General Information
From the Hampshire Cultural Trust:
“The arrival of the ship HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury docks on 22 June 1948, bringing 802 passengers from the Caribbean, is a moment that shaped modern Britain.
Hampshire Cultural Trust is proud to partner with the Basingstoke Caribbean Society and Friends, and Cultural Diversity Consortium, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of this significant national event in an exhibition that explores the journeys and the challenges the passengers faced starting new lives, recognising the contributions of the Windrush generation who have lived, worked and raised families in Basingstoke.
The Windrush generation comprises 500,000 Commonwealth citizens who settled in Britain between 1948 and 1971. Having been invited to help rebuild the nation after the Second World War, they played an essential role in key fields such as nursing, transportation, construction, and both military and civil service. Through the voices of Basingstoke’s British Caribbean community, we celebrate the vibrant cultural tapestry of the borough, showcasing Caribbean culture and a legacy of community and faith, of hope and resilience, and how Basingstoke became a place of sanctuary.
This exhibition features a special photographic commission by Tamsyn Warde and an immersive soundscape by composer Thomas Baynes, Chalkstream Productions Ltd.”
Our Windrush Story | Hampshire Cultural Trust (hampshireculture.org.uk)
Image (cover) credit: Rosie Williams
Event Information
Date: 13th May 2023 – 30th July 2023 check online for specific opening times
Price: Free Exhibition (Donations Welcome)
Age: All Ages
Venue: Willis Museum and Sainsbury Gallery
Conceptual Ideas/Basis
Central to the concept of this piece is the idea of movement with sounds and musical ideas being derived from the migrations of the unique cultures and societies of the Windrush generation as well as the changing physical environment experienced on their journey. The work is constructed in three distinct layers: the first creates a sense of journey using recordings of natural sounds and different environments to map the changing soundscapes experienced between the UK and the Caribbean; the second layer involves writing musical material based on and inspired by the musical cultures and sounds of the Caribbean; and the third layer sees these natural sounds and musical materials transformed through various processes into new instruments and sounds that draw upon the rich colours and characteristics of the original materials.
Technical & Research Details
Building on my PhD research in composing for immersive and spatial audio systems this piece utilises various technologies to place distinct audio objects within a 360° environment. The construction of music and sound in this way means that audio can be positioned and programmed to move around nearly any space almost completely independently of the speaker arrangement allowing for adaptable immersion within a sonic field.