The West Indian Front Room (BAA)
Building on the growing popularity of The West Indian Front Room project McMillan gave a series of multi-media presentations at the Victoria & Albert Museum in October 2002 and the Horniman Museum in May 2003. He was commissioned by SuAndi from the Manchester based National Black Arts Alliance to recreate it as an installation-based exhibition at the Zion Arts Centre, Stretford, Hulme, in October 2003 as part of the city’s Acts of Achievement (Black History Month).
With a larger budget than previously, McMillan was able source materials from local second-hand shops, charity shops and flea markets. This meant that the installation could include more details: wallpaper, a large rug, coffee table, glass cabinet, dining table and chairs, an upholstered settee and armchair, and of course the radiogram. These items were adorned with soft furnishings like his mum’s crochet, ornaments like the blow-glass, and walls with pictures such as The Last Supper, Tina, as well as portraits including one of a Black nurse he found in Columbia Market, London.
On one wall of the installation was screened a video of oral history interviews McMillan created with Caribbean elders including Mr & Mrs Christian, Mrs Robinson and Ruby Richards. This material was transcribed, and along with images of objects from their living rooms formed the basis of a full colour A4 booklet that McMillan edited.
The installation was contextualised by an exhibition that included vinyl record album covers hung from the ceiling, and a display of John Wardle’s collection archive postcards from Jamaica.
As part of the marketing that included interviews with Channel M (MTV), BBC NorthWest News, BBC World Service, McMillan took his mum Escaletha ‘Letha’ to see the exhibition in Manchester, and did an interview with her for BBC Radio 4 Women’s Hour on 29th October 2003.
They also had a series of oral history workshops in the installation that included intergenerational conversations between Caribbean elders and young Black British participants.
