Coventry's first-ever Windrush Festival gets underway
The five-day celebration will honour the Windrush Generation in Coventry with free music, film, talks and community events
Coventry is hosting its first-ever Windrush Festival, with five days of events celebrating the contribution of the Windrush Generation to the city.
Running from 18 to 22 June, the festival includes music, art, storytelling, film screenings, public talks, live performances and a service at Coventry Cathedral.
The programme has been developed with local community groups and partners, including Coventry University.
The festival aims to raise awareness of Windrush heritage, inspire young people and celebrate the stories of those who travelled from the Caribbean to help rebuild Britain after the Second World War.
Councillor John McNicholas, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Cohesion at Coventry City Council, said: “We are delighted to be staging our first ever Windrush Festival and honouring the brave people who travelled across the world to start new lives and build a new future.
“That day, 78 years ago changed the world, and it changed Coventry. We will be forever grateful to the Windrush Generation."
Coventry has secured £22,500 in Government funding to support the event, which organisers hope will become an annual fixture in the city's calendar.
A key part of the festival will be the creation of a permanent Windrush Cultural Archive at Coventry University, preserving the stories and experiences of local Windrush families for future generations.
Councillor John McNicholas said: “The people who made that voyage helped rebuild our city after the devastation of the war, but they did so much more. They, their children and grandchildren, helped to create the wonderful multicultural city we love today.
“Without them, we would not be a City of Peace and Reconciliation, a City of Welcome and Friendship, a City of Communities, a City of Languages, a City of Culture, and so much more. Windrush helped to start it all.
“This Festival, which will become an annual fixture in our calendar, is a city-wide act of remembrance, recognition and cultural celebration, and I hope people and communities across the city will join in to learn, reflect, honour and celebrate a moment in history that has brought so much to our city.”