Museum in the Park launches powerful new display exploring migration and belonging

The Museum in the Park will open a new long-term display, Home From Home: Our Migration Stories, on Sunday 17 May, shining a light on the lived experiences of migration within Stroud district.

The display brings together personal objects and stories from 12 local contributors who have direct or family experience of migration. Together, they have selected around 50 objects that reflect journeys from 11 different countries: India, Italy, Jamaica, Latvia, Lebanon, Poland, Romania, Syria, Turkey, Uganda and Ukraine.

From a Windrush Generation sea voyage to Polish and Italian settlement after the Second World War, the display explores what home and belonging mean to people who have made Stroud district their home.

Objects range from precious keepsakes carried across continents to everyday items that reflect the reality of building a new life. From Syrian napkins fit for a feast to Romanian tools for spinning wool, from an Italian migrant’s Aliens Registration Card to a Polish refugee’s exercise book for practising English phrases, these individual objects reveal the sweep of history behind the personal stories. Also included are artworks by Yasemin Wigglesworth, Alina Hamal and photographs of the Italian community by Fulvio Naselli.

These contemporary stories are set alongside historic objects from the museum’s collection, revealing how migration has shaped the district for thousands of years. Stories stretch from the pre historic Beaker people to 16th century Huguenot refugees, placing today’s experiences in a much wider local context.

Among the standout pieces are embroidered works by Stroud born artist Dareth Guthrie, inspired by her family’s migration from the Caribbean. Displayed alongside her work is a tray cloth stitched by her mother during her journey to the UK in 1957, sewn in hopeful anticipation of her new life in Stroud.

At the heart of the display is The Boat of Hope, a sculptural work on loan from Sanctuary Breaks which arranges workshops and retreats for forced migrants. The boat was created in 2024 by artist and ceramicist Sam Mukumba in collaboration with 13 people from the region with lived experience of seeking sanctuary. Other works by Mukumba feature in the display, telling his own story of growing up in Uganda.

The display also features acclaimed Anglo-Indian writer Jamila Gavin, with photographs and personal items reflecting her Indian childhood. These sit alongside material exploring her father Terence Khushal-Singh’s role in converting his college in the Punjab into a refugee camp for those fleeing across the border following the Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947.

Cllr Elizabeth Stanley, SDC’s Migrant Champion said:

"This fascinating display is a powerful reminder of how people from other countries wove their lives into the rich tapestry of Stroud's history. From the migrant labourers who built our canal and railway to the textile workers of Brick Row to the refugees of the 1940s to the Syrians and Afghans we welcome today - Stroud has always been a Home from Home."

Home From Home: Our Migration Stories is on display in the At Home gallery on the first floor of Museum in the Park, Stratford Park, Stroud GL5 4AF. The museum is free to enter.

Opening times are Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 4.30pm, and weekends and Bank Holiday Mondays, 11am to 4.30pm.

The display has been made possible thanks to generous funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England and the Cowle Trust.

Cllr Chloe Turner, Leader of Stroud District Council said:

"We're very grateful for the support of our funders in putting on this important new display exploring how migration has shaped and contributed to our district, and what home and belonging mean to those whose families have come here from afar.

Through these fifty pieces - the precious and the practical - we can learn about those journeys and reflect on Stroud district's ongoing role as a place of sanctuary."

Museum in the Park is managed by Stroud District Council in collaboration with the Stroud District (Cowle) Museum Trust. It is home to a rich local history collection, a magical walled garden and a dedicated contemporary exhibition space.

The Museum also offers a free to join membership, giving members regular updates on exhibitions and events, along with exclusive behind the scenes content. Find out more at http://www.museuminthepark.org.uk/membership .

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