We recently began a new partnership with Black Country Living Museum through its Forging Ahead project. As the Midlands’ most visited cultural venue, the Museum is expanding its interpretation of the 1950s to 1970s through an ambitious new building programme and visitor attraction.
Among the new additions are a factory and a pub from Wolverhampton. Significantly, both reflect places connected to the working lives and social experiences of Black and Asian communities in the post-war period. This created an important opportunity for BCVA to support a renewed focus on Punjabi community histories within the Museum.
The project also gave us the chance to invite members of the Punjabi community into a space with which many had previously felt little connection, as the Museum has traditionally focused more heavily on the Victorian era. By welcoming people to share family photographs and speak about their early migration stories from this period, the partnership opened up new ways of connecting personal memory with the region’s wider heritage.
We are grateful to Black Country Living Museum for its hospitality and for providing a welcoming venue for community members to bring images and share stories from their early years of migration.
Special thanks also go to the Aman Group, whose support and oversight helped prepare the women involved for their time working with us.
Sharan Dhanda at BCLM explains the ‘Forging Ahead’ project taking place that recognised the work of Punjabis at the Lavender Factory which is been g rebuilt at the Museum. (BCVA project funded by Arts Council England) photograph © BCVA
Punjabi ladies proudly share their photographs from their family history in the Black Country at BCLM. (BCVA project funded by Arts Council England) photograph © BCVA
The Punjabi ladies group share incredible historical images from their early years of migration of mother and daughter in the Black Country this one taken in the early 1960s. (BCVA project funded by Arts Council England) photograph © BCVA
The group share their stories and images with each other individually for all to hear. Took a long time to get around! They were all wonderful! (BCVA project funded by Arts Council England) photograph © BCVA