Ticketed

Essential Information

Type
Location
Date and Times Monday 26 September 2022 | 7pm-8.30pm
Prices Adult: £15, £10 or £5 (includes admission with donation)

Created by artist Alberta Whittle, The Axe Forgets, But The Tree Remembers features the stories of the Windrush generation and their descendants.  

Weaving together the experiences of her own family, stories sourced from Hackney Archives and conversation with the borough’s Windrush residents, Whittle's film highlights the animosity experienced by those who first migrated from the Caribbean to the UK. 

It also explores the lasting effects of hostile immigration policy, anti-blackness and racism felt by their descendants today. 

Join us at the Queen’s House for a special screening of the film, which includes a talk between Alberta Whittle and Dr Neal Shasore, Head of School and Chief Executive Officer at The London Architecture School. The event will include an audience Q&A. 

About the artist 

Alberta Whittle is an artist, researcher and curator who uses self-compassion and collective care to interrogate anti-blackness, colonialism and migration.  

Whittle is currently representing Scotland at the 2022 Venice Art Biennale with the acclaimed exhibition deep dive (pause) uncoiling memory. She is the recipient of a Turner Bursary, the Frieze Artist Award and a Henry Moore Foundation Artist Award.  

The Axe Forgets, But The Tree Remembers is one of the works commissioned as part of the Hackney Windrush Public Programme, curated by Create London in partnership with Hackney Council and funded by the Freelands Foundation.  

About Create London

Create London, who commissioned Alberta Whittle's film 'The Axe Forgets, But The Tree Remembers' commissions bold, radical and socially-engaged art and architecture that is woven into the fabric of everyday life. Sign up to their mailing list here .

What’s On

Family fun

Character Actors at the Queen's House

Meet historical characters connected to the Queen's House and take part in exciting performances
Sundays | 12pm, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm
Free
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Experiences

Talk & Drink: drinks on the balcony and a gallery favourite talk

Venture to the Queen's House and join a gallery favourite talk with drinks on the balcony
Selected Sundays | Sales now open for Sunday 12 October 2025 | Talk at 3.30pm
Adult: £16 (plus £3 booking fee per booking); Adult Members: £13
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Talks and tours | Salons in the Queen's House

Salons in the Queen's House: Breadfruit and the Creolising of Caribbean Foodways

In this free lunchtime talk historian Jade Lindo will explore the historical and cultural significance of breadfruit in the Caribbean
Wednesday 15 October 2025 | 1pm-1.30pm
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Talks and tours

Salons in the Queen's House

See the Queen’s House and its collections in a new light with this series of free lunchtime talks exploring art, architecture, history and our contemporary culture
Every Wednesday from 15-29 October 2025 | 1pm-1.30pm
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Events and festivals

Your Museum, Britain’s Future: Free Talk and Tea at the Queen’s House

Celebrating your philanthropic support at the spectacular Queen's House
Friday 17 October 2025 | 11am-1pm
Free | Places limited
Queen's House
Family fun

October half term family activities at the Queen's House

Find fun for all the family at the Queen's House this October half term
19 October – 30 October 2025 | See page for times
Free | Drop in | All ages and abilities
Queen's House
Talks and tours | Member events

Members' Lecture: The Battle of Trafalgar at the Queen’s House

Celebrate Trafalgar Day with us and hear from art curator Katherine Gazzard on the history and symbolism of this awe-inspiring naval scene
Tuesday 21 October 2025 | 6.45pm
Free Entry
Queen's House
Talks and tours | Salons in the Queen's House

Salons in the Queen's House: Visualising the Invisible in Jacqueline Bishop’s Collage Histories

In this free lunchtime talk art historian Dr. Freya Gowrley will explore the artistic potential of collage for telling colonial histories
Wednesday 22 October 2025 | 1pm-1.30pm
Free
Queen's House
Talks and tours | Salons in the Queen's House

Salons in the Queen's House: The Seeds of Survival

In this free lunchtime talk historian Akosua Paries-Osei will explore the empire-disrupting botanical knowledge of enslaved women
Wednesday 29 October 2025 | 1pm-1.30pm
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Events and festivals | Black History Month

Book launch: A Whole Heap of Mix Up by Stella Dadzie

Celebrate the release of the award-winning historian's new book
Thursday 30 October 2025 | 6pm-8.30pm
Pay what you can (£0-£10)
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Talks and tours

Dark history and haunted tours of the Queen's House

Join us (if you dare) for an after-hours tour of the Queen's House. Who knows what you might encounter...
Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 November 2025 | 5.30pm-7pm
Adult: £20 | Members: £18
Queen's House
Workshops

Historical pocket making workshop

Create a timeless tie-on pocket as part of this project providing community workshops accessible for people with memory loss, Alzheimer’s and dementia
Tuesday 4 November and 2 December | 11am-1pm
Free, drop-in
National Maritime Museum
Events and festivals | Art and culture

Lunchtime Concerts at the Queen's House

Enjoy musical performances in the Queen's House given by students from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance 
Select Wednesdays (see page for details) | 1pm-2pm
Free, drop in
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Experiences | Christmas

The Queen's House Ice Rink

Discover the most beautiful outdoor ice skating location in London
21 November 2025 - 4 January 2026 | 10am-9pm
Free Entry
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Experiences | Christmas

Santa’s Grotto at the Queen’s House

Meet Santa and journey to a magical wonderland. Pre-booking recommended
Selected dates from 22 November – 24 December 2025
General tickets: £27 per person, Member tickets: £24.30 per person, Under 1s: Free
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Talks and tours | BSL tours

BSL Tour: Portraits in the Queen's House

Join guide John Wilson for a British Sign Language (BSL) tour of the portraits in the Queen's House
Friday 12 December 2025 | 2pm-3pm
Free
Queen's House

Banner image: The Axe Forgets, But The Tree Remembers, featuring Zinzi Minott; image courtesy Alberta Whittle, 2022.