"it creates empathy and helps explain behaviour"
Volunteers from Coventry’s South Asian community have shared their stories as part of a major exhibition at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum.
Stories That Made Us – Roots, Resilience, Representation charts more than five decades of South Asian life in Britain.
Told through four immersive rooms, it is inspired by the lived experiences of Hardish Virk’s family.
Since opening in November 2025, the exhibition has attracted thousands of visitors.
Seven South Asian Cultural Ambassadors have played a central role in the project. Working in partnership with Coventry Archives, the museum has embedded their oral histories and reflections throughout the show.
The ambassadors meet monthly to record and share their stories.
Their voices feature in several installations.
In a “passport control” setting, visitors hear first-hand accounts of arriving in Britain. Other sound pieces examine what it means to grow up British South Asian across different generations.
Collectively, the stories highlight Coventry’s diverse South Asian heritage.
Families trace roots to India, Kenya, other parts of Africa, South Asia and the wider diaspora. Themes of migration, early impressions of the UK and recurring debates about belonging run throughout.
Jitey Samra, who has worked in mental health services in Coventry, said:
“I grew up thinking many of the struggles I heard about in my family were in the past.
“But listening to people’s stories made me realise how much prejudice and inequality was still happening, often quietly, behind closed doors.
“When people hear these experiences, it creates empathy and helps explain behaviour, trauma and identity in a much deeper way.
“Hearing more about people’s lives in the UK can help to create bonds and build bridges across communities, and that’s why this exhibition is so powerful, and why it’s important we hear more stories from families in Coventry.”
Ayisha Abraham, born in London in the 1960s, later left Britain with her family after Enoch Powell delivered his ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech. She believes the exhibition’s themes remain urgent:
“There’s something uncanny about how these stories repeat themselves.
“The language around who belongs and who doesn’t feels uncomfortably familiar.
“What this exhibition does so powerfully is place an intimate family story inside a much bigger historical framework, making global forces human and emotional.
“There is so much that will resonate with you in unexpected ways.
“That’s why it’s an unmissable exhibition for people regardless of their background, and why I think so many people feel compelled to speak about it after seeing it.”
For Coventry-born visual artist Prashant Kansara, the process prompted reflection on his own upbringing:
“These were objects and experiences I grew up with but took for granted, or even felt embarrassed by.
“Seeing them collected and celebrated made me realise they weren’t just personal, they held history.
“This exhibition gives value to memories many of us thought were just everyday incidents, and shows they were part of something much bigger.
“It’s an incredible platform to build connection and I can’t wait to see what other people make of it.”
Coventry has one of the UK’s longest-established South Asian communities. Census figures show 18.5% of residents identify as Asian or Asian British, roughly double the national average.
The exhibition draws extensively on Hardish Virk’s Stories That Made Us archive and the Virk Collection held by Coventry Archives.
Materials on display include photographs, books, magazines, posters, vinyl records, cassettes and personal memorabilia.
These artefacts sit alongside recorded interviews, radio broadcasts, music and film. Together, they present layered accounts of South Asian life in Britain, moving beyond simplified narratives.
Shaniece Martin, coordinator of the South Asian Cultural Ambassadors programme, said the initiative was designed to ensure authentic community voices were integral to the exhibition.
She said: “When people hear real stories of migration and identity, it becomes much harder to rely on stereotypes.
“Visitors hear what it felt like to step off the plane, the shock of arrival, and how identity is shaped over time.
“These experiences aren’t just history, they’re still shaping lives today.
“Now that the exhibition is open, the focus is on encouraging more people from South Asian backgrounds to get involved by visiting the exhibition, sharing reflections, and contributing their own stories to Coventry Archives to help build a lasting record of South Asian life in the city.”
The programme forms part of Stories That Made Us – Roots, Resilience, Representation, conceived and co-curated by artist and curator Hardish Virk in partnership with the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum.
The project is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The exhibition runs at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum until May 25, 2026.
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