Art world restart: Museum of London to reopen in May

New Delhi: After five months of temporary closure, Museum of London and Museum of London Docklands have announced that they are set to reopen to the public on May 19 this year depending on government guidance.

Sharon Ament, Director of the Museum of London, said: “After a year of restrictions and closures, it seems we as a society have never been more aware of just how necessary culture is and how much museums matter. It’s fundamental to our well-being and it’s part of who we are. Our teams have been busy behind the scenes readying our sites to safely welcome our visitors once again. It has been too long!”

The Museum’s exclusive display, ‘Dub London: Bassline of a City’, celebrating dub reggae music and culture in the capital has been extended until September 5. The display not only explores the music’s influence but its wider cultural and social impact including the origins of the record shop as a community space, the continuing role of sound systems at events like Notting Hill Carnival and the religious, political and spiritual themes that form the pulse of dub culture and music.

The reopening has also extended ‘Havering Hoard: A Bronze Age Mystery’ at the Docklands site till August 22. This free major exhibition explores the largest Bronze Age hoard ever discovered in London with all 453 tools, weapons and other objects unearthed and on display to the public for the very first time. Starting with the moment of discovery, the exhibition takes visitors on a journey back through time to explore the mysteries, myths and realities surrounding the hoard’s burial.

The reopening also includes the extension of the ‘The Krios of Sierra Leone’ display at the Docklands site. The Krios of Sierra Leone explores the unique and largely untold history, heritage and culture of the Krio people of Sierra Leone by highlighting the architecture, language, lifestyle and traditions of the Krio community. From its origins in transatlantic slavery through to the involvement of prominent abolitionists, the story of the Krio ties into the wider themes of the museum’s London, Sugar and Slavery gallery where the display is located.

The very popular Mudlarks children’s gallery will also reopen after over a year of closure on May 21.

Visitors to each museum will be required to book a free ticket online, in advance, for a time slot of their choosing, announced the museum, adding that its comprehensive digital offer will continue for those who are unable to attend.