I recently went on a visit to the Museum of Homelessness. After having no permanent home itself for 8 years, they have recently found a base in Finsbury Park.
I gathered from their website that it would not be a normal museum experience. Having been, I thought it was brilliant and that every Londoner, if they can, should go.
The Museum of Homelessness
The Museum of Homelessness was established in 2015 and is run by people who have direct experience of homelessness.
As an institution they aim to build a ‘national collection of homelessness’, but also to campaign, research and educate. In 2017 they had their first public launch at the Tate Modern, where they ran a series of talks and performances called State Of The Nation: Exchanges on Homelessness.
As well as putting on exhibitions, they also have carried out essential activism and research. During the pandemic they campaigned with partners Streets Kitchen to demand safe-spaces for people to self-isolate. This became national strategy and around 30,000 were offered a safe space by the Government.
In 2023 the museum found a home: the old Victorian park-keeper’s lodge in Finsbury Park.
The Lodge
Finsbury Park opened, in 1869, as a lung for North London.
The Manor House lodge, at the Eastern point of the park, was constructed in the same year, for the park-keeper.
Finsbury Park has long been a site of activism. For example, on Sunday, 28 October 1906, the Suffragettes, organised by the Pankhursts held a public meeting in Finsbury Park to protest against the imprisonment of eleven women for demanding the vote. It therefore feels like a suitable place for the Museum of Homelessness to be.
Husband and wife, Matt and Jess Turtle, who lead the MoH team, secured a community 10 year lease for the building from Haringey Council.
As well as exhibitions and performances, the museum is providing support sessions for the community. I saw dates and times advertised, for example, for sessions on how to register to vote, art sessions and sexual health drop-ins.
How To Survive The Apocalypse
I did not know what to expect when I booked in to go to their first exhibition in Finsbury Park, but it was one of the most impactful museum experiences I have had.
The inaugural exhibition at the lodge is called How To Survive The Apocalypse. It revolves around the premise that the homeless community are who we should turn to for the skills to survive an apocalypse and the collapse of capitalism/society: how to seek refuge, sharing resources etc.
I do not want to give too much away, as I think it is important to experience it for yourself, but the show revolves around four objects and their stories. They have been donated by someone who has experienced homelessness or works with people who do.
We heard the story for example of ‘Fred’s trolley’ and the ‘pants story’. The words of the person who donated the item are played, via headphones, into the ears of one of the artists, Nell and Jacob in our case, who then relay the words to the audience verbatim, with all the pauses, ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’ and occasional mannerisms.
It is not overly theatrical, but just a very human and emotive way of telling the story.
There is no pressure but the audience are regularly asked for their thoughts and reflections as you go along. In my group there were people from a range of backgrounds, including some who work for an organisation that works closely with the Museum of Homelessness, so it was fascinating to hear their insights.
The exhibition also includes video and looking at the lodge’s community garden.
A Powerful Experience
The experience really makes you think about the power of small things. Objects, that would likely be considered rubbish in any other setting, are seen and treated as treasures and have beautiful, inspiring or sad stories behind them.
Not only that, it highlights how small actions can change someone’s life and how collective small actions can bring about change.
The stories and objects are, in and of themselves, amazing, but the team has really thought about how they can be told in an engaging way.
Around the house you also get a sense of the other roles the museum plays.
How To Visit
The exhibitons are run during their open season from May-November. How to Survive the Apocalypse lasts 90 minutes and is on Friday-Sunday multiple times a day. You can book here.
It costs £10 for an adult but there are also free concession tickets available.
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The way you described your experience at the Museum of Homelessness was very moving Jack. It’s made me want to go. I will definitely go. I will also forward this to my friends. Great work!
This museum needs to be publicised far more widely. For so many people, basic living is precarious, and the barest membrane separates them from a rapid spiral into unmanageable debt and potential homelessness.
This is a fact.
Rather than a museum, this sounds like a living repository of experience, a vital resource for the homeless and a vibrant barometer for those of us fortunate enough to have a roof.
Very valuable post, Jack.
I am visiting with a friend tomorrow. Thanks for the recommendation.
Another excellent post on a really meaningful topic. Definitely a place to visit. Thank you for bringing it to my/our attention.
The Museum of Homelessness is not just a museum; it’s a beacon of hope and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Your visit to this unique institution seems to have been a profound journey through the lives and experiences of those who have faced the harshest realities of our society.