Celebrating Windrush Day with
Black Voices Cornwall

In June 2025 we celebrated the vital cultural contribution of post-war Caribbean migrants. Working alongside collaborators and Husa members Black Voices Cornwall, Hall for Cornwall (HfC) presented a Windrush Celebration event bursting at the seams with colour, creativity and Caribbean soul!

Black Voices Cornwall are a charity advocating for anti-racism in Cornwall, educating young people and supporting our ethnically- diverse communities. A follow-up to 2024's 75^th Anniversary event, this year’s Windrush Celebration 76 saw 6 Cornish schools and over 180 Year 5 and 6 students fill our building, ready to enjoy a variety of workshops and performances celebrating the rich legacy and vibrant spirit of the Windrush Generation through the sharing of food, music, and stories.

From sizzling Caribbean flavours to the sound of steel pans, the Cornwall Playhouse and almost every space across HfC buzzed with activity as young people from across Cornwall got stuck in. Bev from CocoBean brought the heat with a Caribbean food experience, sharing regional dishes, and inviting everyone to taste, share and explore new flavours. The Steelers - a steel pan group from Treviglas Academy - took to the stage with reggae rhythms, led by Steve Mildenhall, who shared the instrument’s Afro-Caribbean roots and got everyone playing together. And Beyond Face brought powerful storytelling into the room, using Benjamin Zephaniah’s Windrush Child to explore the feelings sparked by the journey from Jamaica to Britain. Together, we filled every corner of HfC with joy, rhythm and connection.

Groups of 100 children at a time were captivated by one-person play Farewell Jamaica, written by Neville Connor and Hayley-Ann Dunston. As part of our Husa commitment to supporting artists, HfC has offered online development support to Neville on this piece, a story following one man's seafaring journey from Jamaica in search of a brighter future in post-war England. The piece explores the conditions on board Empire Windrush and the culture shock and exclusion migrants were met with upon reaching Britain.

The interactive show and Q&A were delivered in a gentle, accessible way, bringing the students along the journey of these real stories, experienced by real people.

As the sounds of the steel drum and the scent of charring plantain begins to fade, we're proud to have partnered with Black Voices Cornwall, working together to create long-lasting platforms for inclusivity, respect and togetherness for all.