Memory, Interrupted

Thus far, the book considered successful flows of mnemonic transmission among British Bangladeshi women. Equally, it is important to look at the moments when such processes are interrupted or absent. Collective remembering hinges on a very material dimension as bodies are afforded different possibilities to occupy specific times and spaces along the lines of class, race, religion, and gender. While British Bangladeshi women are committed to mnemonic transmission in their work around Tower Hamlets, they are often not very advantageously positioned in London’s wider mnemonic ecology beyond the immediate boundaries of their own community and become hindered professional performers. The reasons for this are complex, relating to cultural and socio-economic factors, a long history of Islamophobia in the dance sector and beyond, and bodies becoming failing mnemonic devices.