Activist Museums
Activists from various fields, who are discontent with the dominant narratives or their total absence in historical records, have established their own institutions. These organizations are dedicated to gathering, curating, and telling their own histories according to their perspectives. Below is a small slection of such initiatives.
American LGBTQ+ Museum
The American LGBTQ+ Museum is a vital institution dedicated to preserving and celebrating the diverse histories and cultures of LGBTQ+ communities. Through exhibitions and programs, it promotes equality by exploring the intersections of LGBTQ+ identities with social justice movements such as race, gender, class, immigration, and disability. The museum envisions a liberated world where people understand and contribute to the joy of liberation. It emphasizes the importance of knowing LGBTQ+ history to effectively face future challenges, offering a space to share stories, educate communities, and support activists. The museum’s goals include illuminating LGBTQ+ history, preserving artifacts and personal stories, and fostering unity across generations.
Cateran Ecomuseum
The Cateran Ecomuseum, a unique museum without walls, unfolds across the ancient Highland Boundary Fault in Scotland. Spanning 500 million years of geological history, it unveils human narratives from Neolithic times to the present. From Pictish Stones and King Arthur’s legends to the Scottish Traveller Community and Jacobite rebellions, the outdoor sites tell diverse tales. Blairgowrie, Scotland’s Berry Capital, reveals Victorian Textile Mills, while Alyth showcases the Highland Boundary Fault. The Cateran Trail leads to Kirkmichael and Glen Isla, offering stunning views of glaciated landscapes and ancient pathways, embodying a rich tapestry of history and nature.
Climate Museum UK
Climate Museum UK, an experimental initiative, actively addresses the Earth crisis by curating responses and engaging communities across the UK. This collective of creatives collaborates with local partners, organizing activations to encourage public play, creation, and dialogue about the environmental challenges. Utilizing diverse collections, workshops, and training programs, they extend their reach nationally, fostering engagement through initiatives like Possitopia Norwich. Offering professional training, bespoke projects, and digital resources, the museum envisions possible futures and advocates for environmental action. Members actively support national and international initiatives, aligning with Museums for Future, Culture Declares Emergency, and Artists for Ecocide Law.
Crab Museum
Crab Museum celebrates the incredible diversity of crabs, showcasing their tiny to huge, cute to scary, and ancient forms. Beyond their fascinating biology, crabs impact our lives, aiding in medical advancements and maintaining oceans. This not-for-profit museum merges science, humor, and philosophy for a uniquely enlightening experience. Committed to environmental action, Crab Museum offers a free and soulfully independent space for the public to enjoy and learn about the sea, fostering awareness of the vital role crabs play in our world. The museum’s mission transcends profit, providing a satisfyingly baffling day out that enriches understanding of both marine life and ourselves.
Museum of Arte Útil
The Museum of Arte Útil, curated by Tania Bruguera, is a collection and online archive spotlighting socially impactful art projects. Translated as ‘useful art,’ Arte Útil views art as a tool, extending beyond aesthetics. Bruguera’s decade-long exploration, spanning Havana, New York, and Eindhoven, delves into how individuals and groups navigate societal challenges through self-organization and user-generated content. The museum showcases global case studies, revealing a collective effort reshaping contemporary society. Defined by criteria established by Bruguera and curators, Arte Útil emerges as a dynamic force, illustrating art’s potential as a catalyst for meaningful social change.
Museum of British Colonialism
The Museum of British Colonialism challenges conventional museum norms, operating without a physical collection. Instead, it serves as a digital repository, sharing resources that illuminate the lived experiences of British colonialism. Emphasizing accessibility, the organization aims to be inclusive and welcomes global participation. Their objective is to establish a comprehensive repository of research and accounts detailing the events of British colonialism and its enduring impacts on the colonies. By fostering a global conversation and encouraging contributions, the museum strives to provide a nuanced understanding of colonial history and its far-reaching consequences.
Museum of Homelessness
The Museum of Homelessness, established in 2015 and led by individuals with lived experiences of homelessness, builds a national collection, preserving and sharing histories of homelessness, poverty, and social action. Beyond its public launches and artistic endeavors, the museum takes direct action, fights injustice through research and campaigning, and educates on homelessness by collaborating with artists. It played a crucial role during the pandemic, repurposing resources to provide emergency support and forming a Homeless Taskforce. Recognized for its impactful work, including campaigning for safe spaces during the pandemic, the museum received the Calouste Gulbenkian’s Award for UK civic arts organizations in 2021.
Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space
As a living history of urban activism, the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS) chronicles the East Village community’s history of grassroots action. It celebrates the local activists who transformed abandoned spaces and vacant lots into vibrant community spaces and gardens. Many of these innovative, sustainable concepts and designs have since spread out to the rest of the city and beyond.
Museum of Transology
The Museum of Transology (MoT) stands as the UK’s most significant collection, showcasing objects that represent the lives of trans, non-binary, and intersex individuals. This transformative museum aims to rewrite history, ensuring that the experiences of these communities are documented in their own terms and words. Each object comes with a handwritten message, creating a dual archive of the story and its significance. With 213 files, 280 artifacts, and a deliberate strategy to preserve narratives, MoT halts the erasure of trans history, challenging past stigmas perpetuated by media, legal systems, and psychiatrists. This collection becomes a powerful testament to the resilience and visibility of trans, non-binary, and intersex lives.
NRA Children’s Museum
The NRA Children’s Museum, a mobile convoy of 52 empty school buses representing 4,368 children lost to firearms in a year, aims to spotlight the urgent need for gun control. Organized by Change the Ref, this project confronts NRA-funded senators in Washington D.C. Using art as communication, Change the Ref raises awareness about mass shootings, aiming to diminish NRA influence through strategic interventions. Empowering future leaders, particularly survivors and victims of shootings, CTR employs urban art and activism to catalyze change. Founded by Manuel and Patricia Oliver, parents of Parkland victim Joaquin, CTR seeks to prevent future tragedies, ensuring voices are heard for a more peaceful future. #NeverAgain.
Vagina Museum
The Vagina Museum, the world’s first physical museum dedicated to vaginas, vulvas, and gynecological anatomy, originated in 2017 with pop-ups across the UK. Its first permanent location in Camden Market operated from 2019 to 2021, followed by a temporary space in East London in 2022. In 2023, the museum established a new long-term home in Bethnal Green. With a mission to eliminate body shame, promote bodily autonomy, and advocate for a free and equal society, the Vagina Museum aims to reshape societal perspectives on intimate anatomy, fostering a world where everyone embraces their bodies without shame or stigma.