Celebrating Windrush 75 in Camden
Camden is set to mark Windrush 75 with a series of special events to celebrate the contributions of the Windrush generation in the borough and across the UK.
Next month marks the 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMS Windrush into Britain, which had several hundred passengers on board from the Caribbean to help rebuild the country and public services following the second world war.
To celebrate this milestone, as well as the contributions and achievements of the Windrush generation in the borough and the UK, Camden is hosting a series of public events, performances, workshops, and exhibitions throughout June.
This includes a Windrush Day celebration event to showcase Camden’s Caribbean heritage, culture and communities which will include live music, food and arts and crafts stalls.
Other celebration events will include a British Museum Windrush Takeover, Celebrating Caribbean Sound System Culture Across the Generations and a lecture at the British Library about civil rights campaigner David Pitt.
Camden is proud to be home to a generation of Windrush children; innovators, creatives, artists and musicians who have hugely enriched British life – and this anniversary allows us to honour and celebrate these stories and achievements.
This Windrush Day we will also recognise the many sacrifices and difficulties that the Windrush generation and the British Caribbean community have had to overcome over the years, as well as the resilience they have shown in the face of this adversity.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMS Windrush into Britain, offering us the chance to deepen our understanding and celebrate the immense contributions of the Windrush generation here in Camden and across the UK.
As a borough we’re proud of our diversity – it’s what makes Camden the truly special place that it is, and I hope communities from across the borough will come together to celebrate this significant milestone.
In partnership with the Camden Black British History Group, the Council is also commissioning a three-part podcast hosted by Radio 1Xtra broadcaster Swarzy Macaly, to talk about the impact and legacies of Windrush in the borough.
Local artist Lin Kam Art is also set to deliver a programme across selected schools to teach young people about the contribution of the Windrush Generation. This includes an opportunity to perform one of the iconic static sound systems at Notting Hill Carnival in August 2023, developing the next generation of creatives.
For full details of all the Windrush celebration events taking place in Camden visit: LoveCamden.
In June 2022, a new Culture Service was created within the Council to connect and promote culture between different organisations and Camden’s communities to animate the public realm, uncover creatives in the borough and involve as many residents as possible in cultural opportunities taking place across the borough.
The 2023 cultural programme aims to celebrate the borough’s heritage and uncover and platform hidden histories. At the heart of this will be bringing communities together, commissioning new work and developing a talent pipeline for the future.