An important milestone for the Apna Heritage Archive project was reached when BCVA helped facilitate a meeting between archive participant Piara Hayre and partners at the Black Country Living Museum (BCLM).
Piara Hayre shared his remarkable migration journey and working life story, having arrived in Wolverhampton and later becoming one of the city’s first Indian shopkeepers. His experiences form part of the growing archive documenting Punjabi migration and working lives in the Black Country.
The meeting took place as part of preparations connected to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations and also served as an important step towards recognising the contribution of Punjabi communities to the region during the post-war period.
Piara’s story has now helped inspire the development of a new historical character at Black Country Living Museum, connected to the museum’s expanding townscape programme representing life in the 1950s–1970s. This work forms part of the wider legacy of the Apna Heritage Archive: Forging Ahead project, which aims to bring previously underrepresented migration stories into the region’s heritage narrative.
Working alongside long-time collaborator Vimal Korpal, who helped develop the character inspired by Piara’s experiences, the museum organised a special visit for Piara to meet the actors who would portray elements of his life story within the museum’s historical interpretation.
The response from visitors, particularly from the local Punjabi community, was deeply moving. Many were excited to see elements of their history represented within such an important cultural institution, including the presence of the Indian flag as part of the interpretation. For some visitors, seeing their community’s experiences reflected in the museum for the first time was an emotional moment.
While heritage interpretation is always evolving, the inclusion of Piara Hayre’s story represents a significant outcome from the Apna Heritage Archive, demonstrating the real impact that community-led research and storytelling can have on how regional history is understood and presented.
For BCVA, this moment reflects the wider vision behind the archive since the organisation’s founding in 2014: ensuring that the migration stories and contributions of Punjabi communities in the Black Country become part of the region’s shared historical record.
Indian flag flown at Black Country Living Museum with actor Harmesh enagaging audiences on Mr Hayre’s real life story. Arts Council England funded project Apna Heriatge Archive.
From left Jaminder Hayre with son Arjan and centre Piara Hayre with actor Harmesh and Jaminder’s wife Krishan Hayre
Piara Hayre & his fmaily photographed next to the current Mayoress Sandra Samuels and consort husband Karl Samuels at Black Country Living Museum.