Haringey marks Windrush's 75th anniversary

Various venues around Haringey will be kicking off events to remember the Windrush generation this month

Haringey will be marking the 75th anniversary of Windrush with festivals, memorials and events popping up at multiple venues around the borough.

Events include a Windrush Festival held at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre (BGAC), two projects memorialising the stories of the Windrush generation in Haringey by Lordship Recreation Ground Hub and Collage Arts in Wood Green, and a council-run programme of celebrations.

The fourth Windrush Festival at BGAC, taking place from 19th-24th June, ‘pays tribute to the hopes and dreams’ of the Windrush generation, with featured artists including Pegasus Opera, Reggae Choir, Dionne Reid, Elsa James and DJ Donnie Sunshine. The venue will even be hosting a family-friendly ‘block party’ on the festival’s final day, with live music, arts and crafts, spoken word and workshops. Events are ‘pay what you can’.

Azieb Pool, artistic director and CEO of Bernie Grant Arts Centre, and founder of the Windrush Festival said: “We’re thrilled to be celebrating the Windrush 75th Anniversary here at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre with our fourth annual Windrush Festival. At BGAC we champion Black storytelling across all art forms and we can’t wait to present this line-up of bold and brilliant Black artists. Our Windrush festival is proudly rooted in Tottenham, with a global outlook, reflecting the brilliance and multiplicities of the Black Caribbean diaspora and inviting audiences of all backgrounds to reflect on notions of home, belonging and migration.”

Meanwhile, Collage Arts is creating ‘Windrush Wonder Stories’, a collaboratively made printed book documenting the true stories of the Windrush generation. The book launches on 22nd June.

The Lordship Hub is putting together a programme of events on 25th June with funding from the National Lottery.

Haringey Council began their celebrations with the unveiling of a plaque dedicated to textile artist Althea McNish, and will be continuing with a civic event led by the mayor of Haringey on 22nd June, as well as a community and cultural day and panellist event at Bruce Castle Museum.

Peray Ahmet, council leader, said: “We are incredibly proud of the fact that so many members of the Windrush Generation chose to make their home in Haringey. They and their descendants have left a lasting legacy on every aspect of our borough, including political and civic life, and we’re delighted to have the opportunity to celebrate that each year on Windrush Day.

“This year will be particularly special as we mark 75 years since the arrival of the Empire Windrush at Tillbury Docks. Our celebrations already began in May, when we were thrilled to unveil a blue plaque on West Green Road honouring the late Windrush elder and world-renowned textile artist Althea McNish, who lived and worked here in Haringey for over 60 years.

“We will continue in June with a wide programme of events across the borough, giving residents of all ages the opportunity to learn, celebrate and share their memories.”

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