Stay Home collecting project

During these extraordinary times, our homes have never been more important.

We are documenting how our home lives are changing during the coronavirus pandemic. Read some stories here

This new national collecting project forms part of the Museum of the Home's extensive Documenting Homes archive.

What does home mean to you right now?

How are you using your home? Does your living room now have multiple uses as a work place, school or gym? If you have any outdoor space what are you using it for?

Are you leaving home to carry out your role as a key worker? Separated from your family or loved ones? Spending considerably more time with your flatmates or family?

Our homes have never been more important.

How to take part in Stay Home

Share your experience

We want to hear from you. To take part we would like you to:

Answer 7 questions about you and your home

These are open questions about how you feel about your home during this time. Your contribution can be written or recorded.

Share up to 5 photos of your home

These can be of one room, several rooms or an outdoor space. We'd like you to tell us how you are using these spaces at this time.

Ideally include people in the photos. And don't tidy up!

Take landscape format
Take candid rather than staged shots
Use natural light
Avoid zooming in
Upload as large a file as possible

Provide some personal demographic information

There are some questions about you. Some of it is a little personal, but it is really useful to us.

The questions align with the way the UK Government will collect Census data in 2021. This allows us to compare the profile of participants with the general population. By answering these questions you will help us to know how we are representing our communities.

Share your diary entries (optional)

We would love to collect diary entries that span one month. Entries can be daily, every other day or weekly. Please email these separately to stayhome@museumofthehome.org.uk with your full name.

Permissions and copyright

Your contribution will become part of our Documenting Homes collection.

This is a constantly expanding archive with nearly 8,000 items. It represents homes from the 1900s up to the present day.

We are sharing some of the photos and experiences on our website, social media channels and in the press, and will showcase them in our galleries at the Museum of the Home. The collection will also be used for research purposes and be publicly accessible.

We will not publish full names or addresses. If you wish to protect the identity of yourself or others please ensure your photos don’t show faces.

You will need to agree to the Archive agreement (pdf). This includes giving permission to publish your story and photos and gives the Museum of the Home copyright of your photographs.

If you are under 18 please ask for permission from your parent or guardian and ask them to complete the demographic information on your behalf.

Documenting Homes Stay Home collecting policy (pdf)

Share your experience