Caroline Coon is included in 'No Turning Back: Seven Migration Moments that Changed Britain'
‘No Turning Back: Seven Migration Moments that Changed Britain’ examines seven moments that have had profound effects on Britain and its people. Amid uncertainty over Brexit the group presentation explores turning points from the expulsion of England’s entire Jewish population in 1290, to the large increase in the number of people defining themselves as ‘mixed-race’ in the 2011 census; the first East India Company voyage to India in 1607, to the Rock Against Racism movement of the late 1970s.
Each moment is explored through a combination of personal stories, commentary, photography and art from established and emerging British and international artists and contributors. These moments are presented as starting points to enable visitors to explore themes and stories about migration, and to encourage conversations about moments that matter to them.
“Brexit is currently the centre of attention, but Britain has faced many moments throughout history which have had a major impact on the movement of people to and from these shores,” says Sophie Henderson, director of the Migration Museum Project, which has established the Migration Museum at The Workshop and is working to create a permanent national Migration Museum for Britain. “No Turning Back explores seven of these moments. Some brought people together. Others moved people apart. All had a profound effect on individuals who lived through them – and on the country as a whole.”
Barbara Roche, chair of the Migration Museum Project, adds: “No Turning Back encapsulates what the Migration Museum for Britain that we are creating is all about – providing a cultural space for exploration of how immigration and emigration across the ages has shaped who we are today as individuals, and as a nation. “Britain’s migration history is as complex as it is long, with generation after generation facing challenges, sometimes acceptance and sometimes hostility. Against the current backdrop of fierce national debate, the need for exploration of this important theme that connects us all could scarcely be greater.”
