By: DrewMcLachlan
London’s newest museum will shine a light on how migration has shaped Britain throughout its history, opening at a time when the topic is becoming increasingly volatile.
The Migration Museum officially opened today (26) in its temporary home at The Workshop, an arts and community space located in Lambeth, London. It will remain there until next spring.
The museum is operated by the Migration Museum Project (MMP), which has spent the past four years staging pop-up exhibitions, events and workshops at a range of venues across the UK, attracting over 100,000 visitors as well as 3,500 students to its educational workshops.
Speaking to Eastern Eye, MMP spokesperson Matthew Plowright explained the vision behind the Migration Museum.
He said: “Even though migration currently divides opinions, it is actually a topic that unites us all. Everyone in Britain has a migration story – if you peel back the layers of anyone’s family history, you will find a story of comings and goings.
“Migration has defined who we are – our culture, economy, society and politics – throughout our history. Now, more than ever, we believe that a museum dedicated to exploring this important theme that connects us all is both symbolically and substantively vital.”
The initial programme will include four main exhibits: a multimedia project exploring the current migration crisis centred in Calais, France; a selection of pieces from the 100 Images of Migration exhibitions; a display of keepsakes; and an exhibit exploring key migration moments in Britain’s history.
Organisers described project’s new temporary location as a “major step towards finding a permanent home” for the Migration Museum.
Plowright added: “Whether our next move is to a permanent home or to another venue that we can operate a museum in for a prolonged period of time, we very much hope this will be the start of permanent London presence for the Migration Museum.”
