New archive to show life in Derby's south Asian communities

The archive will look at life in Derby's south Asian communities from the 1950s to the 1980s

Pictures illustrating life in a city's south Asian communities over 30 years are to be collected in a new archive.

Derby Museum's Alternative Archive project is collecting images from the 1950s to the 1980s.

Museum managers said the aim of the project was to fill a gap in its existing displays.

The archive, which is being funded through a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant, will be displayed in an exhibition in 2024 and also online.

The museums will work with Black Country Visual Arts on the archive over the coming 18 months to collate the pictures, oral history recordings and portrait photographs.

New voices

Derby Museums head of interpretation and display Laura Phillips 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."

Director of Black Country Visual Arts Anand Chhabra said the project was an amazing opportunity to record the heritage of the south Asian communities settled in Derby.

She said: "Our aim to co-produce their untold stories as oral histories, and through the digitisation of family photographs, will enable us to share the positive impact these communities have had during their time settling in the city."