This in person, one day event will offer a small group the opportunity to engage deeply with original records through artistic practice and creative process, led by artist and integrative arts counsellor Michelle Rodrigues.
Participants will be introduced to records from the collection, including photos, newspaper cuttings and reports, exploring Wolverhampton’s Caribbean heritage. Working with Michelle, they will consider their personal archives alongside official archival records, reflecting on their lives as living stories interwoven with past histories and future ones – the golden thread that connects people to their ancestral heritage and present possibilities.
Participants will also be encouraged to bring along an object, or artefact, of personal biographical significance which might inspire their artistic and creative practice over the course of the day and, working with Michelle and staff at the Archives, they will be invited to add to the Community Shelf by co-curating a zine to help carry stories across the generations.
Councillor Jeszemma Howl, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Governance and Digital, said: “This workshop is a unique opportunity for people to explore the richness of Wolverhampton’s Caribbean heritage and ensure its legacy continues to inspire future generations, weaving together official records and lived experience.”
Witnessing Gaps, Carrying Stories, will take place at Wolverhampton City Archives on Saturday 14 March. For more details and to apply for a free place by 23 February, 2026. Please note, numbers will be limited to ensure individuals are able to get the most out of the workshop.
The project has been made possible through a collaboration between Wolverhampton City Archives and The National Archives. The project builds on a successful pilot held in London in 2024 and aims to take this project regionally, to enhance The National Archives’ public engagement offer around the country.
Michelle Rodrigues is interested in the power of storytelling and remembrance. Coming from a mixed diasporic background, themes of identity, place and belonging have been central to her creative work. Her work with archival records has offered the opportunity to turn towards the exiled parts of her own identity, ancestry and biography.
Searching for stories hidden within archival materials, creative processes offer space for unheard voices to arise. She sensitively combines the metaphoric and tactile power of creative process with the exploration of our inner landscapes, describing this work as an act of reclaiming.
