We are proud to release our latest podcast series, Windrush Stories.
The presence of Black people in the UK traces
back to Roman times, but a larger number
of Caribbeans migrated to Britain following World
War II. The government encouraged people from Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad, Antigua, St. Kitts,
and more countries of the British Empire, to
embark on a new life helping rebuild the ‘Mother Country’ during the post-war period.
HMT Empire Windrush, a former German navy
ship and cruise liner, brought some of the first
big groups of West Indian immigrants, landing at Tilbury Docks in 1948. These people, including
those who came on later ships, are sometimes referred to as the ‘Windrush Generation’.
The Windrush Generation and their children and grandchildren have significantly influenced British society through sport, politics, art, poetry, literature, language, food, and most of all music.
The introduction of reggae and sound system culture in the 1950s and ’60s helped change the face of pop music, and later gave birth to new genres including Jungle / Drum & Bass, Dubstep and Grime.
We present a series of remarkable interviews with members of this generation and their descendants, ranging in age from their 20s to their 80s. Recorded during lockdown, they talk about their experiences living in the UK and how they feel they’ve been received and treated by people in this country.
Windrush Stories was produced and presented by DJ Flight, with funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Subscribe to Windrush Stories here:
DJ Flight is widely regarded as one of the foundations of Drum & Bass and a pioneer of dance music. As a DJ and a radio presenter, she has been at the forefront of the scene’s transitional periods by championing underground music and eclectic producers.
Flight has been nominated for a DJ Mag Best of British award. Her music has sprawled into art and film, seeing her perform at the Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival and Theaster Gates’ installation for Prada Mode during Frieze week.
She is the co-founder of EQ50, a collective of women addressing inequality and representation in dance music. In 2020, the collective launched the first ever Drum & Bass mentorship programme for women and non-binary people.
Flight is a producer for the Prison Radio Association. In 2020, she produced the Windrush Stories podcast series and documentary which garnered widespread acclaim for its beautiful exploration of the Caribbean experience in Britain.
Windrush Stories was recently nominated at the British Podcast Awards 2021.
The Prison Radio Association aims to contribute to a reduction in reoffending using the power of radio.
Prison radio offers a unique, innovative and effective way to communicate with prisoners and engage them in education, debate and community. Working alongside serving prisoners and focusing on speech radio, the PRA produces and delivers National Prison Radio, broadcasting information and educational materials which support the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) reducing reoffending agenda.
Through our varied programming, we provide additional practical and emotional support for groups with specific needs. We've run series of programmes highlighting specific support available for
ex-service personnel, care leavers, women in prison, young people behind bars, the disproportionate number of Gypsy and Traveller people behind bars, as well as programming addressing age, ethnicity, race, gender, sexuality and LGBTQ+ issues.
