A new exhibition commemorating the 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks and telling the stories of Basingstoke residents is opening at the town’s Willis Museum and Sainsbury Gallery on Saturday 13 May.
The exhibition, Our Windrush Story, has been created in partnership with Hampshire Cultural Trust (HCT), which operates the Willis Museum, Basingstoke’s Caribbean Society and Friends and the Cultural Diversity Consortium and will take visitors on a journey celebrating the significant contributions of the Windrush generation in Basingstoke. Our Windrush Story features a unique soundscape of music and spoken word accounts from local people of the Windrush generation and will also feature objects, art and photography.
The Windrush generation comprises 500,000 Commonwealth citizens who settled in Britain between 1948 and 1971. Having been invited to help rebuild the nation after the Second World War, they played an essential role in key fields such as nursing, transportation, construction and both military and civil service. This exhibition explores their journeys and the challenges they faced starting new lives, recognising their contribution to our shared history. Through the voices of Basingstoke’s own British Caribbean community, Our Windrush Story celebrates the vibrant cultural tapestry of the borough, showcasing Caribbean culture and a legacy of community and faith, of hope and resilience and how Basingstoke became a place of sanctuary, often in the face of adversity and discrimination.
Effie Blankson, chair of the Cultural Diversity Consortium, commented: ‘Celebrating Windrush is important because it recognises the contributions and sacrifices made by this generation. On its 75th anniversary, it is imperative that communities should work together to celebrate. Firstly, it honours the contributions of Caribbean immigrants who played a significant role in rebuilding post-war Britain. Secondly, it promotes a sense of unity and inclusivity by recognising the diverse cultures and histories that make up British society. Finally, it serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for racial equality and the need to continue fighting against discrimination and prejudice. Ultimately, celebrating Windrush is an opportunity to acknowledge and learn from the past while promoting a more inclusive and equitable future.
Effie continues: ‘It has been a privilege working with Hampshire Cultural Trust in the last two years to develop this celebration. Much thought has gone into showcasing a people's history and celebrating our local Windrush generation. I'd like to thank everyone who has helped to shape the exhibition, as well as the Basingstoke Caribbean Society and Friends for their immense contribution over the years in ensuring we never forgot.’
The exhibition will showcase stories from seven people from Basingstoke’s Windrush generation, captured to preserve this important regional history while highlighting and emphasising their experiences which mirror many of those from the Windrush generation in the national story. The exhibition will also explore some of the discrimination the Windrush generation faced on arrival while finding employment and housing and will tell the story of the 2017 Windrush Scandal.
As well as first-hand accounts of the generation’s experience, the exhibition will display local objects reflecting Caribbean culture and identity, including original British and Jamaican passports, LPs, books, photographs and textiles. There will be artworks on display from significant British artists who are second-generation Windrush, as well as a photographic commission by Hampshire-based documentary and portrait photographer and winner of the British Journal of Photography’s ‘Portrait of Britain’ and ‘Portrait of Humanity’ awards, Tamsyn Warde.
Our Windrush Story will contain a unique, commissioned soundscape from composer of concert, film and multimedia, Thomas Baynes of Chalkstream Productions Ltd. The soundscape helps to create an immersive experience for visitors through a composition that brings sounds of the Caribbean, the sea and spoken word from the contributors together into an abstract medley of sound, music and voices.
Tara McKinney Marinus, Visual Arts Exhibitions Manager for Hampshire Cultural Trust commented: ‘It has been a privilege to work with Basingstoke’s Windrush community. They have welcomed us into their lives and shared powerful testimonies which has been both emotional and uplifting. Understanding their personal struggles and yet witnessing their generosity to the community has been nothing short of humbling. We feel an immense sense of responsibility to respectfully reveal this shared history and celebrate the remarkable achievements and contribution of the Windrush generation on this special anniversary.’
This exhibition has been curated by Hampshire Cultural Trust with research assistance from emerging curator, Olu Taiwo, and runs until Sunday 30 July. The exhibition is free, donations are welcome.
For more information, please visit www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/our-windrush-story.