VISIT US
winter season december 2024 to april 2025
During the winter months, we are closed to the general public with our focus shifting towards direct support and emergency provision for our community of people experiencing homelessness.
The Museum will be closed from 1st December 2024. We will re-open to the public on 17th April.
During our Winter Season we will still have ongoing activities and support on site, with Community Tuesdays continuing and the introduction of Cosy Thursday (learn more below).
When we planned what the museum's year may look like, we took a strategic decision to hunker down and do community care and direct action during winter. With so many people involved in MoH experiencing different forms of homelessness, struggles and/or living with trauma, this felt like the most appropriate approach to the museum’s programme. We look after each other in the harder months and open to the public in the warmer, brighter days. This is in direct contrast to contemporary societal expectations to move through winter as if energy levels and environmental conditions remain consistent throughout the year.
All details of our Winter Season are available here.
how to find us
PLEASE NOTE
MoH is closed to the general public between 1st December 2024 and 17th April 2025
DELIVERIES
Please use the Endymion Road entrance to the park (contractors gate) and drive through the park with your hazards on at 12mph.
Email us: mail@museumofhomelessness.org
IF YOU ARE HOMELESS
We run a lot of activity on site which is for our community of people experiencing homelessness, and our especially active during our Winter Season.
If you are experiencing homelessness or struggling, (by which we mean street homelessness, squatting, temporary accommodation, hostels, shelters, living in cars, boats, vans, or any other form of homelessness, poverty, or addiction) drop in on a Tuesday after 1pm and get involved from there. We also offer Cosy Thursdays each Thursday afternoon (2-5pm), for gentle, relaxed activity and a warming environment.
You can have free tickets for any of our exhibitions or events and we have a load of stuff you can get involved in, as well as supplies available from our solidarity cupboard.
MORE INFO
Our Winter Season runs 1st December 2024 to 16th April 2025
During this time, no public programming will occur, but we will offer direct support and winter provision to our community.
Each week we also run community focused art, gardening, community meals, sexual health drop-ins, legal rights clinics, trauma informed coaching, radical archiving, recovery groups, and much more.
WALLRIOT BY gobscure
Created by long-standing museum collaborator gobscure, wallriot is a site specific mural that sits in the museum’s lobby space and was designed for our opening.
The mural acts as an invitation and a challenge to everyone who walks through the door of the museum, communicating the true creative and resisting nature of our community.
The wall installation includes of some of the words included in the play joey and a range of accompanying symbols and motifs. gobscure worked with the museum’s community over several months to create the installation.
The specially commissioned mural wallriot by gobscure is available in audio form via:
Audio Description of wallriot by gobscure
Audio Description of wallriot main text read by Maria Thomas
Audio Description of applestarjoke read by Maria Thomas
ACCESS information
We are committed to Disability justice and are always working to make our small site as accessible as possible for everyone.
Our outdoor and indoor spaces are accessible for powerchair and wheelchair users. We have an accessible toilet and level access on the ground floor for all activities. We have a quiet room where people can take time out if feeling overwhelmed and we welcome everyone to express themselves, move their bodies or respond to the world around them as they feel comfortable. Museum of Homelessness events and exhibitions usually have a qualified trauma conscious coach on the crew, please ask the Duty Manager if you need support.
We use creative captioning wherever possible and have audio interpretation available for our key art pieces upon request. We have BSL enhanced performances of our events by prior request.
All rooms in the museum have HEPA grade air filters which operate at any time the site is in use, to reduce the risk of airborne infections.
Please let us know if we can do anything to make your visit more comfortable. You can contact adam@museumofhomelessness.org with any access requirements or to request an access map of the site.
Our opening exhibition:
How to survive the apocalypse
24th May - 30th November, 2024
"A wonderful intimate and political experience"
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"Excellent. Authentic. entertaining"
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"Best museum experience in years!"
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"A wonderful intimate and political experience" 〰️ "Excellent. Authentic. entertaining" 〰️ "Best museum experience in years!" 〰️
WHAT WAS IT?
How to Survive the Apocalypse was a 90-minute show which our award-winning crew of people with experience of homelessness have designed for you! The exhibition opened on the 24th May and closed on 30th November 2024.
This was an opportunity to visit the museum site, connect with our collection and get a glimpse into our world.
WHAT happened?
This was a chance to learn from and listen to people with the skills and aptitude to deal with the collapses we are seeing. How to Survive the Apocalypse was about reframing the myths and stereotypes of homelessness and showing that the answers to some of our most pressing problems can often be found with the people at the sharp end of society. This show was underpinned by three basic principles:
1. You should expect a break from the traditional museum experience. The new site is in a small gatekeeper’s cottage in London’s iconic Finsbury Park. We accommodated 25 people at a time, and staged a a lively, conversational encounter which is about connection and solidarity.
2. You should not expect to see labels. Through an approach that looks to smash the traditional model of glass cases and guarded access, we instead presented our objects through a tour that included performance, poetry, object handling, chats, and much more.
3. And finally, you should expect to have a better chance of surviving the apocalypse after a glimpse into our world. We offered no guarantees, but in the words of one of the guides to our show: “Our solidarity is our most potent weapon.”
Group Bookings
How to Survive the Apocalypse ran special private group bookings on Fridays throughout our Open Season. These exhibition experiences were available via prior request only, and could be tailored to the needs of your group.
essential information about how to survive the Apocalypse
WHERE TO MEET
Please meet outside Museum of Homelessness at Manor House Lodge (Seven Sisters Road, London, N4 2DE). We’re located just inside Finsbury Park by Manor House Gate, directly opposite Park View Cafe within Finsbury Park itself.
The nearest Tube Station is Manor House (via Exit 6) and the nearest step-free Tube Station is Finsbury Park.
The nearest accessible bus stop is Manor House Underground Station (Stop D), serviced by the 253, 254, 259, N253, and N279.
This map will lead you directly to the location. It’s best not to rely on the postcode alone, as it can misdirect you.
WHEN TO ARRIVE
Please arrive approximately 10 minutes before your scheduled performance time.
WHAT TO BRING
This is partly an outdoor experience so wrap up appropriately for the weather. You might want to bring an umbrella or raincoat in case of wet weather. Please do not bring bulky bags or luggage as our space is limited and there is no place to store them securely.
ACCESS
Please see our full Access Statement above
The performance is accessible for powerchair and wheelchair users and an accessible toilet is also available. The performance does involve some walking and standing, so please let us know whether you might need a seat at any point.
If you are ever feeling overwhelmed during the performance, please let a Duty Manager know - we have a quiet room where people can take time out.
We use creative captions as part of our show design, and audio and BSL interpretation is available upon request. Touch tours of the objects can also be arranged by prior request.
Some flashing lights are present in video form.
All rooms in the museum have HEPA grade air filters which operate at any time the site is in use, to reduce the risk of airborne infections.
The specially commissioned mural wallriot by gobscure is available in audio form via:
Audio Description of wallriot by gobscure
Audio Description of wallriot main text read by Maria Thomas
Audio Description of applestarjoke read by Maria Thomas
We committed to Disability justice and balancing a wide range of needs on our small site. Please let us know if we can do anything to make your visit more comfortable. You can contact adam@museumofhomelessness.org with any access requirements.