The highly anticipated second season of the award-winning podcast Tape Letters is set to debut in January 2025. Titled Tape Letters Scotland, the new season delves into the practice of sending personal messages through cassette tapes, a unique form of communication used by Pakistanis who migrated to Scotland between 1960-1980.
The Tape Letters Scotland project is an extension of the pioneering Tape Letters initiative by Modus Arts, which began in 2018 with the goal of preserving the stories of Pakistani families who used cassette tapes to maintain connections with loved ones. The project focuses on the lives of Scottish-Pakistani families, offering a window into their experiences of migration, language, identity, and belonging in Scotland.
Exploring the Legacy of Cassette Tapes
In this four-episode series, created as part of the Tape Letters Scotland Project, listeners are transported into the past through a blend of original tape recordings and oral history interviews. Each episode takes inspiration from the functionality of a cassette tape, with segments named PLAY, REWIND, PAUSE, and FAST FORWARD, reflecting various stages of familial stories, from joyful moments to heart-wrenching goodbyes.
Tabassum Niamat, the series’ narrator, guides the audience through intimate family histories, capturing the essence of migration, belonging, and the complexities of being Scottish-Pakistani. By weaving together personal accounts with the broader themes of cultural integration and identity, Tape Letters Scotland invites listeners to reflect on the role of communication in shaping family dynamics and social history.
The Roots of the Tape Letters Project
The origins of Tape Letters lie in Modus Arts Director Wajid Yaseen’s discovery of his own family’s history of sending cassette tapes to relatives in Pakistan. What began as a personal exploration of his heritage expanded into a much larger project, uncovering the widespread use of cassette tapes among Pakistani families across the UK, especially in England.
Thanks to support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Tape Letters Scotland was launched in 2022, aiming to document and preserve the personal histories of Pakistani families in Scotland. This segment of the project has already collected numerous stories from individuals and families in Scotland’s central belt, capturing a pivotal part of the region’s migration history.
Educational and Cultural Outreach
In addition to the podcast, Tape Letters Scotland is extending its impact through a series of exhibitions and educational resources. Three audio-visual exhibitions, currently displayed at the Museum of Edinburgh, Tramway in Glasgow, and Dundee Central Library, provide further insights into the lives and stories of the Scottish-Pakistani community.
Moreover, in January 2025, a WebXR-based digital exhibition will launch, offering an interactive experience for a global audience. The project will also introduce an educational resource aimed at secondary school students, enabling teachers to incorporate the history of migration and cassette tapes into the curriculum.
A Universal Message
Wajid Yaseen reflects on the importance of sound in the Tape Letters Scotland project, noting that the podcast platform is a natural extension of the way people originally listened to the tapes. “Sound is at the heart of this project,” Yaseen explains. “The themes explored in these stories—migration, family, and identity—are universal, and we hope this series will resonate with listeners from all walks of life.”
With Tape Letters Scotland, Modus Arts continues its mission to archive and amplify voices that have historically been underrepresented, providing a rich, multimedia exploration of Scottish-Pakistani heritage. Whether you are a member of the community or a new listener, the series promises to offer both educational value and emotional depth.
