“Participants came from diverse backgrounds and expressed deep appreciation for what was widely regarded as a brave and groundbreaking effort. There was strong recognition of the collaborative nature of the project and praise for the museum team’s handling of a complex and previously underrepresented subject. Many described the experience as a privilege, noting that the exhibition filled a significant gap in public knowledge.”
-Excerpt from a report on community participants' experiences produced by an external evaluator.
For over 50 years Southall’s activists have fought for a fairer, safer and more tolerant country; whilst its musicians have battled racism and mixed traditions to forge new narratives of belonging. Many marginalised communities in Southall feel an urgent need for their story to be amplified and acknowledged. In response, I collaborated with over 50 community members to lead Gunnersbury Park Museum’s most ambitious co-produced project to date: Peoples Unite! How Southall Changed the Country, exhibition and public programme (November 2024-November 2025).
To realise the exhibition I made important changes to the way we worked. With the support of my manager I recruited key project staff who were either from Southall or who had strong cultural links to it. I also changed my relationship with Ishwari Giga, the Curator at Gunnersbury, whom I managed. For the duration of the project I agreed with her that we’d share decision making agency equally, this we communicated to our community partners. As well as being excellent at her job Ishwari grew up near to Southall and had the lived experience which I didn’t have. Putting lived experience first like this was essential in earning the trust of community members.
Early consultation with community members highlighted concerns that the history of Southall’s struggle against racism is not being transmitted to younger generations. Linked to this was the need for intergenerational dialogue. Other concerns included the underrepresentation of women, Southall’s Caribbean community, and LGBTQI+ people. Finally, we learned that Southall suffers from a paucity of ‘third spaces’ and that there are few opportunities for emerging creatives to showcase their work.
In response to these insights, the project generated lasting social impact through increased intergenerational knowledge transfer and dialogue, greater visibility for underrepresented perspectives, and the creation of opportunities and spaces for emerging creatives.
The experience of leading the exhibition was a huge privilege. Collaborating with a team who were so personally invested in the subject meant that there was a powerful sense of shared motivation, and it felt like everyone was doing their best work. There are far too many people to thank in the space I have here, but to name a few close and deeply valued collaborators- Avleen Sehmi, Clarence Baker, Derek Merrill, Dmitry Indenbaum, Ellie Djerir, Gareth Brettell, Harpreet Nandha, Ian Mark, Jennal Amin, Judith Merrill, Kush Janda, Mahenderpal Sorya, Mandeep Nandha, Narvir Singh, Ranvir Jagdev, Shakila Taranum Maan, Sharan Dhaliwal, Suman Bhuchar, and Taranvir Mathadu.
Selected feedback from visitors to the exhibition
Social media influencers
“[the exhibition] makes me proud to be British Asian”
“this is such an enriching exhibition”
-HeySelinaaaaaaa (TikTok)
"One of the best London exhibitions I've been to in recent memory."
-Jonathan Nunn (Instagram)
Visitor book feedback
“Respect for putting together the Southall exhibition. More please!”
“Thank you for opening up this history.”
“Excellent exhibition, extensively researched and well presented. As a resident of Southall who lived through the struggle it was gratifying to see it acknowledged and recorded.”
“The Peoples Unite exhibition is truly ground-breaking in my eyes. Especially with this being the first true acknowledgement through means of representation to validate the hardship of the South Asian British experience. I am truly grateful to have a space dedicated to our legacy. Thank you.”
Visitor feedback by email
“The Southall exhibition brought old memories back of life changing events that took place in 1979 [the year of the 23rd of April Uprising] in Southall. All paintings, photos and exhibits portrayed the impact of that one day very well.”
“I am a PhD AHRC-funded historical researcher looking at British South Asians and community-making across London, 1960-2017. The Southall community is at the core of my thesis. I visited your exhibition on Southall's community today, and I must say it was one of the best exhibitions that I have seen in a long time - beautifully curated. I felt so proud to have witnessed such a powerful and inclusive exhibition, so thank you.”
“It's an excellent exhibition and has meant a lot to me and my family and friends.”
“We were not expecting there to be so much history displayed with regards to racism and the fight for equality. It was wonderful to hear all the stories, increase our knowledge and ignite our passion for inclusivity.”
“I was a young adult living in North London at the time of the events in 1970s Southall, and visiting the Peoples Unite! exhibition brought it all back to me and provided a greater understanding of what had happened and how it had happened. I enjoyed all of the exhibition. It felt like an 'of the people, for the people' effort.”