Synopsis

The sound in this video is damaged, and does not work for the majority of the video. In the black-and-white handheld video, we see a selection of performances at the Big Show of the Tower Hamlets Arts Show (THAP). The Tower Hamlets Arts Project (THAP) was formed in 1976 out of protest to the Thames Television ‘Eyesights’ scheme which commissioned professional artists to create posters for display in the borough, rather than investing in local arts projects. A crowded public meeting in February 1975 called for an alternative, bolder plan, bringing together existing and fledgling arts activities under a coordinating body to be called the Tower Hamlets Arts Project (THAP). The purpose was to create opportunities for everyone to participate in community art. THAP celebrated their achievements with a month-long ‘Big Show’ at the Whitechapel Art Gallery.

The initial performances feature a jazz band, an accordion duet followed by a South Asian solo female dance and various performances of South Asian music with batá drums and a Shruti box, as well as vocals. FInally, , we see a skit – featuring a soliloquy delivered by a South Asian man holding onto a pair of shoes. This is then followed by two men on stage, one holding onto a manuscript.