If you’ve not had a chance to visit The Royal Festival Hall at The Spirit Level, there’s still a chance to do so until 11th May 2010! In the meantime, you can click on the link below for some colourful and moving comments from visitors!

Vistors Comment Link

From Southall Postcards to The Southall Story Posse!

“The exhibition was amazing – some of the prints made me teary and some of the displays made me laugh! Wonderful. “

“Lovely exhibition. Heartfelt and powerful images and interesting history.”

“When I was 17 my best friend & I decided we wanted to wear saris so we bussed it from Hanwell to Southall to a fabric shop & got our own lovely outfits. We made our own little tops & wore them to posh balls & parties. This was in the mid 1960s + we were white west London girls from convent schools. We liked to be different. Angela x”

“Unique, unforgettable, inspiring. We really enjoyed, thank you Yuka, Lee.”

“FANTASTIC exhibition, thank you for putting this together. I’m going to visit Southall now.”

“This exhibition brings a lump to my throat. I don’t know what it is – some sort of connection. My parents arrived from India in the 1960s, from Punjab to Gravesend, Kent.

As a child I remember the excitement and buzz of walking around that little slice of Punjab, called Southall.

The photographs of families at the exhibition could be any Indian family in the UK from that period. The similarities are exquisite. I remember watching the bands (Alaap & Heera) at nearly everyone of the many weddings I attended as a child.

I still visit Southall today with my own young children, and I suspect that when they are older, they will inevitably do the same.”

“One of my vivid memories of Southall is during the Sikh festival of Baisakhi, “cruising” in my car with friends decorating the car with orange ribbons with blaring Bhangra music and enjoying the carnival atmosphere. Everyone is joyful and happy no matter which faith you are – Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Christian. Karimini Kapila.”

And don’t forget the Southall Story exhibition in the Spirit Level is open until 11th May.

Yesmi Blake interviews Freddie Cooper, whose family have run the fruit and veg stall on Southall Broadway since 1965.

The Southall Story Live from Yemisi Blake on Vimeo.

Yemisi Blake is a London-based writer and creative, part of a team of bloggers reviewing, responding to and sharing their experiences of music, dance, poetry, visual art and conversation during the Alchemy festival.

You may also find their other blogs interesting….

ALCHEMY BLESSED INTO BEING

THE SOUTHALL STORY EXHIBIT

SOUTHALL STORY

And don’t forget the Southall Story exhibition in the Spirit Level is open until 11th May.

The Southall Story were privileged to have some of Dennis Morris images from his ‘Southall: A Home from Home’ Exhibition. Credit: Nabila Mujassam Maan

Dennis Morris, the legendary photographer who has worked with Bob Marley, The Sex Pistols and many others was travelling through Southall en route to an assignment and was inspired to stop and document the town in the early 70′s.

The Southall Story were privileged to have some of his images from ‘Southall: A Home from Home’ and a selection of the images opens The Southall Story exhibition on the Spirit Level at the Royal Festival Hall.

Dennis and Isabelle attended The Southall Story opening on Saturday 10th April – here is a message to Cathy Woolley (Producer/Curator – The South Bank Centre) that both Dennis and Isabelle sent after the event:

Dear Cathy,

Just a quick message to let you know that we really enjoyed the Southall Story show and the opening ceremony on Saturday was very moving too.

With best wishes,
Isabelle & Dennis

And don’t forget the Southall Story exhibition in the Spirit Level is open until 11th May.

 

Kuljit Bhamra (The Southall Story) and The Family (Channel 4) with Jude Kelly (South Bank) by the TKC bus. Credit: Southbank Centre

I had no idea that when I was asked to do a photo shoot for The Southall Story exhibition, that The Family would be there. The mother Sarabhjit and daughter-inlaw Shey were both there. Nice people. I asked them what it was like to be suddenly launched into show business and become famous. “I’m not sure I like it” was Sarbhjit’s reply. Anyway, it was a cold morning at 9am and I tried to make sure that my shivering didn’t show through my thin kurta top – but then I noticed what Sarbhjit was wearing – chappals! Later, Shey and myself got behind the wheel. I can’t believe that the bus had passed it’s MOT – there were wires and things hanging out of the steering column – desi style – innit!

And don’t forget the Southall Story exhibition in the Spirit Level is open until 11th May.

Kuljit Bhamra

The Southall Story is now set-up at the South Bank and it looks fantastic…very engaging….

Already a number of people have commented on the complexity of the work, I overheard a conversation at the entrance of the exhibition yesterday….where a lovely English man with a handlebar moustache was telling his friend with joy and in an animated manner after recognising King Street in the film and how he spent his youth in the area…. and he just happened to walk through the Spirit Level…. it made me think of how memories come and visit you so unexpectedly…..

Just to say that the exhibition is on the ground level – the Spirit Level so in case you go looking for it – there are large bhangra figurines pointing the way for you….

Shakila Maan

The Southall Story at the South Bank – Spirit Level
Wednesday 7 April 2010 – Tuesday 11 May 2010

The Southall Story created by Shakila Maan, Kuljit Bhamra and Ammy Phull with Cathy Woolley and Michael McMillan is finally coming together.

Southall is re-created with a sense of a ‘Time Tunnel’ where we go back to the 1950’s and explore an extraordinary history, both cultural and political.

Southall is a town that has welcomed new communities throughout the last century, enabling them to excel and influence both the social and political structures of Britain.

Click here to read more on The Southall Story at the South Bank

The Southall Story at the South Bank

The Southall Story has been invited by the South Bank Centre to create a month long exhibition at the South Bank’ Spirit Level, otherwise known as the Yellow Room.

The exhibition features the work of artists from Southall including the works of the Southall Story team that includes film maker and writer Shakila Maan, the renowned composer Kuljit Bhamra MBE and photographer, Ammy Phull.

The Southall Story is a walk through time charting the history Southall from the 50’s onwards. Live performances, installations, music, film and photography bring drama, comedy, tragedy and romance to the South Bank audience.

Other artists invited include Gurinder Chadha, Mohinder Bhamra, Abdi Karim, Poko from Misty in Roots. Invitations have also gone out to the punk band The Ruts, and The Southall Story have their fingers cross that they will grace the exhibition with their presence. Also invited are the Progressive Writers Associations and community groups such as The Monitoring Project, Southall Black Sisters, Peoples Unite, The National Association of Asian Youth and many more.

The exhibition has been pencilled in for the first week of April 2010 and will run throughout the month with talks and workshops.

We will post confirmed dates on this Blog very soon. Alternatively, you can contact the South Bank Centre for further information.

Sometime back in the late seventies I attended a meeting of very individual individuals. It was Art School and it was fun. Five of us spent about three hours studying a chair. The issue was; what exactly is a chair? The other four had some notions and were reasonably certain. I was the sceptic.

Nevertheless, we really did sort out this “chair” thing. It was an important moment and I can assure you that all present were sober and without any chemical or other encouragement. And as far as I can ascertain: sane. A further two hours later, with heated, interesting conversation and some debate, we all agreed. We were in sync and were friends.

I walked out with a smile. I was an existentialist. The icing on this cake was that I could spell it correctly. What is surprising is that thirty years down the line, I still can. (Sorry Spell-Check).

Sometimes, even with the everyday things: it is good to know. And this is where The Southall Story comes in.

I do not need to bore you with the problems of… ‘Modern life.’ I am sure that you are all experts.

As time passes by (sometimes, it gallops by and you wonder why you are staring at it’s slipstream). At times, we all forget. Sometimes we put things away. It is all part of life, our lives.

The worrying aspect of modern life is when we encounter that feeling of emptiness; of a void, of something missing, it is all too easy to “hit the bottle” or indulge in other unsafe practices.

Even easier: buy something! Some call this retail ‘therapy.’ Doing what I do, I would be a little concerned about the use of the word ‘therapy.’ Often, it is all too convenient to define ourselves by what we buy. Also in this dismal league is a person being defined by ones job or employment.

Where is The I, or The Me in this??

The Southall Story is a concoction that contains no alcohol, chemicals, additives, or any unnatural elements. What you will find is an abundance of added colour and a lot more.

See it as a wake-up call. Perhaps, a first step on the ladder out of that inevitable pit. In case you are wondering: as I write this, yes, I am on my comfortable chair…

Ammy Phull

Planning to wander the streets of Southall with my hand held Zoom sound recording device!

I imagine that people visiting this site will probably want to hear some of the sounds that we locals are more than familiar with: Broadway traffic, bustling shops, bhangra music from CD shops, Gurudwara loudspeakers, Masjid crowds, Mandirs etc.

Anyone have any ideas about what else I could record?

Kuljit Bhambra

Just had an amazing meeting at the Royal Festival Hall with the person in charge of the exhibition space (called The Spirit Level).

The Southall Story will have an exhibition there for a month commencing 6th April 2010 – come to the launch party that evening! (More details to follow soon under News & Events).

Our proposal is to create a ‘time tunnel journey’ – we wish visitors to be able to walk through and experience the Southall decades starting 1950 to the present. As you walk through a series of living rooms, you will notice how fashion, communications and living styles have changed over the past 70 years.

Archive photographs showing famous landmarks and various other images will be on display, and you will even be able to record your own story in a recording booth! During the launch weekend (6-11 April) various guest stars and artists will perform impromptu sets..we hope to have Mohinder Kaur Bhamra (female bhangra pioneer), Premi & Heera alongside other well known celebrities including Gurinder Chadha…very exciting!!

Kuljit Bhamra