Windrush Day

Spare a Thought is the podcast for curious minds exploring creativity, culture and stories from the margins.

About the episode

CONTENT WARNING: This episode makes reference to suicide and attempted suicide

To celebrate Windrush Day (22nd June), Tom is joined by Leonora Cartman to explore the history, the legacy, and the deeply moving human stories of the Windrush generation.

Leo details the post-war labor shortages that prompted the UK government to invite Caribbean citizens and discusses the profound impact of the 2012 "hostile environment" policies that led to the Windrush scandal.

Keyari Page, creator and host of Shadow and Light, talks about the research for her episode "Borders of Belonging," reflecting on the emotional toll of the scandal and how systems can value bureaucratic paperwork over lived realities.

Dr Nick Beach, a trustee for the Stuart Hall Foundation, shares his personal experiences working closely with the late Professor Stuart Hall to transcribe his memoir, Familiar Stranger: A Life Between Two Islands, and explains how the Foundation continues Hall's vital intellectual work today.

Find out more about the Stuart Hall Foundation here and read Professor Hall's memoir, Familiar Stranger at Penguin Books.

Professor Les Back of the University of Glasgow reflects on Stuart Hall’s incredible gift for using everyday cultural symbols, like a simple cup of tea, to map the vast histories of the British Empire, identity, and belonging.

If you are in Cardiff on the 16th of July, come watch a live recording of the show featuring briefing coach Harriet White at Cathays Community Centre from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. You can book a free ticket here.

The co-hosts for this episode were Leonora Cartman and Tom Spare. The content was researched by Leonaro Cartman and edited by Tom Spare.

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