‘Stories That Made Us’ is a South Asian heritage and cultural project led by archivist, curator and artist Hardish Virk. The project advocates the value and importance of personal archives and the stories that live in these archives. Even though the starting point for the project is South Asian heritage and culture, the work itself invites communities of diverse ethnic and faith backgrounds and lived experiences to share their heritage stories of migration, activism, family, friendship, identity and belonging.
In this workshop:
- Hardish Virk will speak about his archive and how objects found in archives can inspire stories that are told on stage or in exhibitions.
- Themes of activism, identity and belonging will be explored.
- Participants are invited to bring in their own personal objects in response to these themes and share their own stories in relation to their objects. These can include photographs, leaflets, zines, badges, records, etc…
- There will be two comfort breaks and refreshments will be provided.
This workshop is an opportunity for participants to learn about storytelling using artefacts as well as share their own stories in a safe and accessible space.
- More about ‘Stories That Made Us’: Stories That Made Us
- Information on the last exhibition conceived and co-curated by Hardish Virk (in partnership with the Hebert Art Gallery & Museum): Stories That Made Us – Roots, Resilience, Representation
About Hardish Virk…
Hardish Virk began his career as an actor, director, producer, writer, visual artist and DJ in the 1980s. By the 1990s he was learning that, in order to affect positive change in the arts and cultural sectors, he needed to be more strategically involved. This has led to over thirty years of working with arts, cultural and heritage organisations and artists in the UK and Europe, advising on staff recruitment and training, artist and audience development and diversifying stories and programming. Hardish has developed his archiving and curatorial experience and skills over the years, which led him to set up, ‘Stories That Made Us’ in 2021. The ground-breaking and critically acclaimed ‘Stories That Made Us – Roots, Resilience, Representation’ exhibition in partnership with the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum was conceived and co-curated by Hardish Virk.