Kaleidoscope of Stories: Costume inspired by East & South Asian Folklore

Kaleidoscope of Stories is a Cultural Impact Award series/event/festival, part of the Mayor’s London Borough of Culture programme.

Step into a world of myth, movement, and costume at Wimbledon Library on Thursday 18 June at 4pm, as first-year students from Wimbledon College of Arts present an imaginative performance of costume inspired by folk tales from across South and East Asia.

Drawing on stories retold through generations and across cultures — including Rama and Sita, Manohara, The Legend of the White Snake, and The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea — students have created original costume pieces that explore the rich visual histories of these regions through colour, textile design, embellishment, and silhouette.

Inspired by the landscapes, architecture, traditions, and dress of each tale’s place of origin, the costumes reinterpret ancient narratives for contemporary audiences while honouring the enduring tradition of oral storytelling. The event will feature live performance by the costume makers themselves, with movement direction by Cat Busk.

Created with sustainability at its core, each costume has been made primarily from recycled calico, alongside carefully sourced repurposed and recycled materials. Students were challenged to transform limited resources through dyeing, printing, embroidery, appliqué, distressing, pleating, and other experimental techniques — demonstrating both creativity and responsible making practices.

Join us to celebrate storytelling, performance, sustainability, and the next generation of costume design and making talent.

Wimbledon Library is fully accessible, featuring step-free access and dedicated accessible toilet facilities. Find branch details, opening hours, and further accessibility information on the Merton Libraries Branch Directory. Parent and baby changing facilities are located within the accessible toilets.

Age recommendation: Suitable for families and people of all ages.

The performance may include flashing lights, haze and some loud noises.

Supported by MoL

Cultural Impact Awards are a Mayor of London initiative.

Image credit: Costumes made by groups of first year students of BA (Hons) Costume for Theatre and Screen, photos by Milly Brooke.