Members of the Bengali community in Norwich will record and share publicly their stories of how their families came to Norwich and what Bengali life looks like in the city today, as part of a new creative project celebrating migrant history.
Stories From the Quarter is a Norfolk-wide 18-month programme led by the National Centre for Writing (NCW). Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Stories From the Quarter aims to connect more people and communities with the migrant heritage of Norwich’s medieval quarter, which runs from Lower King Street to Magdalen Street.
Between March and April, a series of one-hour spoken histories will be recorded with Bengali people from different professions and parts of the community including restaurant owners, medical practitioners, older residents who arrived in the aftermath of the 1971 genocide in Bangladesh, and those who have settled later as economic migrants.
The transcripts, which will be translated into Sylheti and English, will be stored at Norwich Record Office and will be available online for everyone to access.
Hannah Garrard, programme manager at NCW, said: “One of the aims of this project is to build a bigger picture of Norwich's migrant history. Norwich's stories of migration are an important part of its history, going back as far as the 15th century with the arrival of the Dutch weavers.
“The King Street area and medieval quarter is of particular interest because it has the river as a connecting point to Europe and is also where people from many different cultures live and work, including Bengali people.”
Stories From the Quarter takes inspiration from the King Street Community Voices, a project led by the Dragon Hall Heritage Volunteers which collected dozens of accounts of people’s memories of living and working on King Street throughout the 20th century. Much of the activity will be focused within the 15th century Dragon Hall, one of 12 key heritage buildings in Norwich and home to NCW.
Since reopening in 2021 after the pandemic, NCW has hosted monthly community events for the Bengali community at Dragon Hall, using storytelling, creativity and cuisine to explore the building and celebrate their language and culture.
“Community is a huge part of Dragon Hall's story – from the medieval merchant traders to the Victorian slum dwellers,” Hannah says. “Its purpose now is to be a welcoming space where people can engage in creative activity that is relevant to their lives and can bring people together in meaningful ways. We can do that by hearing and sharing each other's stories, from those who lived in Dragon Hall and those who will walk through its doors today.”
Further activities planned for the Bengali community include creative writing workshops, creative sessions and resources for young people, a series of podcasts, a community open day and an interactive public walking trail exploring libraries, Dragon Hall, community mosques, restaurants and schools.
Mahbubur Rahman has facilitated NCW’s monthly Bengali Stories events at Dragon Hall and is coordinating the recording of the spoken histories. He said: “Recognising the underrepresented Bengali community in Norwich and hosting activities for them at NCW, Dragon Hall has had a positive impact on the community.
“As a British Bangladeshi in Norwich, I think it is important to get the opportunity to include our stories equally, to ensure we feel that we belong here. I hope that Stories From the Quarter will help the Bengali and wider community in Norwich to know and understand the city and its heritage in a vivid way.”
Bengali Stories is a relaxed, family-friendly event taking place on a Sunday each month at Dragon Hall on King Street, Norwich. Admission is free and everyone is welcome. Upcoming dates are 12pm to 3pm Sunday, March 27, Sunday, April 24 and Sunday, May 22.
For more information, please visit nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk
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