Members of the Sikh community helped put together the exhibition. Image courtesy: James Macdonald.

South Shields Museum & Art Gallery is currently hosting a groundbreaking exhibition aimed at dispelling the myths surrounding Sikhism in Britain.

Sikhism – Our Story, on display until October 30 2005, has been curated with the help of members of the Sikh community and is part of Tyneside Black History season.

Curator Kate Poyser said: “The project was put together with the Sikh community of South Shields. We wanted to tell people about Sikhism but not in a structured way – this exhibition tells the story of their lives.”

Kate worked closely with Sunderland University lecturer, Gurpreet Singh, who introduced Kate to his local community.

She added: “About 20 people let us use objects and wrote about why they are important to them. We were trying to get them to think that their objects are worth putting in a case.”

Contributors ranged from teenagers to pensioners who brought in everything from a t-shirt worn by the winner of the Great North Run to 400-year-old Indian coins.

South Shields Museum & Art Gallery. Image courtesy: Tyne & Wear Museums.

Mrs. Tripatpal Kaur brought in a turban worn by her husband when they got married.

She said: “My husband normally wears a dark coloured turban, but this is the saffron turban he wore on our wedding day and so is very important to me. It is the colour of the Sikh national flag - a colour often worn at Sikh weddings.”

Other loans include a flag and photos from the Punjab Army, a group of football fans. The friends, who are all ardent supporters of Sunderland Football Club, have even been featured on the anti-racism pages of the F.A. Charter.

Although the exhibition was planned some months ago, the London terrorist attacks have made it a timely event. At a time when many British-Asians, whether Sikh or Muslim, are victims of misunderstanding and prejudice, the exhibition illustrates the peace-loving nature of the Sikh culture.