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Open today 10am–5pm

Housewarming: A Room Upstairs in 1956

Join this Museum Late for a special evening of music, creativity, and learning all about A Room Upstairs in 1956.

A dark red backdrop with objects from the fifties laid out flat, including a vintage pink hairdryer, blue patterned tie, cat-eye glasses frames and earrings in a pink dish Credit: Kenneth Lam

Join us for our next Late celebrating the objects, personal stories and histories found throughout our new Rooms Through Time galleries! Every month, expect late-night access to the Museum with music, delicious drinks, creative workshops and in-depth, curator-led tours of the period room in focus.

This October, dive into A Room Upstairs in 1956 as we spend an evening exploring the themes, interiors, and social context of 1950s Britain.

What's on

All our galleries will be open late, offering you the chance to explore our Home Galleries and Rooms Through Time, featuring domestic life and making home over the last 400 years.

Entry to the late is free, with some paid elements. Get tickets now to secure your place. Doors open at 6pm.

 

Schedule

6.30pm | Curator tour | £5

In the Rooms Through Time: 1878-2049

Join our curator as we dive into the new 1956 room. This bedroom and bathroom tells the story of newlyweds Kathleen and Jack getting ready for a big night out at the Galtymore dancehall in Cricklewood.

The Second World War killed thousands and left London’s housing stock in tatters. New builds like this Terraced House in Camden rose from the ashes, designed cheaply and quickly to fill the awkward spaces left in Victorian and Georgian terraced streets. 

7.30pm | Irish Dance workshop | £15

In the Studio

Join this special beginner-friendly workshop with Jig and a Swig. With a focus on introductory footwork, ceili and social dancing steps, you're guaranteed to end up laughing and clapping along.

Logo for Jig and a Swig

8pm | Free performance & dance-along with Jig and a Swig

In the Atrium 

Feel the music and show off your dance moves with Jig and a Swig, London's largest community of adult Irish dancers!

Find out more

About A Room Upstairs in 1956

During the 1950s over half a million people left Ireland, with most heading for the UK and the USA. Poor economic conditions forced masses to leave, but for women, who made up the majority of migrants during this period, the promise of more social freedoms held a great appeal.

Find out more

About Housewarmings

Celebrate our newest, permanent gallery, this Museum Late series unpacks the stories of our seven new Rooms Through Time and explore what Home can mean. Explore how homes have evolved aesthetically alongside societal shifts, and enjoy a lively night at the Museum.

About Jig and a Swig

Jig and a Swig are London's largest community of adult Irish dancers. Since 2022, over 1,200 people have joined us for a jig. We welcome absolutely everyone; whether you've never danced a step in your life, are a former world champion or haven't danced in 40 years! We're simply about having the craic, doing some cardio, and building a sense of community in London through Irish dance.

www.jigandaswig.co.uk

@jigandaswig

Irish dancers in the middle of a train station smiling and clapping

About Jessie Leach

Jessie Leach founded Jig and a Swig in 2019 after a competitive career in Irish dancing which included being crowned Great Britain, All-Ireland and North American Champion, as well as placing 3rd in the World Championships. In 2016, Jessie qualified as an Irish dance teacher with An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha, before joining the cast of Riverdance. She has since toured the globe with shows including Celtic Legends, Magic of the Dance, and Celtic Fyre. Career highlights include dancing to a live TV audience of 200 million at the Alibaba Gala in Shanghai, and on Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway with Riverdance.

Jessie's previous charity-sector work - at organisations such as Women for Women International, The Jo Cox Foundation and the London Marathon Foundation - has shaped her inclusive and community-focused approach to teaching Irish dancing, where joy and togetherness always comes first.

A Room Upstairs in 1956

Discover more about this room and its inhabitants.

Date
Thursday 24 October 2024

Time
6pm to 9pm

Cost
Free (with some paid elements)

Location
Museum of the Home - 136 Kingsland Road, London E2 8EA

Book now

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