to the atmosphere and the unifying of different groups of people for 90 minutes every week.
This project thus far has shown me so many different and unexpected aspects of Millwall FC and the people who we have made contact with have been amazingly helpful and incredibly willing to help our project succeed.
I would say that even if an event was not to develop as a result of our research what we have discovered, the people we have met and in my case the connections I have made have been rich and fulfilling. This project is turning out to be completely rewarding and hugely enjoyable.

Monday 30 January 2012

General History of Goldsmiths and New Cross area

Very basic historical dates - will look further into the 'playing field'

Goldsmiths:
1843 - Royal Navy College (main building)

1891 - the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths established its Technical and Recreative Institute for educational opportunities for people living in the New Cross area (mainly the working class)

1904 - Goldsmiths College is acknowledged as part of the University of London

1907 - Art School established at Goldsmiths College by Sir Reginald Blomfield

Dec' 1940 - main building is bombed and consequently burnt down by German RAF


New Cross:

July 1952 - the last London tram was driven from Woolwich to New Cross depot

1977 - "Battle of Lewisham" - British National Front clash with militant anti-fascist forces and are driven out of the area

18th January 1981 - 13 yong black people are killed in a fire at a party on New Cross road. Political motivated mobilisation of black people (biggest ever seen in England) as a result of how the investigation into the deaths was handled by the police