Available During Opening Times (including Bank Holiday Monday | Friday 14 November 2025 - Monday 25 May 2026 Show all dates and times Stories That Made Us will showcase the lived experiences of a South Asian family in Coventry from 1968 to 2010, drawing on Coventry Archives’ Virk Collection and curator & artist Hardish Virk’s ‘Stories That Made Us’ Collection. Using photographs, books, magazines, posters, vinyl records, cassettes, and personal memorabilia to tell the story of migration, activism, identity and cultural contributions. The exhibition will also feature immersive room settings, oral histories, radio broadcasts, music, video, and graphics to bring these stories to life. The exhibition will showcase the lived experiences of a South Asian family in Coventry from 1968 to 2010, drawing on Coventry Archives’ Virk Collection and curator & artist Hardish Virk’s ‘Stories That Made Us’ Collection. This will include photographs, books, magazines, posters, vinyl records, cassettes, and personal memorabilia that tell the story of migration, activism, identity and cultural contributions. The exhibition will also feature immersive room settings, oral histories, radio broadcasts, music, video, and graphics to bring these stories to life. Coventry is home to a vibrant South Asian community, with 18.5% of the city’s population identifying as Asian or Asian British (2021 Census). Despite this, the stories and contributions of South Asian communities are often underrepresented in public collections and exhibitions. This project aims to address this gap by preserving and sharing the heritage of South Asian migrants and their descendants, ensuring their stories are accessible to future generations. Themes of Roots (the journey of migration and the contributions of South Asian communities to British society), Resilience (the challenges faced and overcome by migrants and their families), and Representation (the importance of telling these stories authentically and without stereotyping) will be explored in the exhibition. By doing so, it will challenge conventional views of heritage and highlight the importance of living memory and personal experiences. ‘Stories That Made Us’ is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to develop an immersive exhibition featuring room settings, archival materials, and digital content as well as create an engagement programme to strengthen relationships with South Asian community groups in Coventry and beyond. #StoriesThatMadeUs Saturday 16 August 2025 | 12pm - 4pm Drop in | FREE Located at St Paul's Church, Foleshill Road On Saturday 16th August, the DESIblitz Truck Art Bus, hand-painted by world-renowned artist Haider Ali, will tour to Coventry to promote a dynamic new exhibition, 'Stories That Made Us – Roots, Resilience, Representation’, opening at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in November 2025. On Saturday the public will have the opportunity to experience the DESIblitz Truck Art Bus, learn about the exhibition, step inside the bus to view artefacts and stories inspired by South Asian heritage as well as listen to music by some of Indian cinema's greatest singers. Visitors can also take photos with the beautifully decorated bus. This is a free family friendly event open to the public on Saturday 16th August between 12pm - 4pm. The Truck Art Bus will be located in the car park next door to St Paul's Church, Foleshill Road, Coventry, CV6 5AJ. The Truck Art Bus and this event are supported by DESIblitz This event takes place during South Asian Heritage Month #StoriesThatMadeUs