Migration ‘goes to the heart of who we are today’
Major new exhibition highlights how migration has shaped who we are in Britain – as individuals, as communities and as a nation
All Our Stories is a new exhibition opening on 12 September 2024 at the Migration Museum in London, shining a light on how central migration has always been to our lives in Britain through immersive installations, art, film, photography, personal stories and keepsakes.
All Our Stories brings together highlights from the Migration Museum’s work over the past decade, alongside new stories and artwork that explore the many ways in which migration has shaped who we are – as individuals, as communities, and as a nation.
Visitors will embark on an immersive journey exploring the reasons why people migrate, experiences of arriving and settling, and questions of identity and belonging. Throughout the exhibition, historical moments are explored alongside contemporary responses, creating a space for individual and collective reflection, exploration and conversation.
This major new exhibition from the award-winning curatorial team at the Migration Museum features immersive installations, new commissions and interactive pieces including
● A Chinese takeaway installation guest-curated by author Angela Hui, inspired by her experiences growing up behind the counter of her parents’ takeaway in Wales.
● A tent showcasing stories, artwork and sounds from the former refugee camp in Calais
● A vending machine with a difference, showcasing ‘quintessentially British’ brands with migration stories.
● Artistic responses to migration experiences including the Windrush Scandal, British emigration to Australia, Liverpool’s Chinese seamen community, and mixed-race identity.
● A newly commissioned film illuminating key migration moments throughout history by award-winning filmmaker and animator Osbert Parker.
● A room-sized imaginary departure lounge by artist Jiro Osuga, interspersing fantastical and historical characters among the travellers waiting to board their flights.
● All That I Am, a large-scale artwork by contemporary artists The Singh Twins paying homage to their father’s migration journey.
● An artistic response by Shorsh Saleh, former artist-in-residence at the Migration Museum, focusing on the current and predicted impact of the climate emergency on migration.
Visitors to All Our Stories will be invited to explore the Migration Museum’s archive of migration stories and share their own. The exhibition also provides a space to learn more about the Migration Museum’s aims and future plans as it moves towards a permanent site in central London, opening in 2027/8.
Migration often hits the headlines and sparks heated political and online debates, as shown earlier this summer in Britain. “In the light of recent racist violence targeting migrant communities and ethnic minorities across the UK and with the museum moving towards a permanent central London site, this exhibition couldn’t be more timely or important,” said artistic director Aditi Anand.
”All Our Stories uses history as a way to illuminate our current moment and spark conversations about the kind of society we can be. The exhibition captures the individual lives and experiences – the everyday and the extraordinary – of people living through moments in history. At the same time, we also wanted to zoom out and look at the long history of migration to and from these shores across the centuries, putting into perspective what can seem like uniquely contemporary concerns.”
Sophie Henderson, CEO of the Migration Museum, said: “On an almost daily basis, we see how conversations about migration, race and belonging can become heated and polarising. But it doesn’t have to be like this.
“The Migration Museum’s goal has always been to highlight our shared history of migration in Britain, which stretches back centuries. The movement of people across the ages has profoundly shaped our landscapes and cities, our diets and fashions, our language and culture, and our ideas and beliefs. Migration goes to the heart of who we are today. And we all have a personal connection to this story.
“That’s why we’re working to create an inspiring, permanent cultural institution that puts our shared migration story centre stage. Through this exhibition, we invite people to join us on this journey.”
All Our Stories opens at the Migration Museum’s current venue in Lewisham, south-east London, on 12 September 2024, and runs until the end of 2025. It will be accompanied by a programme of events, including talks, lectures, workshops and day-long festivals exploring themes ranging from food to family history. It will run alongside the Migration Museum’s new community curated exhibition Inside/Outside and All In Between.
All Our Stories is the Migration Museum’s last major exhibition in Lewisham before it moves to its permanent home in the City of London. The permanent Migration Museum will be part of an ecosystem encompassing temporary venues across the UK, a digital storytelling platform, and partnerships with other museums, galleries and heritage sites to platform and amplify migration stories across the UK.
The Migration Museum’s previous exhibition, Heart of the Nation: Migration and the Making of the NHS, won Temporary or Touring Exhibition of the Year at the Museums+Heritage Awards 2024.
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Notes
Where and when
All Our Stories: Migration and the Making of Britain opens to the public at the Migration Museum in Lewisham on 12 September 2024. The exhibition will be open to the public until December 2025.
Opening hours and admission
The Migration Museum is open to the public on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, from 11am until 5.30pm.
Admission is free – no booking.
Address
Migration Museum
Lewisham Shopping Centre (Central Square) London SE13 7HB
For more visitor information, please visit: https://www.migrationmuseum.org/visit/