Map Stories

To highlight the amazing heritage and archaeology of India and Pakistan as well as encourage conversation, the MAHSA project is running a free, family friendly open day. There will be map based activities for kids, an AR sand box and small exhibits on maps and archaeology. Please join us at The Women’s Museum in Barking, a new museum embedded in the community and celebrating the stories and heritage of women.
Celebrate South Asian Heritage Month!
Join our family fun day featuring community performances, stalls and activities celebrating South Asian heritage and culture.
(Un)Layering the Future Past of South Asia: Young Artists’ Voices

This exhibition at SOAS Gallery features works by 26 emerging and established artists from six South Asian countries, including newly commissioned pieces. (Un)Layering the Future Past of South Asia: Young Artists’ Voices provides a global platform for a new generation of South Asian artists spotlighting shared histories and resilience in the region. Curated by Salima Hashmi and Manmeet K. Walia, the exhibition brings together artists from six countries—India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Afghanistan, whose works explore urgent themes such as ecological fragility, gender justice, displacement, and political unrest.
‘The Ayahs and Amahs’ Home’ in Hackney

‘Ayah’ refers to South Asian women and ‘Amah’ to South East Asian women who served the British in Asia and other colonies as children’s nannies, nursemaids and ladies’ maids. For the last few years Hackney Museum has been researching the stories of ayahs in Britain and in east London in particular. These pioneering women were […]
Discovering My South Asian Heritage

Background My mum was born in 1978 in Scotland to an English father and a Scottish mother, while my dad was born in 1966 in Bristol to an English mother and an absent non-white father. My paternal grandmother never disclosed any details about my dad’s father, but one of her friends provided my dad with […]
Scotland’s First National British Indian Army (BIA) Memorial

Artists impression of Scotland’s First BIA Memorial Did you know that ‘The British Indian Army (BIA)’ played an instrumental role to protect Britain and contributed more than 4 million personnel and many other resources during both World War 1 & 2? The BIA was made up of personnel mainly from modern day countries such as […]
Diaries of a 90’s kid

My dad was just a teenager when he arrived in Bradford in the 1970s. With the support of extended family he found work, learnt the language, and a few years later returned to Pakistan to marry my mum. I was born in the 80s, the second girl in a house of five children. We found […]
Scotland’s special connection to ‘Force K6’ – A Corner of Pakistan in Scotland

Did you know that during WW2, nearly 2.5 million personnel from the British Indian Army were deployed to help protect Britain at its time of need? A special Muslim contingent called ‘Force K6’ was a Mule Transport Corps a part of the Royal Indian Army Service Corps (RIASC) from the British Indian Army (BIA). […]
Being An Asian In Modern British Society – The Podcast

My name is Shaz Khan (Shahzadgai Khan). My story is very simple but my parents’ is not. I stumbled across an article that I wrote when I was 17 years old for my English A-level coursework. It was all about “Being an Asian in Modern British Society”, which is where the inspiration for this podcast […]
The Flying Sikh of Biggin Hill – Hardit Singh Malik

Known as The Flying Sikh of Biggin Hill, Hardit Singh Malik was the first Indian pilot of the First World War and would go on to become a distinguished diplomat.
South Asian Heritage Month dates changed to "July" from 2026 — Learn more here →