A recreation of the Caribbean front room that held generations of family pride in Bristol could soon be packed away, as organisers search for a permanent home.
The Dominican Front Room, curated by broadcaster Sherrie Eugene-Hart with support from former police officer Beverley Douglas, brings together keepsakes donated by families who settled in the city.
Its temporary installation at Watershed is due to end on Friday 30 October. The BBC reports that its popularity has prompted an urgent search for somewhere it can remain on display.
“We don't want to put this back in bags and boxes,” Douglas told BBC News.
She hopes a lasting venue would allow more people, including visiting schoolchildren, to discover the objects’ Caribbean origins and their connection to the Windrush generation.
“We have to ensure our young people know their history,” she said.
A room kept for special occasions
The display recalls a part of domestic life where treasured possessions were carefully arranged and visitors were formally welcomed.
Watershed describes the 1960s front room as a space for special occasions: records, ornaments and furniture carried memories of the Caribbean, while the room itself expressed achievement and pride in Britain.
A similar celebration of Caribbean domestic life featured at Black Cultural Archives in Brixton in 2022. HOME: Remembering the Windrush Generation, curated by Tony Fairweather, ran from 22 June to 10 September and recreated a Caribbean front room, kitchen and bedroom.
For Eugene-Hart, the project is also personal. She told the BBC she developed it after losing both parents within six years. It recalls a childhood in which the front room was carefully maintained and children’s access was restricted.
Passing the stories on
The effort to build the exhibition began with an appeal for family artefacts. Bristol24/7 reported in September that Eugene-Hart and Douglas were inviting Bristol’s Dominican community to contribute photographs, memorabilia and stories from the 1950s and 1960s.
That appeal also highlighted the Dominica Friends Association, established 50 years earlier as a network of friendship and mutual support. Eugene-Hart wanted the project to help renew the association and carry the community’s heritage forward.
Watershed says the installation is funded by the Dominica and Friends Association, E-com Media and Quala Publishing, with support from BCfm Radio and Watershed. It is intended to open conversations about heritage and identity ahead of a wider Windrush festival in 2027.
Both women also feature in First Born Second: Voices of the Children of the Windrush Era, by filmmaker Michelle Pascal and writer and curator Roger Griffith. Watershed has scheduled a screening and discussion for 29 October as part of its Black History Month programme.
The Dominican Front Room can be viewed free of charge through the Watershed Walkway window until 30 October, with no booking required. Visit Watershed’s listing for details.
