Get closer to the real people who made Birmingham the diverse city it is today in a touring photography exhibition at the Birmingham Back to Backs.

The National Trust is working in partnership with Sampad South Asian Arts to bring their exhibition From City of Empire to City of Diversity: A Visual Journey to its unique city centre location.

The exhibition has been created from The Dyche Collection, one of the most important photographic collections at the Library of Birmingham, and documents post-1945 migration and the huge contribution made by those who settled in the city from the Commonwealth.

The collection of photographs from The Dyche Studios gives a fascinating and personal insight into Birmingham’s transformation. People who had moved to the city visited the studio to have their portraits taken so they could send them home to their families, capturing key moments in their lives and often painting a more positive picture of life in Birmingham than they were experiencing.

The exhibition also draws upon other collections held by Birmingham Archives, notably Benjamin Stone, Helen Caddick, Paul Hill, Nick Hedges, Vanley Burke and George Hallet.

Together with personal memories and stories of migration, these have been transformed into an exhibition which shows the range of experiences that have shaped Birmingham into the city it is today.

Sabra Khan, Executive Director at Sampad, said; “Sampad are delighted to be working with The National Trust to bring From City of Empire to City of Diversity: A Visual Journey to the Birmingham Back to Backs. This important exhibition highlights the contribution of migrant communities to Birmingham, so having it in this iconic Birmingham attraction means these stories will be accessible to more people.”

Sampad’s mission is to connect people with South Asian and British Asian Arts and Heritage, and to play a cutting-edge role in the creative economy. They believe in the power of arts and heritage to impact widely on all communities towards bringing people together from all walks of life.

Sabra continued; “As an organisation that champions the voices of marginalised communities, we are proud to be presenting a number of free events alongside the exhibition which will enable people to get closer to the work and meet the curators. This exciting partnership with The National Trust will continue the legacy of the Dyche Collection and the people within the images.”

Following on from the success of their previous exhibition ‘Home from Home’, created as a collaboration with the Mykal Wassifa Brown Heritage Foundation and Blackstory Partnership, the Birmingham Back to Backs are exploring deeper into stories of migration to the city by hosting Sampad’s heritage project.

The exhibition has been created by Sampad working in partnership with Birmingham Archives, Library of Birmingham, Birmingham City Council, and the University of Birmingham, and made possible thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

From City of Empire to City of Diversity: A Visual Journey will be open to the public at the Back to Backs from 17 November until 6 March 2023 and will also feature curator’s talks as part of the programme, allowing visitors to dig deeper into the exhibition.

Visits to the exhibition space and the second-hand bookshop are free of charge and do not need to be booked, enter through the bookshop on Hurst Street.

To learn more about the Back to Backs, book a tour, or book a free place on one of the curator’s talks please click here. 

To learn more about Sampad and their other projects please visit sampad.org.uk. This project has been made possible thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.