London College of Fashion to host May Day Rave

London College of Fashion, UAL is gearing up to host a free May Day Rave evening event on May 2nd at its new East Bank location in Stratford's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The event marks the debut of LCF After Dark, a late event series, at the campus and is part of the public cultural program surrounding the institution's major exhibition, "Making More Mischief: Folk Costume in Britain," which opened on April 9th, generously supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The May Day Rave promises to transform the campus into a vibrant festival where folklore converges with contemporary beats, featuring musicians, students, designers, creatives, and performers collaborating to explore and reimagine the customs, costumes, and rituals associated with May Day celebrations worldwide. Attendees are encouraged to don folk-inspired garments reflecting their own traditions and cultures.

Celebrating cultural heritage

The event will pay homage to the tradition of international Labour Day parades and Somali culture, featuring collaborations with Numbi Arts, an organization fostering cross-cultural exchange among Somali communities worldwide. Highlights include participatory performances, a procession with the crowning of Queen Arewelo—a figure from Somali heritage symbolizing resilience, and activities within the Somali Museum Atelier, curated by Kinsi Abdulleh in collaboration with LCF and Numbi Arts. Activities throughout the evening include performances and sets from DJs and artists, workshops on Morris dancing and natural dyeing, folk dances, participatory activities like tarot readings, and a wellness space offering guided meditation. Curator-led tours of the "Making More Mischief" exhibition will further explore the role of costume in folk customs across London and Britain.

“We are so pleased to be commissioned by London College of Fashion, as part of Making More Mischief: Folk Costume in Britain, to create the Somali Museum Atelier and May Day Rave procession," Kinsi Abdulleh, Artistic Director, Numbi Arts said in a statement. "Both create wonderful opportunities to engage so many different people from across east London’s communities with expansive notions of cultural heritage and to celebrate the rituals of belonging and togetherness through the lens of British-Somali culture. We hope the May Day celebrations are an opportunity for us to bring Numbi Festival and our work to East Bank and to build on the connections and wealth of experience gained on this journey."

Mirren Kessling, Cultural Producer, London College of Fashion, UAL, commented: “The May Day Rave is a vibrant and inclusive showcase of contemporary folk dress and customs that dare to challenge conventions as we welcome the beginning of summer and audiences to East Bank, east London’s new creative quarter in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Come and make mischief as we invite you to express your own folk traditions and heritage - past, present, and future!“