Bristol Cathedral will be hosting a photography exhibition titled Windrush: A Voyage through the Generations from 12 September to 30 October 2023, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush to Britain.
The exhibition was created by Jim Grover, an award-winning social documentary photographer based in South London, who previously exhibited Windrush: A Portrait of a Generation in 2018, to honour the 70th anniversary.
The new exhibition explores how the descendants of the first ‘Windrush Generation’ are living their lives today in terms of the distinctive culture and traditions that their ancestors brought to the UK between 1948 and 1971. It also shines a light on individuals, groups and organisations doing so much to seek to keep the Caribbean culture alive, and to create continuity from one generation to the next.
The Very Rev’d Dr Mandy Ford, Dean of Bristol, said: “Thanks to his willingness to enter the world of his subjects, Jim Grover is a photographer with a gift for capturing intimate moments and community relationships. His first Windrush exhibition portrayed the lives of the first generation with great affection and respect, so I’m very excited to be hosting this new exhibition in Bristol Cathedral. It will not only share, but celebrate, the lives of the next generation of Britons with Afro-Caribbean heritage, to whom so much is owed.”
Windrush Day is observed annually on 22 June in the United Kingdom. It was introduced in June 2018 on the 70th anniversary of the Windrush migration. It celebrates the contribution of the Windrush Generation and their descendants to British society and culture.
The arrival of the ship HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks on 22 June 1948, bringing more than 800 passengers from the Caribbean, is a moment that shaped modern Britain. Windrush Day has become a key symbolic moment in the story of the Black British contribution to this country and the broader post-war migration from across the Commonwealth and beyond. The 75th anniversary year offers an unparalleled opportunity to deepen the public conversation about the past, present, and future of modern Britain.
The exhibition is free and open to all visitors. For more information, visit www.bristol-cathedral.co.uk/windrush-exhibition.
