The defaced Windrush Untold Stories exhibition – now restored – will receive official recognition by going on display at the Home Office after it leaves Brixton.
Its stay on Windrush Square has been extended by two weeks. Each of 20 giant images in the exhibition comes with a link to an audio interview about the subject’s experiences.
In a personal letter to the people represented in the exhibition, Home Office minister Seema Malhotra said she had been “saddened and appalled” by the vandalism and criminal damage inflicted at the exhibition in Brixton.
“When I visited Windrush Square … it was clear to me the distress and trauma that the desecration of the exhibition has caused,” she said.
“The exhibition and your portraits tell an important story that is vital to be heard across the country.
“As the minister responsible for both Windrush in the Home Office, and for equalities across government, I am grateful for you for agreeing to share your stories in such an open and public way.
“It is vital that we continue to recognise and to celebrate the legacy of the Windrush generation and their descendants, and their lasting contribution to the economy, society, and culture of the UK.”
At a ceremony in the Black Cultural Archives on Windrush Square to mark the restoration, Ros Griffiths, the organiser of the exhibition, said the exhibition had been defaced but not defeated.
The reprinting of 20 new large high quality weatherproof images was done on credit by Brixton’s Photofusion. An appeal to fund this has so far raised more than £5,000.
Ros Griffiths thanked Photofusion and several other partner organisations that had made both the original and restored version possible:
The Empathy Museum – for its deep commitment to storytelling and listening, giving the exhibition emotional depth and reach.
Friends of Windrush Square – whose dedication to preserving and honouring Windrush Generation heritage in Brixton has been at the heart of this journey.
Photographer Amit Lennon – who captured the humanity, pride, and dignity of the Windrush Generation and their descendants so beautifully.
Community network Born or Made –for the project’s stunning visual identity.
Brixton’s photography centre Photofusion – for printing the wonderful exhibition images.
The Black Cultural Archives, the national home for Black British history –for its partnership and for preserving the exhibition’s stories for educational use.
Lambeth council’s Community Connections Fund – for its generous support in helping bring the vision to life and ensuring it remains rooted in the local community it represents.
“Together, we have created something extraordinary,” said Ros Griffiths.
“The public response has already been overwhelming. The exhibition went viral. Messages of solidarity poured in from across the UK – and beyond.
“People who had never set foot in Brixton were suddenly moved by the strength and spirit of our community.
“Thank you for believing in the power of community to create change.
“We did this together—and we are just getting started.”
Following a complaint to the Independent Office for Police Conduct police watchdog, the organisers of the exhibition have now been allowed to see surveillance camera video of the aftermath of the attack on the exhibition.
It confirms that police officers obtained water from Brixton McDonald’s and used it to remove some of the paint on the exhibition’s 20 images – all of which were also defaced by gouges created by a sharp instrument.
