"Who do we think we are?"

I had known it for the whole 2 years I had been wanting to visit, but as soon I walked in I knew it would be a much richer experience than I had expected.

For someone who has worked with migrants, developed dialogue groups and learning journeys for over 15 years, and incorporated it as a mission, it was humbling to finally find that another collective of dedicated professionals had been so true and committed to their cause by building such a bottom-up, grassroots, community based and authentic set of exhibits. My dear friend Lizzie Jarvis and I could have been there for a whole day, and would have surely wept and learnt more at each step of the way.

"Many centuries of migration have made us who we are [British]. But this story is rarely reflected in how we express our national identity. Each of us is shaped by our own family histories, our racial identities and our relationships to the British empire. And we all have different affinities, beliefs, and values that define who we are. What could a new British identity that took all of these into account look like?"

"Who gets to decide? And do you feel included?"

Surely these reflections could be transferred to countries such as Italy, Holland, Portugal , Malta, and many more with long histories of migrations (and colonisation), where national identities in diverse societies deserve to be collectively reframed to truly mirror everyone in society's fabric and making, and in light of power relationships and contextual shifts.

The Migration Museum in Lewisham is an emotional, skilfully curated, brilliantly thought-out account of a changing geography over the last few decades. It is impossible not to indulge in the person-centred artistry, and let the authentic narratives tap into our deepest sense of empathy, shame for turning a blind eye, and togetherness when acknowledging our own diversity and human belonging struggle.

Thank you to the team for doing brilliant work at humanising people and making it beautiful too.

Arbitrary labels fail to capture humanity's true colours. - Angelica Dass

Support the Migration Museum project here.