Wolverhampton women share stories of heritage and belonging in art exhibition

Women from across Wolverhampton have shared personal stories of identity, heritage and belonging through an exhibition at Wolverhampton Art Gallery.

Cultural Connections, presented by Ethnic Minority Council (EMC) as part of South Asian Heritage Month, brought together portraits, personal narratives and memories from women across the city.

The exhibition explored themes including migration and home, family and faith, independence and resilience, and how cultural traditions change between generations.

Curated by storyteller Suffia Perveen, with photography by Nelson Douglas, the project was developed through a community-led process which encouraged participants to reflect on the people, places, objects and experiences that had shaped their lives.

A visit to Manchester Museum also helped inspire discussions about representation, with participants relating museum objects and artworks to their own memories and cultural identities.

Rather than simply presenting heritage for visitors to observe, the project gave the women involved the opportunity to tell their own stories and have their portraits and experiences displayed publicly.

For some participants, seeing their portrait and story exhibited in an art gallery was an experience they had never expected.

Participant Vidya K. Midha, who arrived in the UK with her mother in 1957 and grew up in Wolverhampton, described her connection to both Indian Punjabi and British culture.

She said: “This is my home. I belong here.”

Other participants shared stories of adapting to new places, drawing strength from faith and family and developing identities shaped by more than one culture.

Participant Amita Bedi said: “Don't worry about things you can't change and keep smiling.”

The exhibition also highlighted how heritage can be found in everyday experiences, including clothing, craft, movement, prayer, family sayings and traditions.

Opening doors to the arts

Cultural Connections was EMC's first exhibition at Wolverhampton Art Gallery and forms part of its wider work across arts, creativity and heritage.

Curator Suffia Perveen said the project was also intended to help address barriers preventing Black and Asian communities from participating in and influencing the cultural sector.

She said: “At EMC, we want to create more opportunities for Black and Asian communities to participate in the arts, share their histories and see their experiences represented.”

EMC plans to build on the project with further opportunities for underrepresented communities to take part in artistic, cultural and heritage activities, potentially including oral histories, traditional storytelling and projects exploring Wolverhampton's ethnic communities.

The organisation said its aim was to help communities move from being invited into existing cultural spaces to having a role in shaping the stories, programmes and decisions within them.