Routes to Roots: A South Asian Heritage Project

What does home mean to you? What migration journeys are woven into your family’s history?

As part of Maya Productions’ Routes to Roots creative programme, this display brought together South Asian communities, artists, and cultural partners in Sheffield, Croydon and Bradford. Through a multi-arts approach, the project shares authentic stories that challenge stereotypes and celebrate the diversity of UK South Asian heritage.

Routes to Roots draws inspiration from Maya Productions’ upcoming musical, Benny and the Greycats, which chronicles the journey of an Anglo-Indian family of railway workers and musicians who leave South India to build a new life in 1960s Sheffield. The musical instrument installation in the display immerses visitors in the world of the Madras Jazz group, while also reflecting the broader experiences of migration.

The display transformed personal stories into lasting artistic artefacts. From treasured memories of home to forward-looking visions of the future, Routes to Roots offers a captivating and inspirational exploration of the rich South Asian heritage of Sheffield, Croydon and Bradford. 

The project continues online with performance videos, documentaries and oral history podcasts available on the Routes to Roots webpages at mayaproductions.co.uk

Project Partners:

Sheffield: Dig Where You Stand, Migration Matters Festival, Sheffield City Archives, King Ecgbert School, and Handsworth Grange Community Sports College.

Sheffield Exhibition Designer, perspex frame production and musical instrument installation: Monika Dutta

Routes to Roots is made possible thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.