Bengali Probin East Enders Drama tells the story of housing, ageing, family and wellbeing in East London

Over a hundred attendees, including older Bangladeshi adults (‘probins’ in Bengali) aged 50 years and over, their families, and local organisations came together at Rich Mix, Bethnal Green, for Bengali Probin East Enders - a project feedback event featuring a community drama hosted by the Amar Bari Amar Jibon (ABAJ) team: The Open University, Housing LIN, and Bangla Housing Association.

The drama, written by Saiyem Chowdhury, also an ABAJ community co-researcher, and performed by the Monchoshoilee Drama Group, told personal and intergenerational stories of housing, belonging, memory, ageing, health, and family life in East London. The script was based on findings from the three-year ABAJ research project funded by Vivensa Foundation, which involved interviews with 76 older Bangladeshi probins and 8 multigenerational families across four London Boroughs Tower Hamlets, Newham, Redbridge and Hackney.

Following the performance, attendees participated in a community reflection session, discussing the challenges inadequate housing raises for older adults and for care, family relationships as well as its emotional implications for probins and their families. Audience members shared that, while issues of care and obligation are widely understood within families, they are often not openly discussed due to cultural sensitivities. The drama created a supportive space for starting such conversations.

“Many of us recognised our own families in the stories on stage. These experiences are real, but they are often difficult to talk about. Today created a space where we could finally acknowledge them together and start thinking about what more we can do to support our ageing parents and change things for when we reach that stage in our lives.” [Member of the audience]

The event also hosted community support stalls and lunch to enable attendees to connect with local services and one another.

Next Steps

The ABAJ team will launch the final report with recommendations at the House of Lords in February 2026, bringing together lay community members (including ABAJ Bangla Research Advisory Group)  with policymakers, community leaders, practitioners and sector partners to consider the implications for housing, ageing, care and community wellbeing. Findings will be widely shared across community groups, housing, health and social care practitioners and networks.