New archive to document experiences of south Asians

Derby Museums has secured lottery funding to put together a new photographic archive, documenting the experiences of south Asian communities in Derby between the 1950s and 1980s.

In partnership with Black Country Visual Arts, it has been awarded cash from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to put together an archive of historic images over the next 18 months, alongside new oral history recordings and portrait photographs.

The project, called Alternative Archive Derby, aims to uncover untold stories from the south Asian communities in the city, building an archive that enriches the heritage record of the city and the shared history of its residents.

The archive will be accessible online and through an exhibition in 2024.

Laura Phillips, head of interpretation and display at Derby Museums, said: “Through this project, we aim to build strong relationships and understand the needs of our communities to better reflect their diverse heritage.

“Creating this archive will enable Derby Museums to deepen its collections knowledge and bring new voices and perspectives into museum interpretation.

“The project will connect us with people who have lived experience of south Asian heritage in the city and enable us to tell stories that are often missing from our museums.”

Anand Chhabra, director of Black Country Visual Arts, said: “Black Country Visual Arts is immensely proud to partner with Derby Museums on this amazing opportunity to record the heritage of the south Asian communities that have settled in Derby.

“We will invite local people to contribute, learn and develop skills as we look to record participants’ first-hand experiences of migrating to the city.”

Derby Museums is currently working with multiple partners across the city to develop Alternative Archive Derby, and already has the support of the Derby Asian Strategic Partnership and W.W. Winter, which is the longest-running photography business in Britain.