Spiral Sanctuary Explorations – Songlines of Greenwich celebrations

Spiral Sanctuary Explorations  Friday May 16 2025 6.30pm to 9pm

Please meet at exit Woolwich Station (Elisabeth Line), Dial Arch Square, Major Draper Street, Woolwich, London, SE18 6GD

A gentle evening walk exploring unexpected aspects of Greenwich’s history, in celebrating diversity around Woolwich. This event weaves stories, places, people with the magic of lanterns – to retell Greenwich  – as a Borough of Sanctuary. We hear of historic narratives relating to Black seamen, historic records of migration, of Black Greenwich Pensioners at the Royal Hospital for Seamen; the story of John Blanke, trumpeter to Henry VII and then Henry VIII, the story of other Black Tudors hidden in the archives; of Charles Ignatius Sancho, early black abolitionist.

This walk led by local artists will lead you around Woolwich Arsenal telling of refuge and migration. This spiral sanctuary event will then go through Woolwich town centre, to cross down to the River Thames in Woolwich Old Docklands to explore and celebrate together all the diverse communities who have made their lives and livelihoods in the area.

This is the first event from a series of Greenwich Songlines walks co-curated by InspiralLondon for BH365 celebrations. Further walks and workshops to be announced from May 11 – 7 June 2025 and in July 2025. BOOKING from April 2025