A Jute Lascar Story by Stepney Community Trust

A Jute Lascar Story by Stepney Community Trust

  • ALL AGES

A journey of some of jute farmers who becomes a lascar whose life at sea spans continents, colonial hardship, lost dreams, and resistance.

By South Asian Heritage Month 2025 (LBTH)

Date and time

Location

Brady Arts & Community Centre

192-196 Hanbury St London E1 5HU United Kingdom

About this event

  • Event lasts 1 hour 30 minutes
  • ALL AGES

A Jute Lascar Story by Stepney Community Trust and Arts Without Borders

A Jute Lascar’s Journey” - set during the early to mid-20th Century. This is a powerful new theatrical production tracing the untold story of a ten-year-old boy called Shahabuddin.

Shahabuddin runs away from his jute cultivators in East Bengal to find his father. His father had left for the forest of Goalpara in Assam to make a new life after losing everything due to his debts.

Shahabuddin's search for his father ends in failure, but he unexpectedly meets Bablu, a lascar returning from overseas. Fascinated by Bablu's stories Shahbuddin wants to become a lascar too.

Inspired by real jute cultivation and transportation stories covering the globe, this production explores stories of migration, survival, loss and the cost to ordinary people of the ambitions of British colonial rule. It is a story of disappearance and rediscovery - of a man who travelled the world only to vanish into history.

Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund

The Stepney Community Trust (SCT) is a community-led charity with a long history of self-help actions. They work for justice and equality, and support residents to access good quality services.

Arts Without Borders is a London based that runs arts based activities, projects and productions. Their projects explore and promotes social and cultural issues.

Part of South Asian Heritage Month

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Organised by

South Asian Heritage Month 2025 (LBTH)

Join us this summer in Tower Hamlets for our South Asian Heritage Month celebrations - includes music, drama, singing, film screenings and walks! Booking fees may apply.

~~South Asian Heritage Month was established by the South Asian community in the UK in July 2019 at the House of Commons to honour and celebrate South Asian history and culture.

It is an opportunity for everyone to appreciate the countries in South Asia and learn new things about their heritage. South Asian Heritage Month aims to celebrate and raise the profile of British South Asian history, arts, culture and heritage. It takes place annually from 18th July to 17th August.

Free