Exhibition Opens 6 March 2026 · Preview 5 March, 6–8pm · The New Art Gallery Walsall · All welcome
Between 1945 and 1980, tens of thousands of workers from South Asia, the Caribbean, and Ireland arrived in the Black Country to power the region's foundries, steel works, and chain shops. Their labour built post-war Britain. Their stories were rarely told.
Reimagining Industrial Migratory is a Heritage Lottery Funded photographic and oral history project that places these communities back at the centre of their own narrative — through large-format portraiture, location-based storytelling, and a permanent digital archive open to all.
Read more about the project
On location during the January 2026 shoot, Billy explains the vision behind Paths You Walk — from the community stories that inspired the work to the cinematic techniques used to bring the 1960s Black Country back to life.
Photography by Demi from Walsall College
All photographs © Demi from Walsall College
From the first community interview to the final exhibition print — follow the complete journey of a single tableau. Every decision documented. Every voice credited. Transparent artistic practice for the public record.
See the full process
The largest collection of moving image material about empire worker experiences in the Black Country — gathered from broadcast archives, home movies, and filmmakers' off-cuts over more than a decade.
Explore the archive
The snow has melted, the team has thawed out, and we're full steam ahead with the next stage of our project. We're delighted to share that The New Art Gallery Walsall will host the exhibition in the Community Gallery from 6th March – 12th April 2026.
The past five days marked a significant milestone for the project — three days of intensive site preparation followed by two days of filming in challenging winter conditions, with Walsall College students on set throughout.
In November 2024, Billy visited Walsall College's creative department, marking the beginning of an exciting collaboration as part of our Paths You Walk project, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
