Mapping Migration in the arts: Another England

As part of the Europeana Migration campaign, we highlight more initiatives relating to migration and culture beyond our own network.

Throughout 2018, Europeana Migration will focus on how migration to, from and within Europe has shaped our cultural heritage. On the run-up to the campaign launch, we are featuring a number of interviews with arts and cultural heritage professionals working on projects related to migration, to shine a light on other initiatives showing the cultural sector’s response to this topic.

This time, we speak to Becca Thomas, Creative Director of Pidgin Perfect about a Historic England project called Another England.

What is Another England?

2018 marks the 70th anniversary of the British Nationality Act, as well as the centenary of the end of World War One. Our project takes this important year as its starting point, tracing a century in which black and Asian people influenced England’s culture, industry, economy, and national life as never before. Pidgin Perfect were commissioned by Historic England to develop this project which tells the story of the country’s rich multicultural heritage through place, and aims to better include black and Asian heritage in Historic England’s collection.

What activities are part of the project?

We have planned eight workshops throughout 2018, at which we invite the public to tell us about the places that are significant to their communities and localities. The next takes place in Birmingham in March. Through collaborative mapping activities, we look at cities and towns through themes of home, work, origins, culture, worship, resistance and more. The workshops also include presentations and special performances from black and Asian artists and historians.

Another England workshop

What is the online element to the project?

We’re also collecting people’s ideas about important places online through our website www.anotherengland.co.uk. This website is a standalone site, outside Historic England's main website. We found that this sense of independence has been important to help communities and project participants understand that this project is genuine. Working with a project team of experts from black and Asian communities and cultures has been instrumental too.

Another England workshop

What is the significance of the project?

Currently, the majority of Historic England's collection relates to the history of white people. They are interested in diversifying their understanding of England's architectural history, to explore black and Asian history and the nation's buildings and spaces.

Some of the buildings identified in the workshops may not ordinarily be seen as architecturally significant, nor worthy of being protected. But this project is uncovering their social, cultural and historic importance for communities across England, and tells a fuller story of the country’s rich multicultural heritage.