Ivor's Compass — an immersive heritage experience recovering the remarkable and largely unknown story of Ivor Gustavus Cummings OBE (1913–1992).
Cummings was a gay, mixed heritage, Sierra Leonean-British civil servant who fought back against racial prejudice and violence to shape modern Britain. He grew up in Addiscombe, Croydon with his motherIn 1948, he stood on Tilbury Docks to welcome the passengers of HMT Empire Windrush — the moment that came to define post-war Black British life. Yet his story disappeared for decades, too queer for Windrush narratives and too Black for LGBTQ+ histories, until historians, including Stephen Bourne and Nicholas Boston, brought it back to public attention. Ivor's Compass introduces the remarkable life story of a remarkable man to new audiences through an immersive/interactive art installation, new writing from a diverse group of Black queer men, and the launch of an innovative, digital wellbeing journal - attend to receive FREE pre-sale access
The event is part of the SCT150 Programme of events celebrating the life and legacy of composer and Croydon resident, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, 150 years after his birth. It is made possible by the support of Croydon Council, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.