Our permanent home
A visualisation of our permanent home in the City of London (Image: Dominus/3XN Architects)
Migration is embedded into the very fabric of Britain. It’s time to put this story on the map.
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. Far from dividing us, migration is a subject that has the potential to unite us through shared experience and family histories. If you peel back the layers of anyone’s family history, you will find stories of migration to or from the UK. And migration goes to the heart of almost every aspect of our lives – from the clothes we wear to the food we eat, the music we love to the sports we play.
There is a huge gap in knowledge of how migration has shaped who we are – as individuals, communities and nations.
Britain has many brilliant museums, but none comprehensively focused on this important theme that connects us all.
Now more than ever, we need an inspiring, permanent cultural institution that puts our migration story at centre stage.
Over the last 10 years, the Migration Museum has established a strong reputation as a museum doing something new and exciting.
Currently based in Lewisham, south-east London, our lively immersive cultural programme explores the biggest, most relevant stories of the day – from the remarkable history of migrant entrepreneurs to the making of the NHS – with personal storytelling at the heart of everything we do.
Our approach is innovative and collaborative, bringing together emerging creatives from migrant backgrounds with expert technologists to co-create unique and memorable visitor experiences. From comedy nights to cookery lessons, family history days and more, we offer a multitude of ways for people to connect with our shared history.
As a result, our audience of over 80,000 visitors per year is far more ethnically and socio-economically diverse than other museums. We are a place where everyone can feel they belong.
A once-in-a-generation opportunity
We now have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create Britain’s missing museum: a groundbreaking, landmark permanent home for the Migration Museum in the heart of the City of London, opening in 2027.
The new Migration Museum will challenge perceptions of what a museum can be and do – evoking surprise and delight through unexpected experiences and collaborations.
– An immersive experience exploring Britain’s long history of the movement of people will be complemented by temporary exhibits that respond to topical themes.
– Each of the museum’s spaces, including the shop, café, artists’ studio and external courtyard, will be vibrant story-telling destinations in their own right, offering exciting opportunities and platforms for creatives and entrepreneurs.
– It will be a destination for tourists, businesses and diverse residential populations alike, drawing new audiences to a burgeoning cultural hotspot in the City of London.
A visualisation of the entrance area to the new Migration Museum (Image: Barker Langham)
And because Britain’s migration story is – and always has been – truly national in scope and scale, we are committed to reaching beyond London.
The Migration Museum in the City will therefore lie at the heart of a national ecosystem with pop-ups across the UK, which, together with our wide-reaching digital presence, will draw 250,000 annual visitors in person, including 25,000 school visitors, and engage millions digitally.
We will also inspire and effect change across the cultural sector through our established knowledge-sharing Migration Network, reaching over 1,000 professionals keen to explore migration stories more in their own work.
Join us
We have a unique opportunity to build a new space – for a better conversation about who we are, and an inspiring vision of where we’re going.
