Huddersfield High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) is supporting the live premiere of Kirklees Local Television’s (KLTV) film, Windrush: The Years After, A Community Legacy on film this Friday 30 September.
The event happening at Brian Jackson House, Huddersfield, will be attended by delegates from across the Yorkshire region and the African-Caribbean community, including councilors, heads of service, and local community activists. The Deputy Mayor of Kirklees will also be in attendance to give a short speech.
Windrush: The Years After, A Community Legacy on Film explores the social and cultural history and contribution of people who came from the Caribbean to Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, from 1948 to 1972, as well as the first generation of British-born African-Caribbean Descendants. The film shares their powerful, emotional stories of migration, determination, and celebration. It is a tribute to their resilience and aspirations as Huddersfield became home for themselves and successive generations.
While the film has received positive praise at several private screenings for local community audiences, this will be the first time the film is shown to the wider Kirklees community.
Speaking on the public launch of the film, Christopher Morgan, Chief Editor at Kirklees Local TV, said:
“It’s an honour to be part of the amazing team launching Windrush: The Years After. We’ve received great feedback during private showings in the past, so it’s very exciting to be sharing the film publicly for the first time.
I hope that everyone who watches the film is able to take something from it, whether that’s a greater understanding of the local communities that have been a vital part of Huddersfield for many years or a story that may have stuck with them”
The evening will be hosted by Onita Harrison. Onita’s career spans public, private, voluntary and community sectors. A former Technology Advisor to the European Commission, Home Office Race Equality Advisor and Advisor to the MacPherson report during the Stephen Lawrence enquiry, Onita currently advocates for detainees’ rights in the criminal justice system.
Featuring authentic African-Caribbean cuisine from Gravy’s and musical performances from Huddersfield’s Gospel Choir and the Leeds-based Foxwood Panyard’s Steel Pan Group, guests will also have the opportunity to ask questions after the showing during a Q&A session. The expert panel will provide unique insights into the film through social, cultural and historical analysis.
Windrush: The Years After will be available for public viewing online in October 2022 on Kirklees Local Televisions Website. It is KLTV’s view that the film is shared publicly so that everyone may access it. You can watch the official trailer here.
The evening’s events are being hosted in partnership with HSHAZ, a heritage-led regeneration initiative led by Historic England. HSHAZ works with local councils and the community to create economic growth and improve the quality of life in our historic high streets. The £95 million government-funded High Streets Heritage Action Zone programme, which is being delivered by Historic England, aims to unlock the potential of high streets across England, fuelling economic, social, and cultural recovery, encouraging people to say Hi! To the high street, and breathe new life into it for future generations. It is also funded by Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Huddersfield’s three-year HSHAZ programme is being supported by Kirklees Council.
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