'Nobody can tell our story better than we can’ Meet the woman bringing Leeds’ Caribbean heritage to life
For cultural heritage producer Susan Pitter, the story of Leeds is still being told.
Not because it’s unfinished, but because there are so many voices, histories and memories that continue to shape it every day.
Whether in family homes, community spaces, or city exhibitions, Susan has been there, championing stories that matter.
She said her passion for storytelling began at home.
“My parents were always speaking to us about our heritage, stories about our grandparents, our lineage and Jamaican traditions,” she said.
Growing up in Leeds, those stories were part of everyday life, shared not just within her family, but among a wider Caribbean community that came together through memory, tradition and connection.
That early grounding would go on to shape a career now dedicated to bringing those stories to wider audiences, always with care, authenticity and pride.
“Nobody can tell our story better than we can,” she said.
As a teenager, Susan found another kind of classroom at BBC Radio Leeds, working on a programme created by the West Indian community.
There, she learned how to tell stories from those who had lived them.
“I was taught about radio production, how to interview and how to research stories,” she said.
“They were all about Black culture and our local community, and I’m eternally grateful to those who showed me the ropes.”
Those early experiences opened up a wider world.
She said: “It introduced me to a broader horizon of Black culture, heritage and history.”
That perspective would go on to shape projects like the acclaimed Eulogy Project, which told the stories of first-generation Jamaicans in Leeds through photographs and funeral programmes.
“I knew I was being entrusted with something precious,” Susan said.
“Stories that were sometimes joyful, sometimes painful, but always important to protect and respect.”
The exhibition struck a powerful chord far beyond the Caribbean community.
She said: “People from across the world connected with it.
“I’ve never hugged so many people who were moved to tears.”
For Susan, that response reflects the richness of the stories being told.
“There is pain and there is trauma, but we are more than that,” she said.
“There is joy, and there are people doing ordinary things as well as extraordinary things. Sometimes it’s the ordinary that matters just as much.”
That idea of continuing the story shaped her later exhibition Rebellion to Romance, exploring the experiences of the second generation.
“It was important to continue the story. To show our generation, the activism, the struggles and the joy,” she said.
Collaboration and community voice remain central to everything she does, from Leeds West Indian Carnival to major cultural events and festivals.
“You can’t do this alone,” Susan said.
“I’m not the champion, I’m one of many people doing this work.”
That ethos also underpins her work with young people, including the Likkle Lit Fest, a new festival in Leeds celebrating Black literature for children and young people.
“Storytelling is more important than ever,” she said.
“These are stories told by black writers and brought to life by black illustrators, for everyone to enjoy.”
Her work often brings unexpected personal moments too.
While researching Leeds’ industrial past, she discovered photographs of her own father at work for the first time.
“For the first time, I found photos of my dad at work. It was a goosebump moment,” she said.
Experiences like that reinforce her commitment to preserving and sharing stories in ways people can connect with.
“They came to life,” she said of her work colourising archival images.
“You could see more of people’s personalities and feel a stronger connection to them.”
And as her work continues, her message to the next generation is simple and heartfelt.
She said: “Start now. Start at home. Talk to your parents, your grandparents, there is no richer source of information than your own family.”
Because for Susan, heritage is not something distant, it is something living, shaped every day by the people who carry it forward.
“Those opportunities fade with time. So start now,” she said.