Rosetta Arts

Women of the Windrush, Pottery workshop

Trisha McCauley (Photographer, Exhibitor, Programmer and Director at the Humble Gallery) shared with us: The idea for the Women of the Windrush project was formed during lockdown. I was doing a lot of reflecting at home and I was thinking about voices and experiences that are not heard. My parents passed away just before lockdown, they had come to the UK from the Caribbean during the Windrush era. I recall my mum saying ‘that when I came here, I cried every day.’ She only revealed that to me in the last few years, they didn’t often talk about that Windrush time. They were so strong you know, they just got on with it. Their generation made such a big contribution to modern Britain but we just don’t hear about it. I began looking more internally and thinking, what can I do to celebrate my parents and their generation? I’ve got two children, I’ve become a grandmother and just having this little one around, I’m thinking about legacy, about who we are.

I looked at black artists and Caribbean artists and there's so much out there. This led me to Althea McNish a textile artist from Trinidad.

Althea came here post war, you can imagine it was grey and drab and she was really responsible for bringing colour back into modern fashion. In the 60s she designed fabrics for the official wardrobe of the Queen's visit to Trinidad. She worked with some major fabric companies and created loads of these fabulous designs. I then looked at Frank Bowling, Aubrey Williams as well and inspired by them did some initial workshops for kids online. That just got me really started. It confirmed to me the need for this sort of thing and the interest people had once they had heard about the work. I thought, you know what other women artists from the Windrush generation are out there? You don't really hear about the women, you see that striking image of the men on the ship. I was interested in the stories of the women involved, some who came unaccompanied. What about their stories? What did they have to say?

We did the actual Windrush day, celebrating Althea McNish’s work. I had a group of people come in and we explored textiles and textile design. We then did two more workshops, one of these hosted at Stratford library. The final workshop was looking at the artist Claudette Johnson. I wanted to bring in some of Jenny Schrowder’s work as a ceramist who has been inspired by Claudette Johnson’s paintings and we hosted a pottery workshop for women. I’m now on the final leg of the project and did a call out for a young photographer to be involved. I wanted to give a voice to young people of Caribbean heritage and showcase portraits of black creatives in an outward facing space in Stratford. Anyone will be able to see them on the Highstreet.

Portraits of black artists, fashion designers, creatives, hairdressers, makeup artists these 10 women are all doing fantastic things in their own right here locally.

Our heritage and Windrush generation connects us. I look at these creatives and artists, some who came here as adults, some who came here as children, others were born in the UK like myself and grew up here. I wanted this project ‘Women of the Windrush’ to show the voices of these women who are all doing and did fantastic things in their own right but are connected.

Starting the project from Althea McNish who took the Caribbean with her wherever she went. She was inspired by the British countryside and the cornfields, as well as the fields, sugar canes and the beauty of Trinidad and worked that together to create her art.