Windrush Day 2025
22 Jun 2025 - 22 Jun 2025
Join us and the Cornwall and Devon Creative Collective for a very special day of music, culture, fun and food that celebrates the impact that the Windrush generation and its descendants have had on British culture. Our event will include live music, dominoes, film screenings, talks, family-friendly storytelling and craft activities. The Box Kitchen & Bar will also be serving up a delicious range of Caribbean-inspired dishes. See our packed programme below!
More info
Performances
10.15-10.45am and 11-11.45am
Leading steel band 'Real Steel' bring the carnival atmosphere on Tavistock Place.
12-1pm and 2.45-3.45pm
Watch the world premiere of a specially commissioned piece of dance by Kadus Smith on Tavistock Place that expresses his personal experiences with the Windrush legacy.
12.30-3pm
Enjoy the smooth sounds of Plymouth-based jazz and soul vocalist Louise Parker and her guest quartet in The Box Kitchen & Bar.
Reading and Music Making with Safiya Robinson
For under 8s: 10.15-11am
For over 8s: 11.15am-12pm
Free but please book in advance
Join story listener and writer Saifya Robinson for a children's book reading and music making session. Safiya is a story listener and writer, and the creator of the #WritingBlackJoy project which centres and celebrates the joyful stories of Black authors.
Please note: All under 18s needs to be accompanied by an adult during family activities on site. Please ensure you book a ticket for every person attending, including the adults. Thank you.
Headdress Making with Helen Thomas
Session 1: 12.30-13.15pm
Session 2: 1.30-2.15pm
Free but please book in advance
Join Cornwall-based creative Helen Thomas for a family-friendly carnival headdress making activity. This session will be fun for children of all ages and will celebrate the sights and colours of the Caribbean.
Please note: All under 18s needs to be accompanied by an adult during family activities on site. Please ensure you book a ticket for every person attending, including the adults. Thank you.
Film Screenings
'Mother Country I' by Daryl Codrington
On the Media Lab screens throughout the day (running time 15 minutes)
Watch a film that explores the lives of Windrush era migrants and their descendants through interviews that were undertaken during 2024. The information and themes that emerge including identity, connection, loss and hope are a testament to the resilience shown by the migrants and their descendants, who have faced numerous barriers and racism throughout their lives.
'The Caribbean' by Gateway Educational Films Ltd
In the Simmons Learning Room from 3.15-3.30pm (running time 15 minutes)
Watch this 1972 film from The Box's archival film collection which was written and edited by John Sarsfield with photography by Graham Smart.
Reading and Book Signing
1.45-2.45pm
Free but please book in advance
Barrington Augustus Sowden is a Black writer who lives in Plymouth. His life story and experiences of growing up in Jamaica and later in Manchester are chronicled in his autobiography, 'One Journey, Many Lives'. Listen to him read from the book, ask questions and join in the conversation. You can also get your copy of his book signed by the author!
Caribbean Food and Dominoes
Throughout the day in The Box Kitchen & Bar
Try something delicious from our Caribbean specials menu with dishes from Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica. (Meal deal, gluten free and vegan options available). And, why not try your hand at dominoes too? This board game is played in various ways across different Caribbean islands and is a significant part of Caribbean culture.
We hope you'll join us for a brilliant day at The Box!