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The logo of the Museum of Homelessness features the bold red letters "MOH" in a stylized design, with the "O" and "H" incorporating illustrations of hands reaching for one another. The museum's full name is displayed in black text to the right.

Museum of Homelessness

Last month we were joined by Jess and Matt Turtle, the co-founders and Directors of Museum of Homelessness (MoH), who shared their experience of moving into a permanent home in Finsbury Park and the impact that having a physical space has had on their work.

Matt and Jess began by introducing the MoH which is a community-led response to the housing crisis and rise in homelessness over the last decade. The museum seeks to educate others and take continuous action to support and fight for communities with lived experience of homelessness. They shared examples of some of the impactful campaign work they have undertaken, including their biggest project to date: Dying Homeless Project

The museum moved to a permanent in Finsbury Park in May. This has allowed them to expand their work, providing a physical space to host community groups, activities and workshops. The location required a lot of development, and the community was involved with the redesign from the very beginning. Matt and Jess also incorporated their extensive trauma training to ensure the museum space is inclusive, safe, and meets the needs of the community it serves.

We also heard about the unique way they approach the storytelling of objects in their collection. Objects are not displayed with labels; instead, they are presented through a tour that includes performance, poetry, object handling, chats, and much more. Their opening show How to Survive the Apocolypse uses this approach to reframe narratives of the homelessness crisis and change people’s perceptions of homelessness.

Matt and Jess’s talk was a powerful insight into the impact that museums can have when working collaboratively with their communities, and the importance of continually considering a museum’s purpose in society. Their current exhibition – How to Survive the Apocolypse – closes on 30th November.

Katherine Nichols