All are welcome to this special Windrush Day event to celebrate Afro-Caribbean culture through stalls, live music, performance and dance. There will also be talks, exhibitions and presentations about Windrush by artists, community leaders and schools.
Come and enjoy performances and live music with Phase 5 Steelpan Band, and musician Gary Cordice, and learn how to dance, Caribbean style.
Explore how we can continue to tell the Windrush story, through a pop up exhibition and legacy film, as well as talks and presentations featuring Lawrence Walker, Chair of Black History Month Colchester, artist EVEWRIGHT, and Josephine Melville from South Essex African Caribbean Association.
African Families in the UK will also present work by schoolchildren at East Bergholt School, who have been creating displays and short films to celebrate Windrush Day 2021.
essexcdp.com/event/windrush-at-firstsite
12.00 – 3.00pm: Live music in Firstsite foyer
- Music in the foyer: Phase 5 Steelpan Band & Gary Cordice
- Windrush Pop Up Exhibition
12.00 – 1.00pm: Talks and presentations
- Welcome to Windrush Day 2021: Lawrence Walker, Black History Month Colchester
- Tilbury Bridge Walkway of Memories: Artist EVEWRIGHT
- Panel discussion: Lawrence Walker, EVEWRIGHT, Josephine Melville
1.00 – 1.30pm: Performance
- Windrush Performance by Gary Cordice
1.30 – 3.00pm: Drop in activities
- Learn how to dance Caribbean style: Drop in workshops
- Know Your Roots: Sharing stories of culture through hair
- African Families in the UK present Windrush displays and projects by schoolchildren at East Bergholt School
- Films and stalls
MAKE A DAY OF IT: EXHIBITIONS AT FIRSTSITE
If you want to make a day of it, there are some fabulous exhibitions on at Firstsite, including Michael Landy’s Break Down: 20 Years and Welcome To Essex, The Great Big Art Exhibition and Art for Life: An exhibition made by Key Workers.
- Venue: Firstsite, High Street Lewis Gardens, Colchester CO1 1JH
- Gallery and cafe open daily 10am – 5pm
- Find out what’s on at firstsite.uk
WINDRUSH DAY
The people of the Windrush, their children and grandchildren have played a vital role in creating a new concept of what it means to be British, and were important pioneers of our multi-cultural society in Britain today.
Windrush Day was introduced in 2018 by the UK government, on the 70th anniversary of the landing of the first Caribbean migrants at Tilbury Docks in Essex, for the purpose of “encouraging communities across the country to celebrate the contribution of the Windrush Generation and their descendants”. On and around the 22 June every year there will be activities, such as dance performances, exhibitions, talks and debates across the UK.
Windrush Day encourages us to challenge racism, prejudice and discrimination, and celebrate companionship and community. Let’s celebrate!