Child Migrant Stories is a space to explore the lived experiences of child migrants who migrated to the UK, under the age of 18, from 1930 to the present day. The project uses images, sound, text and short films, developed in collaboration with former child migrants, all of whom have powerful stories to tell and some of whom are artists, musicians, and filmmakers.
An introduction to the book
Child Migrant Voices in Modern Britain
Oral Histories from 1930s to the Present Day - from children who came to the UK on the Kindertransport in 1930s to a child who came from Ukraine in 2022.
“The text is beautifully written and deeply evocative."
— Rabbi Gluck, son of Necha Natalie Gluck (nee Dux) who arrived aged 10 in 1938 on the Kindertransport.
Stories
Child migrants' experiences of leaving home; journeys to, and arrival in, east London, settlement and impact on adult life through text, audio, image and film.
Short films
Co-produced with child migrants, drawing on their artistic and creative skills, with ideas on how these can be used to inspire debate and promote awareness of child migrants' experiences.
Learning Resources
Based on four of the films for school students Key Stage 2 - 5 and adult learners of English for Speakers of Other Languages. More information on how to access coming soon.
Upcoming events
To launch Child Migrant Voices in Modern Britain published by Bloomsbury February 2024 in various venues across the UK throughout the year and beyond.
You can browse the interactive calendar or press the button below to explore more events.
The initial inspiration for this work was research by Dr Eithne Nightingale into the experiences of children who migrated to east London from 1930 as part of a collaborative PhD between V&A Museum of Childhood (now Young V&A) and Queen Mary University of London (2011- 2019) funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). This research, supported by child migrants, refugee and migrant organisations, Mitchell Harris, film producer, and others has since expanded through the collection of child migrants' experiences beyond east London, events, film screenings and performances across the UK.
QMUL Public Engagement Award 2017
Child Migrant Stories won a Public Engagement award from QMUL in 2017 for its work. The picture above shows Child Migrant Stories films and learning resources being used by school students in Hackney Museum.
AHRC/BAFTA Research Film Nomination
Ugwumpiti, a short film co-produced with Maurice Nwokeji who survived the Biafra war before joining his parents in the UK aged eight and whose music provides the soundtrack, was nominated for the AHRC/BAFTA Research Film in 2017.
Child Migrant Voices in Modern Britain
The launch of the book Child Migrant Voices in Modern Britain - Oral Histories from 1930s to the Present Day published, by Bloomsbury February 2024, provides an opportunity to develop this work further. Dialogue, debate and growing awareness of the challenges faced by child migrants, given increasing hostility in the media, public debate and in government, could not be more pressing.