Turkish Cypriot Heritage Project

The Turkish Cypriot Community Association has initiated an oral history project that will (for the first time in England) record and document the experiences of first generation Turkish Cypriots’ arrival in England during the 1940s to the early 1960s. The project focuses on the thoughts and expectations of the early migrants, as well as the challenges many of them faced during the early years of arriving in England.

A series of 30 interviews with elderly Turkish Cypriots were conducted in their homes, cafes and at the T.C.C.A during October2004 and October 2005. Interviews were conducted in both English and Turkish depending on the interviewees’ preferences. These interviews have formed the foundations for the creation of an archive that brings together the histories, stories and memories of experiences of some of the first Turkish Cypriots who arrived in England in the 1940s. The archive includes images, interview recordings, transcripts and super-8 film footage from the 1950s.

These interviews have provided the basis for the production of an exhibition, “by Invitation Only”, a book, Departures and Arrivals  and a documentary film “I used to live in Cyprus”, that was first screened at the Rio Cinema in October 2005 and will be screened during the exhibitions. The exhibition will tour to four venues in North, East, South and West London before it is permanently housed in the Turkish Cypriot Community Association as a resource available to the local community and general public.

The Turkish Cypriot Community Association and the Heritage Lottery Fund have funded this project.