Tape Letters

In this episode, interviewees of the Tape Letters project remember their experiences of leaving Pakistan and migrating to Britain, a country they had never seen before.
Common jobs taken up by migrants were mainly in mills and factories, and often based in northern areas of the UK where there were greater opportunities at the time.
You’ll also hear more about the reasons for the early migrations to the UK, which might not quite be what you expect.
Individuals also recall the desire to share their new lives and surroundings with their families back in Pakistan through cassette tapes. Interestingly, tapes were also used by those in the UK to dream of and imagine their homeland, one they missed and hoped they might one day return to.

A Modus Arts Production. Audio Production and Sound Design by Oliver Sanders, Producer Leona Fensome, Executive Producer Lucia Scazzocchio, Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council of England.

What is Tape Letters?

Tape Letters shines light on the practice of recording and sending messages on cassette tape as an unorthodox method of communication by Pakistanis who migrated and settled in the UK between 1960-1980. Season 1: Tape Letters England. Season 2: Tape Letters Scotland. This series features original tapes collected from families in Pothwari, Punjabi, Urdu, and English, as well as oral history recordings and behind-the-project interviews with the people involved in collecting this body of work.