UK South Asian Digital Archive

‘We are not the borders they drew. We are the lives that crossed them.’

Running from 24 October 2025 – 18 January 2026, Secret Maps reveals how maps can hide as much as they show, tracing histories of power, displacement and resilience.

A huge thank you to all the participants and to the The British Library for making space for these stories.

Our film, produced by Chocolate Films is a creative response to a Partition-era map. It brings together voices and objects that speak to journeys across continents and generations.

Secret Maps Exhibition Reimagining Borders, Remembering Journeys

We’re proud to see our film featured in the Secret Maps exhibition at the The British Library.

That’s a wrap! A fantastic day at the University of Leicester’s Heritage Fair! #UKSADA
#HeritageUoL #CelebrateHeritage25 #LitLeic25

Using land provided by Loughborough Technical College, the initiative was initially funded by the Manpower Services Commission and continued with smaller grants. This photo shows some of the ladies involved.

📷 @equalityaction

Flashback to 1979: Unemployed Ugandan Asian farmers in Loughborough received a grant to try to grow ‘exotic’ vegetables, essential to South Asian diets. This project allowed them to provide fresh, locally grown produce instead of relying on expensive imports.

#UKSADA #OralHistory #CulturalHeritage #DigitalArchive #SouthAsianStories #HistoryMatters #PreservingCulture

Stories that Should be Told - Oral History Society The new UK South Asian Digital Archive (UKSADA) project aims to create a comprehensive and accessible archive of the rich heritage of South Asians in Britain. It has its roots in an award-winning temp...

Exciting news! We’re featured in the Oral History Society blog. Read the blog to discover the UK South Asian Digital Archive’s vision and learn how we’re building an exciting, future focused archive. www.ohs.org.uk/regions/east...