The Museum of Edinburgh is preparing to unveil the ‘Windrush Legacy Creative Reflections’ exhibition this Saturday, September 30th.
This exhibition is a profound exploration of our Caribbean heritage, a platform for sharing our experiences of life in Scotland, and an opportunity to envision our futures.
Windrush Legacy Creative Reflections builds on the work of the former project ‘Respect! Caribbean Life in Edinburgh’ which ran from October 2022 to February 2023.
In this exhibition, co-curated by Scottish-Caribbean writers Jeda Pearl and Courtney Stoddart and artist Kezia Lewis, works of poetry, prose, and artworks by people of Caribbean descent are showcased.
During a special preview (September 27), Council Leader Cammy Day, alongside co-curators, artists, and other special guests got the chance for a first look at the exhibition.
“I was lucky enough to visit this vivid and powerful exhibition today, and it’s fantastic that it will soon be open to all our residents and visitors to come and enjoy.
“In June, I attended the Windrush 75 Anniversary Celebration at the Hub here in Edinburgh, and it was brilliant to see such a rich and diverse array of people coming together to celebrate a key piece of social history and look ahead to the future.
“With Black History Month beginning this Sunday (October 1) it is key that we use exhibitions like this year-round to educate and provoke discussion about the history of Scotland, the wider UK and the people who call it home.
“I would like to thank the artists who have brough this exhibition to life and to our partners and colleagues at the Edinburgh Caribbean Association, Scottish BPOC Writers Network, Museums & Galleries Edinburgh, and the Scottish Government.
Council Leader Cammy Day
“The Scottish Government are delighted to support this important project. The 75th anniversary of the HMT Windrush’s arrival at Tilbury docks in 1948 gives us the opportunity to thank members of the Windrush generation that settled in Scotland after the Second World War.
“We are grateful for your immense contributions. You have helped make Scotland the country that it is today.”
Minister for Migration Emma Roddick
“Windrush Legacy Creative Reflections celebrates and pays homage to the Windrush Generation (arriving 1948 – 1971), the Belizean lumberjacks and Caribbean people who came before and after 1948, and their descendants who made their homes in Scotland. By remembering and celebrating the abundance of cultural contributions and the resilience of our ancestors, while exploring our experiences of life in Scotland today, we can dream into optimistic, anti-racist, and reparative futures.”
Co-Curator and Scottish-Caribbean Writer Jeda Pearl
The exhibition runs from September 30, 2023, to January 28, 2024, and is open seven days a week. Entry is free.
Accessibility guidelines for the Museum of Edinburgh can be found on our website.
