It is often presumed that the first time African, Caribbean, East Asian and South Asian people arrived in the UK was after 1945. This project will rewrite the narrative by exploring untold stories of those who arrived before the Second World War.

Building on the legacy of author Sven Lindqvist, who wrote the book Gräv där du står (Dig Where You Stand), the project will largely focus on South Yorkshire stories about working class people from diverse ethnic communities.

Across two years, the project will:

• commission new works by local artists with a public exhibition
• hold a year-long training programme in archives for women of colour
• create educational resources for schools and community groups
• hold online events, workshops and discussion panels
• create a comprehensive study guide with open access digital resources

It will be led by Désirée Reynolds, working with the Centre for Equity & Inclusion and Sheffield City Archives. 

Désirée said: “Dig Where You Stand is an archival justice movement. It isn't about kings and queens but ordinary people who end up in the archives as fragments of a will, notice in a newspaper, play bills or a baptismal record.”