The Project

The Windrush Travelling Songbook was a groundbreaking learning and participation project by Pegasus Opera Company, celebrating the remarkable legacy of the Windrush generation and their descendants. Through intergenerational storytelling, music, and opera, the project connected communities across London, Bristol, Birmingham, and Liverpool.

The project began with heartfelt reminiscence sessions, where over 150 Windrush elders shared their powerful life stories. These testimonies inspired over 300 children to create their own original songs during dynamic workshops led by talented music practitioners. The resulting compositions beautifully captured themes of hope, identity, and unity, bridging generations and celebrating cultural heritage.

The journey culminated in unforgettable live performances that combined these original songs with excerpts from Pegasus Opera’s Windrush Opera. Performed by professional opera singers—many of whom with shared Caribbean heritage—the events introduced audiences to the transformative power of opera while honouring the stories and resilience of the Windrush generation.

This digital platform was created to ensure that the legacy of this incredible project lives on. Here, you can explore recordings of the elders’ testimonies, listen to the children’s moving songs, and view photos capturing the energy and joy of the project. But this is only the beginning - we are committed to working with more communities and expanding this collection to ensure that the voices and stories of the Windrush generation continue to resonate and inspire for years to come.

Thank You

We extend our deepest gratitude to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery Players, Foyle Foundation, and Arts Council for their generous funding and support, which made this project possible.

A heartfelt thank you also goes to our incredible venue partners and their teams: The Albany, Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Bristol Beacon, Birmingham Hippodrome, and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Your dedication and collaboration were instrumental in bringing this project to life and connecting communities through the power of music and storytelling.

Most importantly, thank you to all the incredible elders, young people, musicians, and practitioners we worked with - you are the heart of this project. Your voices, creativity, and passion helped us honour the Windrush generation and create something truly special.

While we can’t thank everyone individually, we want to give a special mention to Jo Sealy, Paul Tucker, Penny Dampier, Eastside Community Heritage, Donna Bateman, Adwoa Dickson, Melody Compton, Ash Beauchamp, and of course, the wonderful team at Giant Digital, who helped bring this website to life!