June 26, 2019
“Liverpool will premiere a major new play this week as part of a series of celebrations and reflections about the city’s Windrush Generation.
Home from Home has been penned by city-based playwright Marjorie Morgan and looks at the turbulent recent events of the ‘hostile environment’. The play tells the story of a Liverpool woman who enjoys a celebrated career in the NHS but also faces the threat of deportation after being caught up in the Windrush scandal.
It will premiere at Liverpool’s Blackburne House on Friday 28 June as part of a weekend of events aimed at celebrating and recognising the huge contributions made to the city by our Commonwealth members.
Home from Home author Marjorie Morgan said: “I have been writing about Windrush for some time now and this is a story that I thought would both celebrate and show the truth of the reality that some people are stuck in. It is like people have a dual identity, on one hand they are happy to be British and on the other they are not sure if they are British because people are telling them they are not. So this indication what reality is like for many people with a Commonwealth background. We are all Windrush. This affects all of us, it’s about all of us.”
Production and technical assistance from Curtis Watt and Gabe Morgan.
The Empire Windrush was the first of a number of ships that transported British members of the Commonwealth from the Caribbean Islands and across the globe to London and Liverpool in 1948.
More than 70 years on, the city will once again celebrate the newcomers that brought so much with them, through a series of special events.
Liverpool City Council’s Mayoral Lead for Race and Equality, Cllr Anna Rothery, has spearheaded a city-wide project to keep the memory of Windrush alive.
Cllr Rothery, said: “The UK made a call to action to our Windrush and Commonwealth British citizens and they came when asked to work in our NHS, housing, public transport and helped to rebuild the infrastructure at great sacrifice, often leaving families and children behind in order to respond to the call. We owe our Windrush and Common wealth British citizens a huge debt of gratitude.
Liverpool City Council is proud to be funding the celebrations. It is also a time to reflect on recent events which have seen members of this community, who responded to the call to action to help re-build our nation, face the grim spectre of unjust deportation after a lifetime of devotion to their adopted home.”
29 June 2019 – Blackburne House has launched an exciting new documentary film project entitled Children of the Windrush Generation which traces the descendants of the 68 men from the Windrush who settled Liverpool – Marjorie H Morgan will be delivering essential content in this project.
- The Windrush Celebrations are free for anyone to attend.
- From Liverpool City Council’s post at liverpoolexpress.co.uk – June 26, 2019.