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
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
Queen's House
Experiences | Christmas

Santa’s Grotto at the Queen’s House Relaxed Sessions

Meet Santa and journey to a magical wonderland in these quieter sessions, ideal for neurodivergent and SEND visitors and those with sensory sensitivities. Pre-booking recommended
Sunday 23 November at 4.15pm, Saturday 29 November at 4pm and Thursday 11 December at 5.15pm
Child and an accompanying adult: £25, Additional adult: £27, Additional child: £27 | Member child and accompanying adult: £22.50, Additional adult Member: £25, Additional child Member: £25
Queen's House
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
Selected Wednesdays between November 2025 – January 2026 | 1pm-1.30pm
Free
Queen's House
Experiences | Member events

Members' Experience: A Beginner’s Guide to Observing

Come along and begin your journey to observing the night sky on the historic Queen's House lawns
Wednesday 21 January & Wednesday 25 March 2026 | 6.30pm-9pm
Free | Members only
Queen's House
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
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
Events and festivals | Museum Lates

Christmas concert at the Queen's House

Join us for an evening of carols and songs, performed by local choir, Hithertones
Saturday 13 December 2025 | Performances at 6pm and 7.30pm
Adult: £18, Child: £8 | Adult Members: £15, Child Members: £5
Queen's House
Talks and tours | Salons in the Queen's House

Salons in the Queen’s House: A ‘murky veil’? Exploring J.M.W. Turner’s water through an ecological lens

In this free lunchtime talk, artist, researcher and curator Martha Cattell will explore how representations of waterways, seas and streams in Turner’s work relate to contemporary environmental debates
Wednesday 17 December 2025 | 1pm–1.30pm
Free
Queen's House
Talks and tours | Salons in the Queen's House

Salons in the Queen's House: Victory at all costs

In this free lunchtime talk, curator Fern Aldous will explore the economics and logistics that went into maintaining the Royal Navy’s ‘wooden walls’
Wednesday 7 January 2026 | 1pm–1.30pm
Free
Queen's House
Talks and tours | Salons in the Queen's House

Salons in the Queen's House: From Turner’s tars to Chinese nannies

In this free lunchtime talk, curator Dr Aaron Jaffer will discuss an ambitious project searching for images of Black and Asian people in the Museum's collections
Wednesday 21 January 2026 | 1pm–1.30pm
Free
Queen's House
Events and festivals | Museum Lates

DEBUT at the Queen’s House – Valentine’s Day Concert

A romantic night with enchanting classical music performed by DEBUT's acclaimed musicians
Saturday 14 February 2026 | VIP experience at 5.45pm | Performances at 6.15pm and 8.00pm
Adult: £30, VIP Adult: £55 (plus £3 booking fee) | Adult Member: £27, VIP Adult Member: £50
Queen's House
Events and festivals | Museum Lates

Fierce Queens: Unframed, Unstitched... Unapologetic!

Join our fierce queens, kings and everyone in between to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month at the Queen's House
Friday 27 February 2026 | 7-11pm
Free Entry
Queen's House

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