Tilbury Windrush exhibition turning 'negative into positive'

Evewright's fellow artist Gary Cordice, pictured at the Port of Tilbury's Walkway of Memories, sings in one of the new films: Motherless Child

An artist said he hoped his 30-hour Windrush anniversary exhibition would help people feel more "positively" about migration.

The black British designer, sculptor and filmmaker, Evewright, is leading a series of film screenings, dances and musical performances at the Port of Tilbury in Essex this weekend.

Hundreds of Caribbean migrants arrived on HMT Empire Windrush in 1948.

"We want to say 'thank you' to the Windrush generation," said Evewright.

Evewright, a 38-year-old from south London whose real name is Everton Wright, has been telling stories of black British people for nearly 20 years.

His parents arrived separately in the UK from Jamaica in the late 1950s and his family has featured in his own installation at Tilbury - the Walkway of Memories - which he designed in 2020.

"Belongings: Windrush 75" will premiere a series of films in the Grade II-listed ticket hall at Tilbury's International Cruise Terminal.

The event, starting at midday on Saturday and ending at 18:00 BST the next day, is free to attend and will include DJ sets inspired by the last 75 years of music.

The "pop-up exhibition" has benefitted from several supporters and funders, including The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England.

The Windrush ship was held at the Port of Tilbury for 30 hours overnight before passengers were allowed to disembark.

"We're taking that negative moment and changing it into a positive," said Evewright.

"The migration story is our story, it belongs to us all in the UK.

"It's not a negative, it's a positive. There is a lot of controversy around migration, we all know those stories, we hear about them all the time. But it's not all negative and I want people to come to Tilbury to experience it.

"If we don't spend time learning about each other's stories, there will never be harmony in our country."

All the films showcased at Tilbury are due to form part of Evewright's exhibition at Firstsite gallery in Colchester from 7 July until 31 October.

Poet Ionie Richards features in another of the films to screen at Tilbury: Here I Stand

Artist Evewright said the "pop-up exhibition" would celebrate the Windrush generation