Interviews and Conversations 

We’ve spoken to people who have lived in Leicester for a long time, especially people that currently live or have lived in the Belgrave area of the city, which has been the home of the Diwali festival across the decades. Some of the people we have spoken to have been visiting the Diwali festival with their families year after year, and others are community leaders and festival organisers who have been involved in making the festival happen during the last 40 years. 

Photographs

We looked through many photographs from across the years, some of these we discovered in local museums, and others were shown to us by the people we interviewed and spoke to.

Newspaper articles and news clips

We’ve also discovered newspaper articles and some clips of tv news, which show the early years of the festival in Leicester, and how it was celebrated back then.

Local records and collections

Through looking at collections and records of Diwali that are held by Leicester City Council, Leicester Hindu Festival Council and other community organisations, we’ve found out important events, facts, figures and dates that are part of how the Diwali festival developed in Leicester.