Reflecting on our first 6 weeks in the museum’s new site!

On Thursday 16th November we completed our 6 week pilot autumn programme at the museum’s new site, Manor House Lodge. The idea of the pilot was to welcome our community onto site, get to know the building and start to transform the site into a museum.

Together we have planted 1,000 bulbs (and then planted them again when the squirrels dug them up), dug out the old paths in the garden, investigated the lost pond, cleared almost all the site, saved some of the Apple trees, propogated Rosemary and planted Sweet Peas, made cyanotypes, herbal remedies and prints, done creative writing, made music, done yoga and eaten well together.

We have also been very proud to offer space to pilot a community hub for our partners The People’s Recovery Project . This is a project close to our hearts due to the high number of deaths of people experiencing homelessness and addiction documented in the Dying Homeless Project and known to us personally. It is our heartfelt hope that our collaboration will lead to fewer deaths in our community and better access to treatment for those who need it. Our work together is already producing the depth of relationship and mutually unconditional care and compassion that is needed to fight the pain and loneliness that causes addiction. The People’s Recovery Project crew & community are a joy to have onsite and bring much wisdom, thoughtfulness and also practical help with the site each week.

This space has been a haven in the context of the steep increases in poverty and homelessness we are seeing. We are angry that responses of crackdowns and criminalisation seem to be becoming the go-to for the government and some local authorities. This is something we will fight, not only by campaigning but by making an alternative on our site that can hopefully inspire others. There are better ways to be and we can prove it.

It’s been an amazing rollercoaster and we are so grateful to all the crew, community members and partners who have made these first weeks on the new site so precious!

We are taking a pause for a couple of weeks to reflect and we will be back soon with our December activities, including a community meal for Christmas Day and a plan to respond practically to the rise in street homelessness we are very grimly anticipating over the winter.

Our music facilitator Lauren says

“Music connects us to ourselves, other people, our past, our passions and our emotions - when we make music we express something that needs to be said and felt. Music can be a space for healing and enjoyment, a space for exploration with no judgement......There will be no entry exams, fees or expectations, only an opportunity to connect with everyone’s inner musician” - Loz

Lauren moving instruments into Manor House Lodge

Our Yoga teacher Lorraine says:

“Yoga is so expensive and not accessible for people who could really benefit from it. Sometimes I’m the only lady of colour in the room when I’m teaching or practising. So, I want to make yoga more inclusive for everyone”

Lorraine preparing for yoga teaching at Museum of Homelessness