Migration Network

The Migration Network is a dynamic, knowledge-sharing initiative uniting museums, heritage organisations, charities, academics, and other professionals across the UK and beyond.

Convened by the Migration Museum, the Network provides a platform for dialogue, collaboration, and the exchange of best practices in exploring migration and its impact on society.

Why a Migration Network:

The Migration Network exists to:

  • Connect individuals and institutions working on migration themes.
  • Inspire confidence in curating and presenting migration stories.
  • Highlight underrepresented narratives across collections and communities.
  • Support learning and professional development through events, training, and resource-sharing.

Why Join the Network:

Migration is a defining element of the UK’s history, shaping communities, industries, and cultural identities. Many museums and heritage organisations hold migration-related collections, but may lack the confidence, resources, or knowledge to engage with these narratives effectively. 

The Migration Network helps bridge this gap by offering training, collaboration opportunities, and a supportive community to ensure migration stories are told accurately and impactfully.

Our Events

The Migration Network has been hosting events since 2017, bringing together hundreds of attendees from across the UK and beyond. These gatherings—both online and in person—offer case studies, panel discussions, and networking sessions to facilitate learning and partnerships.

Upcoming Events:

  • 20 May 2025 – online: Digital Journeys: Preserving and Sharing Migration Collections will showcase examples of innovative digital collections work within museums and archives. Together, we’ll explore how these projects are being developed for specific audiences, the impact they are having, and the opportunities they present for the sector. Whether you work with collections, digital storytelling, or migration history, this Migration Network event will offer a valuable opportunity to exchange insights and ideas.

Want to be part of future events? Fill in the form below and click ‘Subscribe’ to sign up to the Migration Network email newsletter mailing list:

Sign up to the Migration Network mailing list

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Past Event Highlights:

    • March 2025: Working Equitably with Refugees and Asylum Seekers, an event in collaboration with Counterpoints Arts exploring how to welcome and engage with communities in museum and heritage spaces. 
  • January 2025: Beyond Borders: Creative Visions for Equitable Futures, exploring the role of arts and culture in helping move towards the Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s vision of ‘a world where everyone is free to move, and no one is forced to move.” Organised with and sponsored by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation
  • October 2023: In-person event at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, coinciding with the Migration Museum’s Heart of the Nation: Migration and the Making of the NHS exhibition.
  • 2020–2022: A series of regional events covering themes such as migration in rural vs urban settings, community partnerships, and storytelling techniques. Event summaries are available upon request.
    • May 2022: Scotland, with Museums & Galleries Edinburgh (online)
    • March 2022: East of England, with Norfolk Museums Service (online)
    • November 2021: Midlands, with Birmingham Museums Trust (online)
    • October 2021: London and South-East at the Migration Museum (hybrid)
    • April 2021: South-West and Wales, with Bristol Culture and Creative Industries (online)
    • January 2021: North-East and Yorkshire, with Discovery Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne (online)
    • October 2020: North-West, with Museum of Liverpool (online)
  • 2017: Two in-person events held at the British Museum in London and the Discovery Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne, encompassing case studies, discussion groups and networking.

Impact and Insights

Our Evaluation Report (2020–2022) highlights the transformative effect of the Migration Network:

  • Empowering Practitioners: Attendees report increased confidence in discussing migration topics and curating exhibitions.
  • Organizational Change: The Network has influenced institutional policies, with participants initiating new partnerships and embedding migration themes in their programming.
  • Breaking Barriers: Challenges such as funding constraints, lack of board-level buy-in, and resistance to migration narratives are being tackled through shared knowledge and advocacy.

We are committed to expanding the Network by:

  • Hosting more thematic and issue-focused events.
  • Creating a digital resource hub for best practices and project databases.
  • Establishing mentorship and peer support programs.
  • Amplifying migrant-led initiatives within the museum and heritage sectors.

Get Involved

Whether you’re an individual practitioner or an organization interested in migration narratives, the Migration Network welcomes you!

📧 Stay updated – Join our mailing list
🤝 Collaborate with us – Contact us at network@migrationmuseum.org
📚 Explore our work – Read our full Evaluation Report 2022

Together, we can reshape how migration stories are told, ensuring they reflect the diverse and interconnected history of the UK and its people.

Thank you to our Partners

–   COMPAS (The University of Oxford’s Centre on Migration, Policy and Society)
–   John Ellerman Foundation
–   Paul Hamlyn Foundation
–   Counterpoints Arts
–   Horniman Museum and Gardens
–   Museums Association
–   National Museums Liverpool
–   National Trust
–   Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums

Thank you to our Funders

The Network is funded by the John Ellerman Foundation and the National Lottery Heritage Fund – thanks to National Lottery players.


Photos in carousel by: Everything’s Fine Photography, Elzbieta Piekacz and the Migration Museum