Routes to Roots: Preserving Croydon's South Asian and Anglo-Indian Stories for Future Generations

‍At Croydon Archives, we believe that local history is at its richest when it reflects the voices of the whole community. That's why we are delighted to launch the new Routes to Roots digital collection, a remarkable archive documenting the experiences, memories and creativity of Croydon's Anglo-Indian and South Asian communities.

This collection comprises the work of Maya Productions' Routes to Roots project, a three-year heritage initiative that brought together community members in Croydon, Sheffield and Bradford to explore migration, identity, family histories and belonging through theatre, oral history, film, photography and creative arts.

Click on each image to find out more!

Why is this collection significant?

Archives often provide evidential value, or document corporate memory, but heritage projects like Routes to Roots help preserve something equally important: the lived experience of a community.

Through interviews, podcasts, recorded performances and filmed monologues, Croydon residents of South Asian and Anglo-Indian heritage share memories of arriving in Britain, growing up between cultures, building communities, and making Croydon their home.

You will find first-hand accounts of life in places many local people will recognise, including Stanley Arts, Surrey Street Market, the Whitgift Centre, Streatham, and Norbury. The collection captures how the borough has changed over time through the eyes of the South Asian and Anglo-Indian community who experienced those changes themselves.

Credit: Maya Productions/Roxane Grant

Croydon Archives Catalogue Reference:
AR1272/1/3/2/2/2

Credit: Maya Productions/Hector Rodriguez

Croydon Archives Catalogue Reference:
AR1272/1/3/2/1/1

Highlights from the collection

The collection contains more than 75 digital items, including:

  • Oral history interviews with members of Croydon's South Asian and Anglo-Indian community

  • Podcast recordings exploring family history, identity and migration

  • Photographs and films of community-created performances including 60s Bingo Night, What Box Do I Tick?, The Anglo-Indian Journey and Echoes of a Name

  • A documentary film exploring South Asian migration to Croydon in the 1960s

  • Exhibition materials and creative responses developed by participants

  • Scripts, poetry and educational resources created through the project

One particularly powerful aspect of the collection is the way personal memories are woven into Croydon's wider history. Project participants recall shopping in Surrey Street Market, attending dances at Stanley Halls, adapting to British life, facing prejudice, finding community, and creating new traditions while maintaining connections to older ones.

Archives as a community space

The Routes to Roots collection also tells the story of how archives can work with communities to create new histories together.

Participants visited archives, explored historical records and used those discoveries to inspire performances, exhibitions and creative works. In turn, those new creations have now become archive records themselves, ensuring that future generations can access these stories and experiences.

This collection demonstrates that archives are not simply about preserving the distant past. They are active spaces where communities can record their own stories, challenge stereotypes and contribute new perspectives to Croydon's collective digital memory.

Credit: Maya Productions/Gemma Thorpe

Croydon Archives Catalogue Reference:
AR1272/1/3/2/1/2

Credit: Maya Productions/Ada Onyekwelu

Croydon Archives Catalogue Reference:
AR1272/3/4/1

Opening up access through digital archives

Many people still imagine archives as shelves of old documents stored in boxes.

While those collections remain important, digital archives allow us to preserve and provide access to films, audio recordings, photographs and creative works that would otherwise be difficult to discover. Digital collections help make local history more accessible to people who may never have visited an archive before, or who may not be able to visit the archives in person.

The Routes to Roots collection allows researchers, students, families and members of the community to engage directly with the voices and experiences of Croydon residents, creating a richer and more inclusive record of the borough.

‍How to access the collection

The Routes to Roots digital collection is now part of the permanent holdings of Croydon Archives.

Researchers can explore the catalogue and access the collection here. Whether you are researching migration, South Asian heritage, local history, community arts, family history or the changing face of Croydon, this collection offers a unique and invaluable resource.

By preserving these stories today, we help ensure that Croydon's diverse histories remain part of its future.

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Credit: Maya Productions/Maya Productions/Hector Rodriguez

Croydon Archives Catalogue Reference:
AR1272/1/3/2/4/2