THE CURATOR of a new exhibition about the experiences of Uganda’s Asians said the aim of the show was to engage people in history and explore its many layers.
“Making Home” opens at the Royal Geographic Society in London this Friday (September 6) and it depicts the story of Asian migrants and how their lives changed following their expulsion by the dictator Idi Amin in 1972.
Last year marked the 40th anniversary of the arrival of Uganda’s Asians in Britain, and Making Home is the result of a year’s work by the Exiles Project, a community project collecting oral histories of families who made the UK their new home.
Curator and Oxford-based artist Sunil Shah said the Council of Asian People (based in Wood Green, London) wanted to engage the community in the history and so oral stories of 40 interviewees were collected.
“We want these oral histories to be heard, and maybe people will learn something new about Uganda,” Shah told a reporter on Monday (September 2) on the eve of the opening of the show.
“History is detailed and complex and we want to show some of the parts that may be less known.
“The idea is to engage people in this history.
“Migration touches everyone in multicultural Britain and you can always tap into a common experience.”
Shah said there were also plans to develop educational aids that could be used by schools and that the testimonies would be put online so that people could listen to them at any time.
Organisers said there was interest in the exhibition from India as well as east Africa, while Shah hoped the website would grow into a useful resource for anyone keen on history.
‘Making Home’ – Exiles: The Ugandan Asian Story will run from September 6-15 at the Royal Geographic Society (IBG Exhibition Pavilion), 1 Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AR from 10am – 5pm daily, including weekends.
