The Migration Museum Project promotes the study of migration history. Their physical Migration Museum is in the bustling shopping centre in Lewisham, one of England’s most diverse local authorities.

Migration connects us all

The in-person and online exhibition ‘Taking Care of Business’ is being brought to life through events, tours, talks and trails.

The exhibition showcases businesses and products which shape our lives in Britain today and which were established by migrant entrepreneurs. This includes local Lewisham shopkeepers who have told their stories.

What the project includes

Our funding is making possible:

• recruiting and training 20 volunteers to create and lead eight new ‘Stories in Focus’ exhibition tours
• recruiting volunteers for the People's Panel and Network, a diverse group including young people, refugees and people from migrant backgrounds that will be involved in shaping the museum’s future
• continued display of Taking Care of Business exhibition until the end of 2023
• creating a self-guided trail for exhibition visitors and a Lewisham High Street map
• family activity days during school holidays
• themed festival-style event days co-created and delivered with community partners, artists and heritage experts to explore the exhibition’s themes and help local residents explore their family’s stories. These include the Windrush 75 Legacies Festival.

Migration stories that might otherwise remain untold and be lost are being shared and preserved for future audiences. By exploring diverse stories of people from many different nationalities and backgrounds, the project aims to show that everyone is part of the UK’s story.

Aditi Anand, Artistic Director at the Migration Museum, says: “Every passenger on board, the tens of thousands who made similar journeys, and the hundreds of thousands of people with connections to this historic moment have their own story to tell, knowledge to impart and legacy to share. And collectively, the story of Windrush is relevant to all of us as a central part of our national story. Now more than ever, it’s important to recognise and celebrate the lives, achievements, struggles and contributions of the Windrush Generation and their families.”