Documentary tells stories of Windrush pioneers

The film tells the stories of Windrush pioneers who moved to the north of England

A documentary made by a charity to mark the 75th anniversary of Windrush last year will be screened to the public later this month.

A Tees Valley Windrush Documentary will be shown at ARC Stockton Arts Centre on 22 June, followed by a live question and answer session.

The film, made by Taste of Africa Northeast and its creative youth leadership programme, features interviews with first and second generation Windrush pioneers.

Producer Khialah Wilson said the documentary "pays homage to Windrush pioneers, recognises their sacrifices, and salutes their bravery".

HMT Empire Windrush docked in Tilbury, Essex, in 1948, carrying passengers from the Caribbean after they were invited to the UK to help rebuild post-war Britain.

In 2018 it emerged that the government had not properly recorded the details of people granted permission to stay in the UK, and many were wrongly mistreated.

Pat Poinen, originally from Trinidad, when she was 19

The documentary, recorded at Studio 109 in Middlesbrough and the Arthur Wharton Foundation in Darlington, features Pat Poinen, who came to the UK as part of a recruitment drive for more nurses.

Originally from Trinidad, she was 19 when she moved to the UK to train as a nurse in Harrogate.

"It was the first time I had left my country but when you're young, you don't realise the enormity of what you're doing," she said.

She met her husband, who is from Mauritius, during training and they moved to Darlington, where Ms Poinen studied midwifery before working as a midwife at the University of North Tees Hospital in Stockton.

The documentary features interviews with Windrush pioneers, including Shaun Campbell

Shaun Campbell's father came to the UK from Barbados in 1957.

In the documentary Mr Campbell talks about his experiences growing up as a mixed-race son of a single white mother, as well as his campaign for more recognition of Arthur Wharton.

Arthur Wharton is widely considered as the first black professional footballer in the world and was Darlington’s goalkeeper from 1885 to 1888.

Mr Campbell said: "I thought ‘My goodness me, how can it be that this guy exists and I have never heard of him?’ I champion greatness, I champion black history."

'Teared up'

Researcher and producer Khialah Wilson said: "This documentary shares people's testimonies, a lot of them are second generation as the elders have sadly passed away.

"I teared up listening to most of the stories, but there were also tales of joy and excitement."

The documentary, which was filmed and edited by Elvis Katoto, premiered at Teesside University last year to mark the 75th anniversary of Windrush and was also screened at the Arthur Wharton Foundation.

It will be shown at ARC in Stockton on 22 June at 19:30 BST. Tickets are free and available to purchase from the ARC box office.