On Saturday July 4th, 2020, Transition Town Tooting (TTT) invite you to join a safely distanced but socially connected celebration of Tooting community resilience, kindness and inventiveness: on and offline over the length of one summer’s day

The occasion gives time and space to mark our community’s survival, solidarity and connections in difficult times whilst also celebrating the 10th anniversary of the grand 2010 Tooting Trashcatchers Carnival – a large scale celebratory event reimagining Tooting.

We wish to make visible the invisible threads that sustain us as neighbours, friends, families and community groups. “How can we do that during a global health pandemic when we cannot gather together?”, we hear you ask…

With the help of the West African mythical Sankofa Bird.

The Sankofa Bird looks backwards and forwards in a single glance. Carrying an egg in its mouth – the seed for new stories – it says “it’s never too late to go back and fetch what you have forgot from the past – skills, stories, knowledge. The Sankofa Bird was the central character in the 2010 Carnival – visiting Tooting to gather stories and seeds for the future.

On July 4th, the Sankofa Bird returns to Tooting and would like to know how people have been getting on in these strange COVID times: what has kept us going? what or who do we miss? what do we hope in the future? The Bird’s visit gives us chance to reflect, individually and collectively on how we might “build back better”.

Here’s how you can join in: 

8.30 – 9.30am: Community ONLINE ZOOM Part 1 Welcome Gathering. Sign up via eventbrite here

10.30 – 4pm: Visit the bird and answer its questions, safely, at one of these places, or online using #sankofareturn

10.30-11.30am: Sankofa goes walkabout in and around Tooting. Follow social media #sankofareturn for whereabouts

1-2pm: Tooting Community Garden, 5 North Drive, SW17

3-4pm: Tooting Bec Common, between entrance to Tooting Bec Lido and Lake.

Attendees to the open air sites are asked to wear masks and maintain 2m social distancing to ensure public health safety for all. All such measures will be strictly adhered to during The Return of The Sankofa Bird.

2-3pm: An Online invitation to those shielding:

For people who are shielding and unable to attend any open air visits, there will be an online event hosted by TTT member, Resina Chowdhury., to celebrate the creativity and achievements of those who have been shielding. We would like to hear your responses to the Sankofa Bird’s questions and would love you to share your creative endeavours that have been keeping you sane during this solitary period.

Sign up via Eventbrite here.

An Invitation to Children: Please do contribute too, through sending pictures of what kind of world you would like to see coming out of lockdown. You can send them to us via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #sankofareturn.

6.30-8.00pm: Community ONLINE ZOOM Part 2 Farewell Gathering. Sign Up via Eventbrite here

We look backwards and forwards in a single glance – hear the day’s stories and to seed new stories of the future.

Sankofa wishes us well

Sankofa departs at Sunset.

How to stay connected and join in:

• • • • • If you feel comfortable to do so, join us at one of the three locations to answer the Sankofa Bird’s enquiry.
        • For online meetings – book your free place via eventbrite here
        • Follow updates on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram using #sankofareturn
        • Get in touch via email if this inspires you, we’d love to hear from you: transitiontowntooting@gmail.com