AN exhibition profiling the stories of families and communities from many of Edinburgh’s various faith groups will open tomorrow.
Entitled Our Story, the exhibition in the Museum of Edinburgh will run until April. It explores the families’ and communities’ journey from immigration to integration.
Edinburgh Council stated: “Our Story has collected together people’s memories and stories from the many faith communities in Edinburgh through oral histories and interviews. This exhibition celebrates the city’s rich diversity through the stories of people who live here. Some settled here, many were born here, but all of their stories together tell the history of Edinburgh.”
The Our Story Project is run by Edinburgh Inter-Faith Association, a charity that works towards effective dialogue, peace and understanding between faiths in the city of Edinburgh. Generous funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund made the project possible.
Over two rooms at the Museum of Edinburgh, people’s stories and memories in their own words are displayed through text, photos and some artefacts. Some names have been changed to protect people’s identities.
Stefan Boran told of one Polish Catholic tradition: “At Easter there’s the tradition of Swieconka. The food which is prepared for Easter morning breakfast is blessed in church on Easter Saturday.
“If you were to go to the cathedral, or many churches in Scotland, you would see throngs of Polish people with little baskets making their way to the church.”
Trishna Singh says: “I’m so proud to be a Sikh woman. I was the first Sikh woman from the Bhatra community in Edinburgh to work in an office. In 2014, I was the first Sikh woman in Scotland to be awarded an OBE.”
Mohammad Aslam says: “I was involved with setting up the Lothian Race Relations Board, in the Pakistani community, but also I was involved with the sport as well.
“I was a cricket player, and established the Pakistani community cricket club. The club still goes, and my grandson – he plays for Scotland now, for the main team.”
Another story is about how Edinburgh’s Hindu community was offered an old church by the council to make into a Mandir (Hindu temple).
Back in the 1970s, Hindu community members used to go and clean it, wash the stone, and take blankets from their own houses to put on the floor and sit – now it is a beautiful temple.
Carrie Alderton, Project Coordinator of Our Story project for the Edinburgh InterFaith Association, said: “The joy of oral histories is that you’re let into the person’s story, you get to hear their memories, struggles and triumphs. This is exactly what we have tried to capture in the exhibition: rather than a factual history of Edinburgh, this exhibition celebrates Edinburgh’s diversity and history through people, their lives, memories, struggles and triumphs.”
Councillor Donald Wilson, Edinburgh’s culture and communities convener, said: “This exhibition is an opportunity to delve into Edinburgh’s fascinating social history and learn about some of the many people who have chosen to call this city home. Weaving the lives of local people together to tell Our Story, the display celebrates our diversity and our togetherness.
“I hope the exhibition provides a warm and contemporary introduction to the story of Edinburgh’s faith communities, and serves as an important reminder of how our city’s vibrant culture is thanks to a multi-cultural mix of citizens.”
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