Our Film Hidden Histories/Migration Stories is continuously shown in the Herbert Gallery and Museum highlighting migration to Coventry and one particular story of the Jewish Watchmakers of the 19th and 20th centuries.
In March this year STAMP Theatre and Media Productions CIC made a short film exploring the hidden history of the Jewish Watchmakers who came to Britain from Prussia and Bavaria during the 19th and 20th centuries. They built a synagogue and contributed to the industrial, civic, and cultural life of Coventry as well as forming a small but vibrant community. Jews came to the UK fleeing occupational and economic restrictions as well as anti-Semitic violence. Most settled in the East End of London, a small group came to Coventry hearing of the fame of the watchmaking industry. This short film uncovered this little-known story of migration to Coventry and was the platform from which STAMP Productions invited people to share their own migration stories. These included stories of journeys from Ireland, Iraqi and Hong Kong as well as showing two more of our films from our Hear Our Voice collection of migration from India and Jamaica.
The event in March was sold out and the conversations continued. See Earlsdon Park Village event. Nov 8th 2.30.
Mark Johnson continued this research and delved further into this fascinating story with STAMP and The Herbert Gallery and Museum. An exhibition has been launched about Jewish Coventry with an associated archive for those who wish to explore further the relationship with prominent watchmakers Phillip Cohen and Alfred Fridlander to George Eliot, the Suffragettes and the Coventry Theatre.
Image above: Left to right, Mia Ducker, curator of Herbert Gallery and Museum, Claudette Bryanston Artistic Director of STAMP and Lord Mayor of Coventry Cllr Birdi at the launch of the exhibition