Donna Ali
- Apr 1, 2023
- 2 min read

BBC Exhibition

So, I went to visit the BBC's exhibition in the museum of Cardiff and was so pleased to see young aspiring photo journalists, from Butetown get the opportunity to showcase what is important to them. Often the BBC and other mainstream media outlets leave out communities in the South of Cardiff, historically reporting false narratives and inadequate information depicting a community, ridden of crime and of deprivation. BUT, if you don't know people from the area or anything other than, the 1919 race riots, the Cardiff 5 and other stories that fail to shine the light on the positive contributions Butetown has made to Wales, then you need to get down to see this fantastic exhibition. The curators are, Trinity Zammit and Zaid Djerdi, who both wanted to showcase the heart of a community that raised them into the talented and creative people they are today.

There are some lovely quotes, given by John Actie, who was one of the 5, wrongly accused of the tragic murder of Lynette White. Gaynor Legall, who was Wales' first Black female councillor, Mustfa Mohammed, football coach and manager of Tiger Bay Warriors and Nooh Omar Ibrahim who recently completed his apprenticeship with the WRU. They wanted to take part in the short videography, aiming to tell the REAL story of Butetown, also lovingly known as Tiger Bay.

John Actie, explains what Butetown means to him, he said: 'My family come to mind, when I think of Butetown and all the history that comes with it'.

Mustafa, states that to him, Butetown signifies hope, a place with a lot of talent. Noor, says, I sees a multi cultural community, where his visiting friends don't want to leave. He continues to say, Butetown is his heart!

John Actie (Image by CNN)

Gaynor Legall, describes being raised in Butetown as a nurturing place, where her childhood was spent playing out in the street. Reminiscing times when the neighbours would reprimand you for being naughty and that non-family members were referred to as aunty or uncle. She claims it was a respectful place, where everyone was valued regardless of their background. Gaynor, is a well respected member of the community, and has championed improvements in race relations across Wales, for many years. Gaynor goes on to explain the lack of access into industries for young people such as media, only every offering internships and work experience, to people from the area, and never really given the opportunity of full time contracts. This has had a damaging impact on the perception and persuasion of people across the city. On reflection to my visit, I felt the same as Mustfa, hopeful! That with more opportunities, for young creatives to access places like the museum, sharing content that is important to them, will help to dispel myths and negative narratives, so that the wider communities in Wales can benefit in loving Butetown too. Here's hoping!