The exhibition brings together the likenesses and stories of outstanding people of Polish heritage, who have made major contributions to mainstream British culture over the past two centuries. It presents outstanding people of Polish heritage against the backdrop of the key events and circumstances, which have triggered major waves emigration over the past two centuries. The story that emerges is not just of a demographic – an economically driven outflow of labour from Poland – but rather an inflow of cultural capital into Britain which has given rise to cultural icons ranging from novelist Joseph Conrad, through the ballet reformer Dame Marie Rambert, actress Rula Lenska and art critic Waldemar Januszczak.
