Migration Museum wows with great stories and activities for young and old

The Migration Museum has announced that it will now be closed until further notice due to the spread of Covid-19. While they will keep updating their website and social media with some of their fantastic resources, here is a short review of the exhibit when we paid them a quick visit a few weeks ago – it is worth paying them a visit once things return to normal!

You’ll have seen the two slabs of the Berlin Wall in Lewisham Shopping Centre by now and will have heard of the Migration Museum that has taken up residency there for the rest of the year. Admission is free and you have to go and pay it a visit if you are looking for an educational activity for both young and old!

I popped in on my way to do my weekly shop and found a treasure trove of information and beautiful stories that let you connect with the human side of what can otherwise be sterile terms ‘migrant’ and ‘migration’.

I got to know Ela’s story, which really touched me – maybe because I’m half-Polish, but also because most of us with a migrant background can relate to the feeling of ‘home’ that foods, smells or sounds can bring with them.

The ‘Room to Breathe’ exhibition talks us through the recipe for Ela’s mum’s babka as well as her feelings about the cake, why it’s so important for her, as well as her life as a migrant in London.  You can listen to a recording of Ela telling her story while watching a fantastic animation of how to bake the cake.

• 

• 

There are activities for the young and old. Kids can learn about older migrants’ experiences coming to school in England for the first time. They are then encouraged to write their own story.

Or why not sit in the barber’s chair and see what some have to say about hair and how it connects them to their family roots?

In addition to the fascinating exhibitions, there are a number of events coming up, including regular coffee mornings.

Check out their website for more information as well as a range of resources, podcasts and blog posts.