Memories of Mothers and Grandmothers is a collaborative project between the “Migrant Memory and the Postcolonial Imagination” research project (Loughborough University) and the Women’s branch of Redbridge’s Labour. Launched as Bangladesh celebrates its 50 years of independence, this collaboration explores the legacy of memories of the past for women of Bengali heritage living in the borough of Redbridge.
Commemorating historical events such as the anniversary of Bangladesh independence is an opportunity to reflect on the experiences of people of Bengali heritage (from both sides of the border) in the UK. The emphasis on female memories offers an opportunity to explore untold stories which too often remain at the margins of official history and sheds a light on how these memories inform present-day life in Redbridge. Starting from photographs of mothers and grandmothers, participants in this project have shared stories of struggle and resilience, migration, separation, loss, hope and endurance, which encompass their mothers’, grandmothers’, their sisters’ and their very own experience.