UK’s first prominent ‘Barrel Children’ exhibition launched for Windrush 75

LONDON:

Stories of Caribbean families who were separated during the Windrush migration will be uncovered through a landmark exhibition in London.

The Black Cultural Archives (BCA) and award-winning journalist Nadine White are co-curating this artistic public exhibition that opens today Friday, June 23, in Brixton, south London, in tribute to Windrush youngsters.

Over A Barrel: Windrush Children, Tragedy and Triumph will explore the tensions and traumas of separation and reunion, isolation and belonging, as well as the cultural and social adjustments these children had to make in order to thrive in a hostile environment.

The term ‘barrel children’ refers to children who were waiting to be reunited with their Britain-bound migrant parents – either by travelling to the UK or remaining in the Caribbean.

“The Windrush story has come into painfully sharp focus in recent years, and the trailblazing pioneers who left the Caribbean are rightly lauded for their contributions to British life,” White, who works at The Independent as Britain’s first Race Correspondent, said.

“However, the stark impact of serial migration upon these families is often missing from mainstream conversations.

“This public service exhibition amplifies Windrush children’s stories of reconciliation and rediscovery within new realities while simultaneously promoting education, cultural awareness, and community cohesion.”

Archival materials from the BCA plus a compilation of five years of research into barrel children by White underpin this new multimedia exhibition.

Over A Barrel will feature archival photography, ephemera material, multimedia collages, and film.

Through these materials, the exhibition will explore the various experiences, lives, and journeys of barrel children from the 1950s up until the present day.This exhibition serves as a reminder that many people who are a part of the Windrush generation came to the UK as children and experienced hostilities from their youth until adulthood.

HIDDEN ASPECT

From educationally subnormal schools to the Windrush Scandal, Over A Barrel reflects on the complex history of barrel children – the tragedies and the triumphs.

“Never before has the ‘Barrel Children’ phenomenon been extensively highlighted through a prominent exhibition in England,” White added.

“Members of the public will benefit from learning about this hidden aspect of Windrush migration through a truly immersive, informative, and intricate experience.” Windrush is typically synonymous with adults, who are in search of new opportunities and a ‘better life.’ Often overlooked are the stories of Windrush generation children, who were taught to be seen and not heard as this is a prevalent rhetoric across the Caribbean diaspora.

The exhibition will speak to the experiences of both ‘Barrel Children, a term coined by Jamaican academic Dr Claudette Crawford-Brown, whose only connection with their parents was through remittances from abroad, and children born in Britain to Windrush parents.

These children have suffered in the past, particularly in Britain’s education system and are continuously suffering now as adults through the injustices of the Windrush Scandal.

The exhibition aims to amplify their voices, highlight their experiences and ensure their continued struggles for dignity and civil rights are recognised while uplifting their achievements.

Exploring the broad chronological narrative of migration and community-building, this exhibition will also highlight the development of grass-roots action against racism in education, notably the Black Parents Movement and the African and Caribbean Education Resource, which were both key to improved outcomes for black children in state education.

As part of the exhibition programme, there will be a series of events and in-conversations, including a special screening of the new feature-length documentary The Barrel Children: The Families Windrush Left Behind by White.

The screening will be held at The Ritzy Cinema in Brixton on Saturday, June 24, sponsored by a roster of Caribbean-aligned brands including VP Records, Greensleeves Records, B’s Balloons, Windrush Bay, The Black, African, Asian Therapy Network, and Memi Designs.

Widely regarded as Britain’s ‘home of Black British history, the Black Cultural Archives is a black-led independent charity rooted in 40 years of educational activism.

Its mission is to collect, preserve, and celebrate the histories of people of African and Caribbean descent in the UK.