Highlights from our 2014 Autumn Events

We have had a fantastic autumn at the Migration Museum Project with three special events on top of all the great activity that has been happening in London, Leicester and Oxford around our 100 Images of Migration and Germans in Britain exhibitions.

We were delighted to partner with CARA (the Council for At-Risk Academics) again to bring you two Great Minds events, and to work with our Distinguished Friend Lord Parekh to establish what will be our annual Public Lecture series in partnership with the London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE).

Great Minds: Berlin to Britain
_{in partnership with CARA}

In October, Great Minds: Berlin to Britain brought our Distinguished Friends Lord Moser and Susie Harries together with playwright Carl Miller for a fascinating conversation at the Goethe Institut London.

Lord Moser  was born in Berlin in 1922 and came to Britain in 1936, and captivated the audience with his memories of the Berlin of his childhood and with his reflections on visits to Berlin since and more widely on the value of migration itself for Britain. Carl Miller adapted Erich Kästner’s Emil and the Detectives for the National Theatre’s 2013 Christmas Show, and shared his experiences of working with young Londoners to bring 1920s Berlin to life for today’s audiences.

Visit our Video page to watch them in conversation with Susie Harries. 

The Languages of Migration

In November, Michael Rosen gave us plenty of food for thought – and a few chuckles – as he took us through his reflections and analyses on The Languages of Migration. Michael Rosen is a celebrated writer, poet, performer, broadcaster and Professor of Children’s Literature at Goldsmiths, University of London. You can listen to and read the transcript of the lecture on our Audio page, and you can read all about the lecture in a great blog by our Education Officer Emily. The transcript is also posted on Michael Rosen’s blog, where you can find other musings by Michael on migration, education and current affairs as well as great new poems.

We look forward to working with LSE again in 2015 for our second annual joint Public Lecture. Many thanks to Lord Parekh for supporting this new lecture series.

Great Minds: Migration and Fashion
_{in partnership with CARA}

In December, we rounded the year off in style with Great Minds: Migration and Fashion. Milliner Awon Golding, fresh from London Fashion Week, and designer Hazel Aggrey-Orleans of the exclusive Eki Orleans boutique, joined Maggie Semple OBE of Semple: Women, Fashion, Stories to discuss how their personal journeys have shaped their work and identity as fashion designers.

We were also delighted to be joined by Heba @ Brick Lane, OpenTheGate Handmade and Delores Oblitey who showcased work from their collections.

During the reception, members of the audience then had the opportunity to share their own personal stories with oral historian Heiba Lamara and illustrator Sofia Niazi of OOMK Zine. We are looking forward to sharing the wonderful interview excerpts and illustrations with you in the new year – watch this space!

Do visit our Facebook album for more fabulous photographs from the event. A video of the conversation will be uploaded soon.

Germans in Britain opened by Joanna Lumley and Neil MacGregor

We celebrated the launch of our second touring exhibition, Germans in Britain, on 6th October 2014 at the German Historical Institute in Bloomsbury, the first stop on its UK tour.

We were thrilled to celebrate the launch with opening speeches from Joanna Lumley (Actress, Campaigner and MMP Distinguished Friend) and Neil MacGregor (Director of the British Museum).

Watch the video above to find out why Joanna Lumley has put her heart behind the Migration Museum Project.

To see photographs from the exhibition launch, visit our Facebook page.

Find out more about Germans in Britain.

Germans in Britain – a new exhibition

Germans in Britain – curated by Dr Cathy Ross, Honorary Research Fellow at the Museum of London – consists of a series of display panels that tell the story of the relationship between Germany and Britain all the way back to the first arrival on these shores of the Angles and the Saxons. There is also a video featuring three Germans now living in this country – Lord Moser, Henning Wehn and Beatrice Behlen – all of whom reflect on their experience of being a German in Britain.

At a time when the media and popular focus appears to be on the more-troubled relationship with Germany of the last 100 years, Germans in Britain tells the long story of this complicated relationship. The exhibition reveals that as a country we are much more German than we might have imagined and that Germans have always been, numerically, one of the largest (and at times the largest) communities in our country.

Germans in Britain was curated by Dr Cathy Ross and designed by Joe Ewart of Society. It was funded by private and corporate sponsorship, including contributions from The Schroder Foundation and the Kohn Foundation.

Germans in Britain is a touring exhibition, which is currently on display at the University of Reading until 24 March 2017, where it is being accompanied by a programme of events which you can learn more about here.

If you are interested in putting on the exhibition in your own organisation, please contact Andrew Steeds for further information.

See our education area for some education resources related to the exhibition, and contact Emily Miller.

Germans in Britain in the Humanities and Social Sciences Building (HumSS), University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6UB, from 16 January to 24 March 2017.

Helen Bamber OBE

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Helen Bamber OBE, a Distinguished Friend of the Migration Museum Project. Her work and vision will continue to inspire us. You can read about her tireless campaigning for human rights and advocacy for victims of torture here.