Our mission is to create 'a space for us' to tell the stories of radical thinkers and social reformers and to preserve the character of a London working class 'town' at risk: Somers Town St Pancras.
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The idea
We want 'a space for us': in a place where social reform and radical thinking took root - huge ideas of social justice that changed lives. In the spirit of the pioneers of the innovative slum clearance that took place here, in their mottos: "Housing is not enough" and Art in Everyday life" we want to build a museum to honour their legacy, of the 100 years of social housing, to tell the stories: the cohesive working class communities: midwives, landladies, to the first Pearly King. And space for stories of earlier radical thinkers who changed lives: for this was home to Wollstonecraft & Godwin; Unity theatre; and Garrett Anderson's women's hospital. With so much at risk from the huge developments facing this area, we need to preserve the character of this unique patch of London, for where else a priest running a pub and mum's clubs running pantomimes? We need 'a space for us' so all the communities in a deprived area benefit, and the stories not forgotten. Help us bring this to life!
What we'll deliver
Secure premises for future "museum"
Interactive multimedia display: films, hear voices of working class memories
Outdoor installation (Lockdown)
Secure premises
Co-curated exhibition with school/ online
Youth project to design an exhibition
Exhibition
Guided walks
Why it's a great idea
Preserve the character of this corner of London with huge stories to tell: from radical ideas about women's education and medicine, communal living, theatre, and social housing. Benefit a deprived working class area through this social enterprise - we will reinvest all profits and employ and train local young people. We will preserve art in every day life Gilbert Bayes - working class art which has gone 'missing'. We want to honour and preserve the community's memory, honour local people with access to their own history: and help a social history of a unique area of London which is at risk of change from rapid development.
Steps to get it done
An outdoor exhibition
Secure premises for museum (out of lockdown)
Obtain funding for an interactive display
Complete research for permanent exhibition
Complete exhibition design
Complete artwork commission
Complete Design of co-curated children's exhibition
Complete installation / exhibition
Set up project for youth to design exhibition
We've researched, recorded memories, published, and made a film - and now we're ready to create a "space for us". There is a rare opportunity right now; a perfectly located space within a listed social housing estate is sitting vacant; an echo of a museum in its sister estate in Vienna.
A museum about social reform in an area of social housing is apposite - our own people's museum.
Location
Somers Town Space is a Community Interest Com...
Learn More
Somers Town Space is a Community Interest Company, which emerged from Somers Town History Club (STHC) set up in 2016 by seven locals.
‘Capturing Somers Town Stories… by locals for locals…’ This is our guiding spirit – we believe in local ownership. And with our fantastic network of locals and historians, we've published 4 books, made a film, hosted talks and walks, held two Pop Up Museums, one at the British Library. We also campaign for the reinstatement of lost working class art in everyday life.
Our vision is for a space for a permanent Somers Town St Pancras Museum to honour this social history in a working class area, whose inhabitants still have a living memory of.
Our narrative is clear: this patch links Wollstonecraft to Jellicoe, priests in pubs to drinkers in prams; Shelley to Sainsbury, urban romantics to social reformers. Radical thinkers, radical housing and radical community.
"It's a culturally significant area, home to idea bout women's education and medicine, politics, expeiments in communal living and theatre ... ideas of social justice that reach out to all of us" - Sir Keir Starmer.
Currently we 'Developing the Museum' project with the input of Youth project, we're providing free online education to primary schools, as well as the wider community,
The Project Owner takes legal responsibility for receiving and spending the funds raised and ensuring the project is delivered.
The team responsible for building or installing the project.
