First Generation
Italian Photos Exhibition
Bedford Museum
13 January - 1 February 2009
First-generation Italians celebrate their 12th year of getting together at the Club Prima Generazione Italiani, Bedfordshire with an exhibition of photographic portraits of members.
The exhibition runs from 13th January to 1st February 2009 at Bedford Museum and has been prepared by Carmela Semeraro to celebrate 12 years of the First Generation Italian Club. Carmela founded the club in 1997 as a social get-together open to all Italian senior citizens living in Bedfordshire. It arose from a reminiscence project that showed there was a need for social support for elderly Italian people in Bedford.
The club meets twice weekly and runs a number of activities, including yoga, reminiscence sessions, day trips, exhibitions, and displays of traditional Italian dance in costume. A bi-lingual book "Hidden Voices: Voci Nascoste", published through Bedford Community Arts, reveals fascinating memories of first-generation Italians living in Bedford.
The first Italians came to Bedford from the south of Italy in the 1950s, for employment in the brickworks. Men arrived on four-year contracts with the intention of then returning to Italy. Although many did return, others stayed in this country, hoping to earn sufficient money for a better life for their families.
The wives and children of men employed at the brickworks came to join them and soon a strong Italian community developed. Today, second and third generation Italians are contributing to the success of the town in a wide range of professions.
One of the members who came in 1951 said: "….we came here when we were young, strong, full of hopes and dreams; to better ourselves and our family. We have worked our youth away; we are retired now, but still have dreams and hopes of a different kind."
The Exhibition is a collection of portraits of first-generation Italian living in Bedford. The photos have been taken by Brenton Jackson.