New exhibition to celebrate Coventry's South Asian communities
A new exhibition celebrating the heritage of South Asian communities in Coventry is to open later this year after receiving funding.Stories That Made Us: Roots, Resilience, Representation, will open at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum on 14 November.Culture Coventry Trust announced on Wednesday it had received a £131,350 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to support the project.Marguerite Nugent, the trust's cultural director, said they could bring stories from the city's South Asian communities to life in a way that acknowledged the "deep cultural impact" they had made.
"It's about building bridges between communities and we hope this will lead to a deeper understanding of our shared history," Ms Nugent added.According to the 2021 census, about 18.5% of Coventry's population identified as Asian or Asian British, but Herbert said they were "often underrepresented" in public collections or exhibitions.The exhibition will portray the lived experiences of a South Asian family in the city from 1968 to 2010, drawing on Coventry Archives' Virk Collection and Hardish Virk's Stories That Made Us Collection.It will include photographs, books, magazines, vinyl records and other memorabilia.
Hardish Virk, exhibition co-curator, said it aimed to tell stories of both migrant and British South Asian communities, through the lived experience of one family."This exhibition doesn't claim to tell every story, instead it will tackle themes of migration, activism and identity which will resonate with both South Asian communities as well as wider society," Mr Virk added."Part of the legacy is to celebrate and document the positive contribution South Asian communities have and continue to make to every aspect of British society."
Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ITV News
39 minutes ago
- ITV News
Last Falklands era warship given 'respectful farewell' as it heads to scrapyard
Veterans and members of the public have turned out to give a "respectful farewell" to a former Royal Navy flagship that played a "vital role" in the Falklands conflict. HMS Bristol was towed out of Portsmouth Harbour on Wednesday, almost five years after it was decommissioned. The warship, which was the last ship serving from the Falklands war, is being taken to a Turkish scrapyard. The Type 82 destroyer was commissioned in March 1973 but having been designed to defend a class of aircraft carriers which was never built, it was the only warship of its class to enter service. Bristol led a group of two destroyers, five frigates and an RFA supply ship providing reinforcements in the Falklands war and later joined the carrier battle task group as an air defence destroyer. In 1987 it became a training ship as part of the Dartmouth Training Squadron before an explosion in its boiler led to it being used as a harbour training vessel at HMS Excellent, Portsmouth, until it was decommissioned in October 2020 after nearly 48 years of service. Members of the public and veterans congregated on Old Portsmouth's Round Tower to wave off Bristol, which was visually rust-stained, as it left the Hampshire naval base. Chris Howe, of the South Atlantic Medal Association 1982, said: "As HMS Bristol embarks on its final voyage to the scrapyard in Turkey, we pause to reflect on its remarkable and unique legacy. "This ship played a vital role in the 1982 Falklands conflict, serving as a headquarters and providing steadfast support to British forces. "For many veterans, Bristol was more than a vessel – it was a home, a place of camaraderie, and a symbol of resilience. "Its departure marks the end of an era, but its contributions to our history and the memories of those who served aboard will endure. "We honour all who sailed in her and bid HMS Bristol a respectful farewell." HMS Bristol was sold for recycling by ship recycling experts from the Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) Defence Recycling & Disposals Team (DRDT), on behalf of the Royal Navy. A DE&S spokesman said it would be taken to a specialist recycling facility within an EU-approved yard in Turkey, with all reusable equipment having been removed for sale. Alistair Hughes, head of DRDT, said: "Recycling of ships at the end of their hull life is routine business for the Royal Navy and our aim is to achieve maximum value for money for defence in an environmentally compliant manner – HMS Bristol is a fitting example of this after her many dedicated years of service."
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
'I passed the UK Citizenship Test but not everyone would'
Do you know your Cavaliers from your Roundheads? Or which British PM created the NHS? I passed the 'Life in the UK' test on my first attempt but it's fair to say it was not easy. As someone who always tries to do better than average at anything I set my mind to, I know for a fact that I didn't exactly ace the exam. The Life in the UK assessment is an integral part of becoming a citizen of the United Kingdom and consists of 24 multiple choice questions to be completed within 45 minutes. A mark of 75 percent is needed to pass the exam and get a foreigner further along the way to British citizenship. Upon arriving at the test centre I was searched. I had to spread my fingers apart and roll up my sleeves to show that I had no writing on my skin. I was a bit surpised by how thorough the anti-cheating checks went but I followed directions as they asked me to lift my long hair. Then it was into the exam where I hoped the hours of study I had put into trying to pass would pay off as I stared into the computer trying to rack my brain. The Government has a number of guides available to help you prepare for the endeavour and I had opted for the three pack option. This pack consisted of the 'Official Study Guide', the 'Offical Guide For New Residents' and the official 'Practive Questions and Answers' books for the total of £27.99. After studying, I booked my exam, which has to be scheduled online at least three days in advance and costs £50. The scores were not revealed and the Scotsman who informed me I had passed wouldn't tell me what mark I achieved - only going so far to say I had passed with a sly smile. But he did confirm that I had not hit 100% when I asked him as a follow-up question. Still, I was grateful that he had told me at the centre as I had an hour-and-a-half journey back to my house and I wanted to be put out of my misery so I could hit the books again if required. Thankfully, this was not needed and the news was positive across the board as my family members who had sit the test also managed to pass first go - to everybody's relief. The tricky thing about the test is the wide variety of topics that it covers and because of this, I would be very surprised if anyone passed it first go without studying. And if they did, they should look at perhaps applying to be on a TV game show to put their knowledge to good use. I had questions about the ice age, historic migration to the UK, Olympic champions, the civil war, past royalty, Crystal Palace and the structures attributed to Isambard Kingdom Brunel. I don't remember all of the inquiries but I do remember thinking that I would have struggled to pass if I hadn't have studied. I've always prided myself on the fact that my general knowledge is decent. I am well read, regularly watch the news and have a decent array of podcasts that I listen to semi-regularly. The main observation I came away from the exercise of passing my Life in the UK test was wondering how people who have English as a second language managed to pass when I struggled - I'm Australian. It was difficult enough for me as a native English speaker to get across the line and I think it would add another dimension to the challenge. I think many British born people would struggle with the test if they had to do it right now because a lot of the knowledge is not commonplace, nor is it all from one area of subjects.
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Gold-laden ‘£16bn' ship ‘is FOUND': Sunken galleon discovered 10yrs ago is fabled holy grail of wrecks, scientists say
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A CENTURIES old Spanish galleon stacked with a £16-billion treasure trove has finally been found, researchers have claimed. Known as the holy grail of shipwrecks, the San Jose was long believed to be lost beneath the waters of the Caribbean. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Action off Cartagena, May 28, 1708 Painting by Samuel Scott Credit: Refer to Caption 6 A video released by the Colombian Presidency on June 6 2022, showing images of the wrecked Spanish galleon San Jose Credit: AFP 6 Coins that belong to the treasure of the Spanish galleon Credit: Reuters 6 After being sunk by the British more than three centuries ago, its treasures have gone untouched and undiscovered at the bottom of the sea. But academics in Colombia now believe that a wreckage found near Baru Island in 2015 is the long-lost galleon. An underwater drone mission from a decade ago captured images of the cargo scattered in and around the shipwreck. Among the items spotted were silver coins minted in 1707 in Lima, Peru and Chinese porcelain from the Kangxi period. There were also cannon inscriptions that dated to 1665. The academics said: "This body of evidence substantiates the identification of the wreck as the San José Galleon, a hypothesis that has been put forward since its initial discovery in 2015. "The finding of cobs created in 1707 at the Lima Mint points to a vessel navigating the Tierra Firme route in the early 18th century. "The San Jose Galleon is the only ship that matches these characteristics. "This find presents a rare opportunity to explore an underwater archaeological site and deepen our understanding of colonial maritime trade and routes." The San Jose was sunk by the Royal Navy back in 1708 during the War of the Spanish Succession. It was intercepted by a British squadron under Charles Wager, who would later serve as First Lord of the Admiralty. The vessel's powder magazines detonated during the attack, causing it to sink. Its treasure was being ferried from Peru to Spain to help fund the Spanish war effort - making the sinking of the San Jose a huge blow to Spain. The war would end with Britain getting control of Gibraltar, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. The combined treasure of gold, silver and precious stones is believed to be worth around £16 billion in today's prices, The Telegraph has reported. This new discovery is expected to further stoke a dispute over wreckage's legal ownership. The governments of Colombia, Spain and Peru all stake claims to the San Jose, as do indigenous communities and the descendants of the miners who dug up the treasure. Treasure-hunting firm Glocca Morra also claims it discovered the wreckage as long ago as 1981. Its new owners Sea Search Armada are adamant the vessel was found within a mile or two of its 1981 discovery. The firm is claiming £7.9 billion and is challenging a 2020 Colombian law that says everything on board is the government's property. 6 Crabs walk next to a cannon that belongs to the treasure of the Spanish galleon San Jose Credit: Reuters
