A new exhibition on the role played by migrant entrepreneurs in shaping Britain will start on 9 April at the Migration Museum in Lewisham.
The immersive exhibition ‘Taking Care of Business’ will highlight migrant entrepreneurs past and present across a wide range of sectors, from fashion to tech, finance to nightlife, a statement said.
At the exhibition, stories of migrant entrepreneurship are brought to life through personal narratives and interactive art, sound and video installations.
It features personal stories of well-known migrant business people past and present, from Marks & Spencer founder Michael Marks to Dragon’s Den-backed hot sauce maker Levi Roots and Netflix’s Chef’s Table featured restaurateur Asma Khan, to name a few.
A recreation of an early 1980s corner shop guest-curated by BBC journalist and author Babita Sharma, and an interactive Chinese takeaway by Angela Hui – both grew up in family-run businesses are other highlights.
Besides, stories of Lewisham-based migrant-founded businesses as part of London Borough of Culture 2022, from fashion labels to greasy spoons, local favourites to London legends are also on display.
According to the statement, the museum shop will be transformed into a Migrant Makers Market, a cause-led concept store and maker space exclusively selling products from migrant-owned businesses and creators, designed by Studio Lucy Sanderson.
“The skills it takes to leave everything behind and start a new life abroad – risk-taking, resourcefulness, adaptability, grit –are the same skills that drive successful businesses. So it’s no surprise that, whether out of necessity or choice, entrepreneurship has always been at the heart of the immigrant experience in Britain,” said Aditi Anand, artistic director of the Migration Museum.
“Migrant founders have shaped and transformed not only our economy but so many aspects of our society, culture and lives. It’s no exaggeration to say that Britain wouldn’t be the country it is today without migrant entrepreneurs.”
Migration Museum is Britain’s first museum dedicated to exploring how the movement of people to and from the UK shaped the country across the ages.
Started in 2020, it was at the heart of Lewisham Shopping Centre in south-east London, where it stages exhibitions, events, and educational sessions.
The exhibition runs until March 2023 and admission will be free.
