Featured Exhibition: Tilbury Bridge Walkway of Memories

‘As I stand at this bridge and gateway, I feel the spirits of my

ancestors passing through me, still I call to them and they answer’.

EVEWRIGHT.

Tilbury Port is an iconic location which has an historic significance to the black community in Britain. This artwork is a unique statement memorialising the lives of those people who came from the Caribbean who carried their British passports proudly as British citizens with hope and expectation. They passed through this location as one of the original walkways where SS Empire Windrush passengers, in 1948 arrived. Although many arrived before 1948, those that arrived here were the first large post war wave of British colonial citizens to disembark from the passenger ship at Tilbury Cruise Terminal.

Tilbury Bridge Walkway of Memories is an art and sound installation conceived and created by Artist EVEWRIGHT. The first site-specific outdoor art and sound installation to be held at the Port of Tilbury in Essex and the UK dedicated to people of the Windrush Generation

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The installation is an immersive visual art experience, installed on 432 panes of glass collaged with photographs, documents, original boat passenger tickets and memorabilia. The artwork is installed in an original passenger walkway 55 metres long. As you walk through, you can listen to audio stories about the lives of some of the elders whose images are featured in the installation.

This installation features over 130 people from the Windrush era and their families through photographs, documents and audio, telling stories in their own words of their arrival, the lives and families they created and their contribution to British society.  This artwork and soundscape are symbolic and a testimony to those that arrived on SS Empire Windrush and the many that followed that journey to the UK.

This artwork is the fourth in a series of site-specific work created by artist EVEWRIGHT who developed the original Caribbean Takeaway Takeover, an installation originally staged in Colchester 2018, which took over and transformed S&S Caribbean Takeaway. The idea was to create an innovative and engaging art and sound installation in an informal setting owned and controlled by the Caribbean community.

We value the importance of our community telling their stories in their own voices. This installation shows how public spaces can be repurposed to share our stories and reach people in new and innovative ways. It challenges perceptions of where art can be experienced and enjoyed.

Tilbury Bridge Walkway of Memories Private View Launch

26 June 2021 / 10-6pm

The private view launch of the outdoor art and sound installation at Tilbury Port will celebrate the opening of Tilbury Bridge Walkway of Memories to commemorate the lives of the people of the Windrush Generation and the many who contributed stories to the artwork. The family launch day will enable visitors to experience the art and listen to over 25 audio stories on their own devices and enjoy a series of performances. Visitors will also have an opportunity to tour the main terminal on the day.

The launch day will be a ticketed event between 10 and 2pm.  Registration will be required. The venue will then be open to the general public from 2pm-6pm.

Further details on registration for tickets will be posted on www.evewrightarts.org and our social media platforms nearer the time. You can also sign up to our newsletters and follow us on our social media platforms to keep up to date.

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