migration museum
London
About the Migration Museum The Migration Museum explores how the movement of
people to and from Britain across the ages has shaped who we are – as
individuals, as communities, and as a nation. Migration is a pressing
contemporary issue and is at the centre of polarised political and online
debate. But there’s an underlying story of comings and goings stretching back
many centuries. And this story goes to the heart of who we are today. Britain
has thousands of museums, but none comprehensively focused on this important
theme that connects us all. The time is right for a highly relevant, accessible
visitor attraction that shines a light on who we are, where we come from and
where we are going. From our current home in the heart of Lewisham Shopping
Centre, we stage engaging exhibitions and dynamic events, alongside a
far-reaching education programme for primary, secondary, university and adult
learners. We have a growing digital presence and convene a knowledge-sharing
Migration Network of museums and galleries across the UK. The story so far The
Migration Museum was founded by Barbara Roche, who first made the case for a
migration museum for Britain almost 20 years ago, stemming from her time as
Britain’s immigration minister, and from visiting similar museums in other parts
of the world – notably Ellis Island in New York. Barbara assembled a founding
team of people from different professional backgrounds who shared her passionate
belief that Britain’s migration history should be placed at the heart of our
national story. Together, they began to scope what a national migration museum
might look like. Sophie Henderson, a former immigration judge and barrister,
came on board as Director in 2013. Between 2013 and 2017, the Migration Museum
staged pop-up exhibitions and events and ran education workshops at a wide range
of venues across the UK, including the Southbank Centre, the National Maritime
Museum and City Hall in London, the Museum of Oxford, Leicester railway station,
and the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh. From 2017 to 2019, the
Migration Museum was ba
