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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
Queen's House
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.
Select Sundays | Talk at 3.30pm | Sales now open for Sunday 21 September 2025
Adult: £16 (plus £3 booking fee per booking); Adult Members: £13
Queen's House
Workshops

Ask About Dementia

Come along to the Queen's House for an afternoon of discovery and connection this World Alzheimer’s Month.
Thursday 18 September 2025 | 12pm - 3pm | Drop in
Free
Queen's House
Events and festivals | Ocean Court

Caribbean Takeover

Join the Caribbean Social Forum as they take over the National Maritime Museum and the Queen’s House for another spectacular year of celebration
Saturday 27 September 2025 | 10am – 5pm
Free
National Maritime Museum
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
Free
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 | 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
Free
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
Queen's House
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
Queen's House
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 | Early bird ticket offers available until 30 September (see below for details)
Queen's House
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.