Tape Letters

Tape Letters Tape Letters is an oral history project, tracing cassette tape messages sent by migrants from Pakistan to the UK between 1960-80

Tape Letters is an oral history project, tracing cassette tape messages sent by migrants from Pakistan to the UK between 1960-80 - painting a picture of Punjabi (and, particularly Potwari) family life and cultural heritage in Britain.

We are pleased to share that Tape Letters has been included in Haringey Council’s South Asian Heritage Month online reso...
31/07/2025

We are pleased to share that Tape Letters has been included in Haringey Council’s South Asian Heritage Month online resources.

The digital exhibition, podcast, apps, and KS3 History teaching materials are available for public use, offering insight into the British-Pakistani experience through tape letters.

Explore the resources now; link in bio.
Featured by

Wajid Yaseen, director of , was invited as a keynote speaker at this year’s Schools History Project Summer Conference ho...
25/07/2025

Wajid Yaseen, director of , was invited as a keynote speaker at this year’s Schools History Project Summer Conference hosted by the Leeds Trinity University.

As part of a vibrant 3-day programme featuring 40+ workshops, speakers, and creative sessions for educators and students, Wajid’s keynote "Tape Letters, Hidden Histories on Tape" explored the project’s journey and introduced the free Learning Resources now available to schools.

These educational materials are designed to support critical conversations around migration, identity, and oral histories in the classroom.

Visitors to the Tape Letters Exhibition at the have shared some powerful reflections from their time there. Swipe to r...
10/06/2025

Visitors to the Tape Letters Exhibition at the have shared some powerful reflections from their time there.

Swipe to read more.

The exhibition is open until June 15th.
Have you had a chance to visit yet?

Curated by the brilliant Wajid Yaseen, the Tape Letters exhibition – part of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, powerfull...
06/06/2025

Curated by the brilliant Wajid Yaseen, the Tape Letters exhibition – part of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, powerfully honours British-Pakistani migration stories told through cassette tapes, bringing generations together in a deeply moving experience.

In Wajid's words:

“It’s been an incredibly moving experience, bringing together multiple generations to honour the personal migration stories of a number of Bradford-based British-Pakistani families. Witnessing the elders’ emotional responses – in some instances uncles and aunties openly crying – highlighted the powerful impact of seeing their life stories and experiences reflected and celebrated. I hope we’ve honoured them, and hope we’ve shone a new light on this hitherto hidden history of tape letter use.”

The exhibition runs until June 15 and is open to the public.

📸 Courtesy Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture

Real voices. Real stories.Tape Letters is now open to the public as part of . Step inside the world of cassette tapes se...
29/05/2025

Real voices. Real stories.

Tape Letters is now open to the public as part of . Step inside the world of cassette tapes sent between British-Pakistani families, a powerful archive of love, longing, and migration.

📍 Loading Bay, Bradford
🗓️ Until 15 June | Free entry

Tape Letters – Opens Soon at Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture Step into the world of cassette-taped messages that connec...
11/05/2025

Tape Letters – Opens Soon at Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture

Step into the world of cassette-taped messages that connected families across continents. This poignant exhibition delves into the personal stories of Pakistani migrants in the UK from the 1960s to the 1980s, revealing a unique form of communication before the digital age.

📍 Loading Bay, 1 Duke Street, Bradford BD1 3QR
📅 22 May – 15 June 2025

Experience the voices of the past and discover stories of longing, love and resilience.

We are thrilled to announce that Tape Letters is coming to UK City of Culture this May. The project will be part of a s...
29/01/2025

We are thrilled to announce that Tape Letters is coming to UK City of Culture this May. The project will be part of a special exhibition looking back on life in Bradford for new arrivals in the days before technology connected everyone in an instant.

This free exhibition unearths the practice of recording messages on cassette and sending them to friends and family, popular with Pakistani migrants to the UK from the 1960s to the ’80s – and gives us a unique insight into this long-lost method of communication.

Dates:
Fri 23 May – Sun 15 Jun 2025
Location: Loading Bay

The exhibition is free to visit. For more information, visit: https://bradford2025.co.uk/event/tape-letters/

We are thrilled to announce that Tape Letters is coming to Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture this May. The project will b...
29/01/2025

We are thrilled to announce that Tape Letters is coming to Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture this May. The project will be part of a special exhibition looking back on life in Bradford for new arrivals in the days before technology connected everyone in an instant.

This free exhibition unearths the practice of recording messages on cassette and sending them to friends and family, popular with Pakistani migrants to the UK from the 1960s to the ’80s – and gives us a unique insight into this long-lost method of communication.

Dates:
Fri 23 May – Sun 15 Jun 2025
Location: Loading Bay

The exhibition is free to visit. For more information, visit: https://bradford2025.co.uk/event/tape-letters/

📣 Last chance to visit the Tape Letters exhibition at the Ashton Library! It will come down at the end of January.The ex...
13/01/2025

📣 Last chance to visit the Tape Letters exhibition at the Ashton Library! It will come down at the end of January.

The exhibition has been open to the public since July of last year. Visitors get to journey back in time and discover how the British-Pakistani community used cassette tapes to stay connected between the 1960s-80s. The exhibition explores this unique cultural practice through recordings, interviews, and photographs. Immerse yourself in the voices and stories that bridge continents. ️🇵🇰🇬🇧

Delivered by in partnership with the , , and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Directed by
Photographer: Richard Tyman
Designed by

Want to learn more? Write to us at [email protected]

We are delighted to share that the Tape Letters project is featured in the "Migrations, human odyssey" exhibition at Mus...
06/12/2024

We are delighted to share that the Tape Letters project is featured in the "Migrations, human odyssey" exhibition at Musee de l'Homme in Paris. A big thank you to curator Eléonore Gros for the inclusion.

We won!! The Tape Letters Podcast won the Arts & Culture category at the Independent Podcast Awards!A HUGE thank you to ...
25/10/2024

We won!! The Tape Letters Podcast won the Arts & Culture category at the Independent Podcast Awards!

A HUGE thank you to everyone who has listened, supported, and been part of this journey with us.
This one’s for you! 📼

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