Uganda 50 - Rebuilding Lives
January 2022 – January 2024
50 Years of Ugandan Asians
in Leicester
On the 4th August 1972, President Idi Amin of Uganda ordered Ugandan Asians to leave the country. Our exhibition commemorated the 50th anniversary of that event.
Ugandan Asians were descendants of immigrants from the Indian sub-continent.
They had settled in Uganda from the 1880s after Britain colonised the area, opening shops and businesses. Whole families came, putting down roots. They became ‘Ugandan Asians’. In 1972, over 60,000 were forced out. Around 27,000 with British passports came to the UK – It is a story of families and community. Of re-building broken lives. And of their contributions to this country.
To mark the 50th anniversary of this momentous event, Navrang Arts sought funding to create exhibitions and opportunities to tell the story of the Ugandan Asian expulsion and its impact on individuals and the community, the city of Leicester and the UK as a whole. From this idea came the multi award winning ‘Rebuilding Lives: 50 Years of Ugandan Asians in Leicester’ project.
Unexpectedly, Ugandan Asian communities across England, having visited, wanted their own exhibition, and came to us for help. This resulted in five iterations of Rebuilding Lives – in Leicester, Loughborough, Peterborough and York, and touring versions for community venues.