An important exhibition launches with the local Punjabi community arriving to celebrate along with all participants, volunteers (Citizen Researchers) and hear and see an exhibition co-created and co-produced by local volunteers from the Punjabi diaspora. Participants and volunteers took centre stage in leading the celebrations, special thanks to participants Kuli Kohli (our first ever disabled woman South Asian poet laureate in the city) for entertaining audiences with her amazing poetry which centre on the Punjabi experience of migration this was followed by participants and former Azaad bhangra members Kash and his brother delighting audiences with their music. Glad to see participant Mak Singh that got everybody dancing, a first in the main foyer at the gallery! This exhibition has been lauded by community and organisations in the City and opened officially by the Mayor Michael Hardacre. As lead artists on the project offering our skills to local community members in photography, oral history and archive collection this project has allowed us to train volunteers and work to bring together a project that celebrates yet more untold stories at Wolverhampton main art gallery once again. It’s a joy to see how art has impacted Punjabi’s in a way that is significant and meaningful for them. Special thanks to both teams at Wolverhampton Art Gallery for hosting and hospitality serving samosas to all the community. Again special thanks to lead partners the National Portrait Gallery for their technical ability in making the desired co-production of the local researchers as well as our own implemented in the exhibition. It’s been great to see this after so much hard work on the exhibition. We’ll share more about this exhibition in a later post.
