Our Personal Ballast with Billie Duch Gimenez

Part of the Culture Cargo programme aboard the historic sailing barge Raybel, Our Personal Ballast invites participants to explore what keeps people and communities grounded through a creative workshop inspired by the history of the Thames.

Discover what keeps people and communities grounded in this creative workshop inspired by the history of the Thames.

Led by museum curator and researcher Billie Duch Gimenez, whose work has included roles at the British Museum and Museum of the Home, the workshop explores the idea of ballast, the material used to stabilise boats, as a way of thinking about identity, belonging and community.

Drawing on historical ballasting practices along the Thames, the session considers how trade, movement and exchange have shaped the river and the people connected to it. Participants will be invited to reflect on questions such as: What keeps us grounded? What do we carry with us? What do we leave behind?

Following an introduction to the history of ballast, attendees will take part in a creative collage workshop using text and images to give shape to their ideas and responses.

Interested in more events aboard Raybel? View the full Culture Cargo at Royal Docks programme.