When HMT Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks on 22 June 1948, it brought one of the largest groups of British Caribbean migrants to the UK.
The Windrush generation transformed Britain’s cultural landscape through art, music and other forms of creative expression.
More than 75 years after the Windrush’s arrival at Tilbury, discover some of the responses to this historical event that have been displayed at Royal Museums Greenwich.
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Caribbean commemorations
Created by digital artist and graphic designer, Kareen Cox, this bold installation celebrates the Windrush generation and their contributions to British society and culture.
Kareen was one of five artists commissioned by Royal Mail to create designs for a special collection of postage stamps, to mark the 75th anniversary of Empire Windrush’s arrival in Britain. In her illustrations, smartly dressed passengers disembark from a ship, and a bustling market scene showcases Caribbean produce.
Kareen worked with The Collective Makers, Royal Museums Greenwich’s Practitioners in Residence, to turn her designs into a large-scale artwork. The installation was on display in the National Maritime Museum in 2023.
Home Home
Bringing together moving images, poetry and archival footage, Home Home explores the journeys of the Windrush generation and their connection to the sea.
The film was made by new media artist, Emily Alice Mitchell, and touches on themes including ancestry, identity, collective memory and grief. The work is dedicated to Emily’s late grandmother, who arrived in London from Trinidad in 1967.
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Research guide: Ships, Ports & Passengers
The Empire Windrush was just one of many ships that transported Caribbean passengers to the UK.
In this resource, writer and researcher Veronica Mckenzie uncovers the stories of these other lesser-known vessels – and the people who sailed on them.
Discover more
Windrush Day
Join the National Maritime Museum on 22 June in celebrating the Windrush generation
The story of the Windrush
Discover the history of the Windrush, the ship that brought some of the first post-war migrants from the Caribbean to Britain
Descendant Talks
Discover the creative talents of Windrush generation descendants in this podcast series hosted by the Gen Z Collective
Windrush Talking Heads
Memories and melodies – listen to the stories of the Windrush generation
What’s On
Images courtesy of Kareen Cox