This project will celebrate and explore historical and contemporary stories of migration to Suffolk.
Arrivals: Celebrating Migration To Suffolk will collect and preserve the histories of ethnic minority, underrepresented and marginalised groups and individuals, who have travelled to Suffolk from overseas to make it their home.
The project will be delivered by Suffolk Archives, Suffolk County Council’s Archives Service, and provides an opportunity to meaningfully engage with diverse local communities, strengthening connections and putting recent migration into a longer historical context of people settling in Suffolk.
Made possible by National Lottery players, this exciting project begins with the recruitment of volunteers, the launch of a community forum and a range of community-based activities which will collect stories and build relationships with communities from across the county.
The programme of supporting activities will include engagement with local schools, in addition to free workshops for community groups that will offer training in identifying, organising, and preserving their archives and the opportunity to co-create activities that will share these stories with the wider community.
The project will also include the cataloguing and selective digitisation of relevant records already in our collection to make them easier for the public to use. We will also be using the project as an opportunity to add the records for more ethnically diverse groups to our archive collections.
The project will inform the contents of a free exhibition taking place at The Hold on Ipswich Waterfront from November 2023 to April 2024. Research and community curation for the exhibition will take place throughout the summer and autumn.
Councillor Bobby Bennett, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Equality and Communities said:
“I’m delighted that this project has received the backing of the NHLF. Suffolk has a rich history of welcoming migration and this project will allow Suffolk Archives to explore this further by collecting historical and contemporary stories of migration to Suffolk.
“The project aims to connect individuals and communities, and help more people feel a sense of belonging in Suffolk, particularly those who have arrived here recently. It will culminate in an engaging exhibition which we hope will help to strengthen understanding between people and communities.”
Robyn Llewellyn, Director, England, Midlands & East at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said:
“We are really pleased to be supporting Suffolk Archives with their ‘Arrivals’ project, thanks to National Lottery players. It's a chance to showcase the remarkable contributions made by migrants across the county and to celebrate and share their important stories.”
