The Barrel Children is an exhibition by Opal22, developed as part of its wider Windrush project in partnership with Leicester Libraries. Building on a programme of workshops, conversations and community storytelling, the exhibition brings the stories of the Windrush Generation into a public space, encouraging audiences to explore one of the lesser-known experiences of Caribbean migration.
Focusing on the lives of the “barrel children”, the young people who remained in the Caribbean while their parents travelled to Britain to establish new lives, the exhibition explores themes of family, separation, resilience and belonging.
Presented at Leicester’s Riverside Festival, the exhibition extends the conversations begun in schools and libraries, inviting wider audiences to reflect on the emotional realities of migration and the enduring legacy of the Windrush Generation.
WHY THIS EXHIBITION MATTERS
As the public-facing continuation of Opal22’s partnership with Leicester Libraries, The Barrel Children ensures that the stories shared by the Windrush Generation reach beyond the classroom. The exhibition preserves lived experiences, encourages intergenerational understanding and highlights a chapter of British history that is often overlooked. By bringing these personal histories into a public setting, it helps strengthen appreciation of the people and communities whose experiences have shaped Leicester and modern Britain.
This framing makes the relationship between the workshops, Leicester Libraries and the exhibition much clearer and presents the exhibition as the culmination of the wider Windrush project.
VISITOR INFORMATION
Dates: 6-7 June
Venue: Riverside Festival, Leicester
Address: Bede Park and Western Boulevard, Leicester
Admission: Free
Accessibility: Accessible outdoor festival venue.
Booking: No booking required.
Exhibition Available For Hire: Contact info@opal22.co.uk for more information