Made by Migrants: Battersea and Beyond

Come and explore the rich history of migration in the local area. Hear stories of people who have arrived in south west London and made this corner of the city their new home.

Speakers on the night:

Writer Mike Phillips was born in Georgetown, Guyana, and grew up in London. He worked for the BBC as a journalist and broadcaster before becoming a lecturer in media studies at the University of Westminster and has written full-time since 1992. Mike Phillips co-wrote Windrush: The Irresistible Rise of Multi-Racial Britain (1998) to accompany a BBC television series. Another of his books, London Crossings: A Biography of Black Britain (2001), is a series of interlinked essays and stories. Mike served on the board of trustees for the Heritage Lottery Fund, writes for the Guardian, and is cross-cultural curator at the Tate.

Mike’s talk will focus on John Archer, London’s first black mayor (the son of a Barbadian father and an Irish mother). John Archer famously declared in a speech at the Town Hall: “My election tonight means a new era. You have made history tonight. For the first time in the history of the English nation a man of colour has been elected as mayor of an English borough.”

Mike will also explore the significance of the Windrush passenger ship bringing migrants from the Caribbean, marking the start of the post-war immigration boom.

Sophie Henderson practised as an immigration barrister, is judge of the Asylum and Immigration tribunal and since 2011 has been Director of the Migration Museum Project. She’ll be talking about the need now more than ever to have a Migration Museum in the UK and how this can be achieved.

We’ll have a special live performance from BAC’s Homegrown young performers who will share their own stories of migration.

Tickets are free but advance booking recommended as places are limited. Complimentary drinks will be provided.