Festival of Home
A weekend festival of talks, performances, workshops, food and music, exploring home and belonging.
Join us for our first ever Festival of Home this September, a two-day festival of talks, lunch clubs, performances, workshops and more, exploring themes of home and belonging.
Book your Festival tickets now
The last year has made us stop, reflect and think about what home means, physically but also emotionally, practically, spiritually and financially. The feeling of belonging is one we should all be able to experience and cherish – but between societal systems of power, restrictive immigration rules and a climate of austerity, it is becoming a luxury.
From panels and workshops, to drag and poetry, the whole Museum site will come alive with an array of activities all exploring what belonging looks like at home, who's granted belonging and where people belong.
The Festival of Home supports our annual Campaign for Change with dedicated programming. This year's campaign Behind the Door, centres on the homelessness that is happening every day in London, often behind closed doors, and often for women and families. A number of festival events and discussions will explore these topics.
Saturday 18 September, 11am to 5pm
The Londown podcast live recording by Open City
11am to 12pm | Studio
A live recording of The Londown podcast from Open City, with designer Thomas Aquilina, architecture critic Catherine Slessor and journalist and broadcaster Merlin Fulcher.
Reading with Onjali Q. Raúf
11.30am to 12.30pm | Learning Pavilion
A reading and discussion with award-winning children's book author and activist Onjali Q. Raúf, looking at how to incorporate activism and storytelling – chaired by writer and editor Carolyn Asome.
No Place Like Home
11.30am to 12pm | Reading Room
An all-ages storytelling performance on love and belonging led by Olivia Armstrong.
Portraits of Home
12pm to 2pm | Performance Tent
A figurative sculpture workshop by arts network BLKBRD Collective.
What Makes You Feel Welcome?
12pm to 4pm | Lower concourse
A participatory workshop using paper cut-outs to explore what makes us feel at home with artist Ben Connors.
The Changing Landscape of Hackney
12.15pm to 1.30pm | Studio
A panel discussion on gentrification with Hackney-based campaign group Friends of the Joiners Arms, the #SaveBrickLane campaign and Save Ridley Road Chaired by Siraaj Mitha.
Meet the Marylebone project
12.30pm to 1pm | Garden Tent
Join us for an informal talk (and cake!) about our work in helping vulnerable homeless women and why The Sanctuary our 24/7, 365 place of safety and trust for female rough sleepers is so crucial in helping to change individual lives.
Lunch club with Tati Canteen – requires lunch club ticket
12.30pm to 2.30pm | Kitchen
A food demo and a meal, alongside a facilitated conversation on food and belonging with East End Bangla café TATI Canteen.
What's Home When You're Homeless?
1pm to 1.45pm | Learning Pavilion
An intimate Q&A discussion with campaigner and filmmaker Paul Atherton FRSA, who has experienced 12 years of ongoing homelessness, asking whether Britain is finally ready to end homelessness.
The Hidden Challenges of Women in the Home
1.45pm to 3pm | Studio
A panel discussion on women and home, looking at hidden forms of not-belonging, chaired by Onjali Q. Raúf, with Marissa Begonia, Victoria Poku-Amanfo and Dr Júlia Tomás.
No Place Like Home
2pm to 2.30pm | Reading Room
An all-ages storytelling performance on love and belonging led by Olivia Armstrong.
Music curated by Numbi Arts
2.30pm to 3.15pm | Performance Tent
Experience how joy is a vehicle for belonging as you vibe out to tunes curated by Dj Raks2Riches from Numbi Arts!
Exploring the Self at Home
2.30pm to 4.30pm | Learning Pavilion
A photography workshop with Aisha Seriki (Occupied by the Lense) to reflect on the human body as home through the medium of self portraiture.
In Her Stories
3.15pm to 3.45pm | Performance Tent
Performances of the In Her Stories monologues – a collection of real stories by women with experience of homelessness – commissioned by In Her Strength.
Writing to Belong
3.30pm to 4.30pm | Studio
Author and screenwriter Nikesh Shukla will discuss writing as a tool to belong with Merky Books New Writers' Prize winner Hafsa Zayyan.
Music curated by Numbi Arts
3.45pm to 4.15pm | Performance Tent
Experience how joy is a vehicle for belonging as you vibe out to tunes curated by DJ Santana from Numbi Arts!
The Bitten Peach
4.15pm to 5pm | Performance Tent
Drag, music and spoken word performances from Jason Kwan, Shiva Raichandani and GrapeGuitarBox aka Teenasai Balamu, performing as queer pan-Asian cabaret collective The Bitten Peach.
Throughout the day
- A space curated by the Marylebone Project with a group activity investigating what home means, using their Tree of Home, informal introductory talks about their work helping vulnerable homeless women, and an all-day bake sale
- Launch of the What's your cup of tea? tea wagon, with artists YARA + DAVINA
- Food and drinks by local Turkish food deli Troy
Book your Festival tickets now
Download the full schedule of the weekend (pdf)
Sunday 19 September, 11am to 5pm
Is there a future where everyone has a home?
11am to 11.45am | Studio
An interview with Polly Neate, CEO of Shelter, looking at the possibilities of a future where everyone has a home
No Place Like Home
11.30am to 12pm | Reading Room
An all-ages storytelling performance on love and belonging led by Olivia Armstrong
Belonging on Film
11.30am to 12pm | Learning Pavilion
Join us for the screening of two films exploring journeys of migration and belonging, films by Lesa Dang and mandla rae
Belonging Through Objects
12pm to 1pm | Learning Pavilion
Join filmmakers Mina Salimi and Madeleine Waller for a screening and conversation on their creative process in documenting ways people belong through the objects in their homes.
Reclamation Nation poster-making
12pm to 2pm | Performance Tent
Print is Power presents Reclamation Nation poster making workshop with Aida Wilde. Create your own artwork/slogan based poster, using various techniques and materials that include sticky back vinyl, tape, stencil, paint and collage.
What Makes You Feel Welcome?
12pm to 4pm | Galleries
A participatory workshop using paper cut-outs to explore what makes us feel at home with artist Ben Connors
The Future of Home
12.15pm to 1.30pm | Studio
A panel discussion about housing and sustainable alternatives, The Future of Home chaired by Ruby Lott-Lavigna, with Heather Macey, Razia Khanom and Seyi Adelekun
Meet the Marylebone project
12.30pm to 1pm | Garden Tent
Join us for an informal talk (and cake!) about our work in helping vulnerable homeless women and why The Sanctuary our 24/7, 365 place of safety and trust for female rough sleepers is so crucial in helping to change individual lives.
Lunch club with Spoons – requires lunch club ticket
12.30pm to 2.30pm | Kitchen
A meal, alongside a facilitated conversation on food and belonging with Indonesian home cook Spoons and Felicia Nayoan
Rhymes Through Time
12.30pm to 12.45pm | Reading Room
1.30pm to 1.45pm | Reading Room
A poetry reading exploring the role of children throughout history with Valerie Bloom MBE
Embroidery as Healing
1.30pm to 3.30pm | Learning Pavilion
A workshop using embroidery as a form of self-care and healing, with artist and activist The Bonita Chola
London on Lockdown
1.45pm to 3pm | Studio
A screening and discussion about London On Lockdown – a creative record of the first-hand experiences of Londoners experiencing or at risk of homelessness during the pandemic, by Cardboard Citizens
No Place Like Home
2pm to 2.30pm | Reading Room
An all-ages storytelling performance on love and belonging led by Olivia Armstrong
DJs curated by Numbi Arts
3.15pm to 4.15pm | Performance Tent
Experience how joy is a vehicle for belonging as you vibe out to tunes curated by Bebe Luna from Numbi Arts!
What White Institutions Can Do Next
3.30pm to 4.30pm | Studio
An in-conversation with social historian and writer Emma Dabiri about What White Institutions Can Do Next, chaired by Moya Lothian-McLean
The Words We Carry
4.15pm to 5pm | Performance Tent
Performances on journeys of belonging by Change the Word Poetry Fellows Diyo Mulopo Bopengo and Sarah Orola, accompanied by music by Mohamed Sarrar
Throughout the day
- A space curated by the Marylebone Project with a group activity investigating what home means, using their Tree of Home, informal introductory talks about their work helping vulnerable homeless women, and an all-day bake sale
- Launch of the What's your cup of tea? tea wagon, with artists YARA + DAVINA
- Food and drinks by local Turkish food deli Troy
Lunch clubs
We have a very limited number of £20 festival day tickets (£10 for unwaged), which include entry to our lunch clubs – consisting of a meal, alongside a facilitated conversation on food and belonging.
The lunch club host on Saturday 18 September is East End Bangla café TATI Canteen and on Sunday 19 September it will be Indonesian home cook Spoons.
Capacity
Some of our venues have limited capacity. Festival ticket holders will be seated on a first come first served basis.
Date
Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 September
Time
Saturday 11am to 5pm and
Sunday 11am to 5pm
Cost
Day ticket £15, Weekend ticket £25, limited discounted tickets for unwaged.
Location
Across the Museum site