Our research in Loughborough involves ethnographic fieldwork with different British South Asian communities and creative community activities that aim to gain multiple perspectives on meanings of community, belonging and intercommunity relations in relation to memories of Partition and migration.
There are numerous community and cultural events that take place throughout the year in Loughborough, reflecting the diversity of the town and the broader intercultural initiatives of individuals, community groups and organisations in the town. We collaborate with different community groups and work in partnership with Equality Action – an organisation that works with communities on matters of equality, providing advice on immigration and running various projects aimed at BAME residents – and Charnwood Arts – an independent community arts and media organisation working cross-culturally with community groups.
Our recent projects include food and memory cooking sessions, fashion and textiles workshops, music and memory activities, film screenings, and one-off events, such as ‘Sari Day’ to mark International Women’s Day.
“‘Well I am quite happy in Loughborough, I am well settled in Loughborough … here all the communities, the Bengali, the Punjabis, the Sikh, the English people, Chinese … are doing things together, which is a successful thing for each and every person because doing things together we learn about each other’s culture, each other’s religion, each other’s language”
– Interviewee
