Request Line

True Form presents Request Line

Installation in the South Asia Gallery

In 1970 Mohammed Ayub founded Oriental Start Agencies in Birmingham. This record store and then label became one of the most influential and important parts of South Asian history and diaspora in the UK and world wide. Before the store had to close in 2017, True Form Projects rescued much of the record collection and other artefacts in order to archive them and keep them protected for future generations. As part of a 3 year project they are archiving over 3000 records and artefacts and will be collecting memories of the music and culture contained in these important records.

Request Line’ is the first exhibition of the True Form Projects vinyl archive. The 3000 records and other artefacts were rescued in 2017 from the Oriental Star Agencies store in Balsall Heath, Birmingham by Faisal Hussain before it was forced to close. The records were initially played at BBC Radio WM at Pebble Mill by Mohammed Ayub, Anita Bhalla and Farah Durrani as part of the ‘East in West’ radio show. As part of this exhibition, we are playing and showing some of the vinyl covers and the requests people sent in throughout the 1980s to the presenters.

The installation will be hosted in the South Asia Gallery at Manchester Museum throughout South Asian Heritage Month.

And throughout South Asian Heritage Month Dishoom will be serving complimentary House Chai from our Main Hall during our Wednesday late openings.

Find out more about True Form projects.