Lambeth’s Migration Museum is inviting teams from across the borough to compete in a free football and basketball tournament next week.
Borderless Cup Lambeth takes place on Saturday 17 August at Vauxhall’s Black Prince Trust Community Hub and includes a five-a-side football and a three-on-three basketball competition open to Lambeth residents aged over-18.
The tournament is the first sports events hosted by the museum and formed after a discussion with anti-discrimination charity and supporting partner Kick it Out, who will be present on the day.
Migration Museum’s head of public engagement Robyn Kasozi said: “The cup is about recognising connections between migration, diversity, and sport, and moving beyond the ‘borders’ that divide us in our everyday life.
“When you’re on the football pitch or the basketball court it doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, you pick up a ball and you’re in play.”
The Black Prince Trust Community Family Fun Day will take place alongside the competitions and the museum will be collecting migration stories from locals to create a decorative display inside the hub.
Lambeth neighbourhood groups and organisations representing the homeless, refugees and former prisoners have expressed an interest in registering teams for the tournament.
Robyn said: “Some of the organisations have visited us recently for workshops, so it’s brilliant to be able to connect through other activities too.”
After the tournament a former Premier League footballer will award trophies to the two winning teams during a reception at the museum, based on Lambeth High Street.
The footballer, whose identity is being kept under wraps, has made a huge contribution to the south London footballing community and will also talk of his experiences as a player, campaigner and activist.
Reception-goers will be able to view Room to Breathe, the museum’s current immersive exhibition featuring over 150 personal migration stories and the Caribbean Takeaway Takeover installation by artist EVEWRIGHT, which tells the story of 12 Windrush generation elders.
IMMERSIVE EXHIBITION: Caribbean Takeway Takeover installation at the Migration Museum. Copyright: EVEWRIGHT
Both the tournament and the exhibitions embody the museum’s tagline, All Our Stories, which highlights how the movement of people to and from the UK is relevant to everyone’s past, present and future.
Robyn said: “Whether your grandparents were born abroad, your best friend moved to Australia or your favourite Premier League football player is Egyptian, Danish, Brazilian or Jamaican, migration affects us all and we all have a migration story woven into our lives.”
The event is sponsored by Vauxhall One Business Improvement District and its chairman Aseem Sheikh will also be present for the trophy presentations.
Full details of the event and entry forms can be found on the Migration Museum’s website.
