Polish Heritage in the East Midlands: Our History – Our Story

Collected over the last year, this exhibition comprises a small snapshot of a social archive that stretches back and forth across borders and time. The Signpost to Polish Success (SPS), a charity led by Dr Beata Polanowska, has sought to document the social and physical journey undertaken by the local Polish community, using individual stories to build a broad picture of this migrant group’s vibrant cultural, social and industrial history. By collecting images, documents and stories kindly submitted by members of the public, SPS has created a visual map of the changes and developments this community has undergone since the first influx of migrants to the UK post World War II. New Art Exchange has worked with SPS to curate a selection of images from this archive, presented here in Hyson Green in recognition of the strong history of Polish settlement in the area since the 1940s.

SPS is a Nottingham-based charity, established in 2005 to support new arrivals from Eastern Europe – mainly Polish migrants – after the EU enlargement in 2004.
New Art Exchange would like to thank SPS, in particular Dr Beata Polanowska, for allowing access to their archives and support in creating this exhibition.

SPS’ Polish Heritage in the East Midlands archives can now be accessed here

Admission: FREE

Age range: All are welcome