Celebrating 75 years of the Windrush generation

‘As we passed through the white cliffs of Dover, it was beyond imagination. I just came out having something to eat in the mess hall and I saw this crowd with the cameramen at the docks and I was waving my teacup, waving to be noticed,’ recalls Edwin Hilton Hall, one of the West Indian passengers on board His Majesty’s Transport (HMT) Empire Windrush.

On 22 June 1948, over 500 passengers from the Caribbean disembarked from HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks to start a new life in Great Britain. Many left their homes on the Caribbean islands, such as Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, and travelled to Great Britain to help fill the country’s post-war labour shortages.

It was a significant cultural moment that shaped the United Kingdom and now a range of events, exhibitions and performances are being held to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Windrush generation and bring the story to life.

To mark the occasion on Wednesday 22 June, the Port of Tilbury are holding a programme of events, exhibitions and performances to bring the community together to acknowledge and celebrate the Windrush generation at the London International Cruise Terminal.

The free event – which is open to all and takes place from 9.30am to 6.30pm - includes Windrush exhibitions by The National Archives, Tilbury Riverside Project, the Gateway Learning Community (GLC), EVEWRIGHT tours and collaborative arts project group, Sharing Our Lives. Also, performances by the Royal Opera House Youth Dance group, Woodside Primary Academy’s steel pan band, a Caribbean themed tea dance, as well as contributions from Tony Fairweather, author of ‘TwentyEight Pounds and Ten Shillings – A Windrush Story’, are taking place. To view the programme of events visit Tilbury on the Thames: www.tott.org.uk

Running from Thursday 22 June with guided tours of ‘Tilbury Bridge Walkway of Memories’, and throughout the weekend of Saturday 24 to Sunday 25 June as part of their ongoing work at Tilbury Docks Evewright Arts Foundation (EAF) will be presenting ‘Belongings: Windrush 75’.

Having received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant, and supported by Arts Council England, the ‘Belongings: Windrush 75’ project will include an array of audiovisual works - featuring interviews, sounds and songs – that reflect on the themes of migration, identity and settlement to form a unique understanding of the Windrush generation and its descendants.

Led by EAF members, guided tours of the ‘Tilbury Bridge Walkway of Memories’ will take place on Thursday 22 June. History will be brought alive through an immersive audio and visual site-specific art installation being created on one of the bridges that the Windrush generation first walked across as they entered the country in 1948.

Taking place on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 June, two new films directed by EAF will be screened, ‘Motherless Child’ and ‘Here I Stand?’ which both explore the resilience, identity and determination of the Windrush generation. Both films will be screened in the Grade II listed ticket hall along with other selected artists.

Also, as part of the project a new film by young people from Tilbury GLC schools will include audio and visual displays and projections.

To find out more about the free events visit: www.evewrightarts.org

Images courtesy of EVEWRIGHT.