The Noor Inayat Khan centenary project

Girl looking at display
Finding out more about Noor Inayat Khan

Our Heritage

Date awarded
Location
Slough Central
Local Authority
Slough
Applicant
Arts Asia
Award Given
£94600
This project provided a lasting legacy to Second World War hero Noor Inayat Khan (1914-1944), marking the centenary of her birth in 2014.

The Arts Asia project focused on uncovering and sharing the story of Noor Inayat Khan, a Special Operations Executive agent in the Second World War.

Noor’s little-known heroic contribution was made accessible to new audiences and highlighted the contribution of Asian communities to the war effort. The project provided heritage and learning opportunities at a variety of levels including LIBERTÉ, a multimedia touring exhibition, the production of a short film, downloadable resources and community workshops.

[quote=Participant Harshida Shah]“A very moving account of a brave woman... We need more projects like this!”[/quote]

Noor was a direct descendant of Tipu Sultan, 18th-century ruler of Mysore. The family moved to France when she was a child. She later studied both medicine and music, and was a talented children’s author, poet and musician.

The project tapped into Noor’s creativity using storytelling,creative writing and music workshops to engage schoolchildren, and also allowed for collaborative working with museums and historic locations and the unprecedented use of archival material bringing Noor’s story together for the first time.

Read more on the Arts Asia website.

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