Housewarming: A Room Upstairs in 1956
Join this Museum Late for a special evening of music, creativity, and learning all about A Room Upstairs in 1956.
Credit: Kenneth Lam
Join us for our next Late celebrating the objects, personal stories and histories found throughout our new Rooms Through Time galleries! Every month, expect late-night access to the Museum with music, delicious drinks, creative workshops and in-depth, curator-led tours of the period room in focus.
This October, dive into A Room Upstairs in 1956 as we spend an evening exploring the themes, interiors, and social context of 1950s Britain.
What's on
All our galleries will be open late, offering you the chance to explore our Home Galleries and Rooms Through Time, featuring domestic life and making home over the last 400 years.
Entry to the late is free, with some paid elements. Get tickets now to secure your place. Doors open at 6pm.
Schedule
6.30pm-7.15pm | Curator tour | £5
In the Rooms Through Time: 1878-2049
Join our curator as we dive into the new 1956 room. This bedroom and bathroom tells the story of newlyweds Kathleen and Jack getting ready for a big night out at the Galtymore dancehall in Cricklewood.
The Second World War killed thousands and left London’s housing stock in tatters. New builds like this Terraced House in Camden rose from the ashes, designed cheaply and quickly to fill the awkward spaces left in Victorian and Georgian terraced streets.
7.30pm-8.15pm | Irish Dance workshop | £15
In the Studio
Join this special beginner-friendly workshop with Jig and a Swig. With a focus on introductory footwork, ceili and social dancing steps, you're guaranteed to end up laughing and clapping along.
8pm-9pm | Free music performance by Nick Goode and Fergal Nesbitt
In the Atrium
Nick Goode and Fergal Nesbitt are traditional folk musicians living in London, mostly playing music from Ireland, Scotland and England. They met playing in Irish pub sessions in London, and now gig together for ceilidh dances across the country. Tap your toe to their traditional Irish reels, jigs, hornpipes and other trad tunes on the fiddle and guitar alongside the jigging.
8.15pm | Free performance & dance-along with Jig and a Swig
In the Atrium
Feel the music and show off your dance moves with Jig and a Swig, London's largest community of adult Irish dancers!
Find out more
About A Room Upstairs in 1956
During the 1950s over half a million people left Ireland, with most heading for the UK and the USA. Poor economic conditions forced masses to leave, but for women, who made up the majority of migrants during this period, the promise of more social freedoms held a great appeal.
About Housewarmings
Celebrate our newest, permanent gallery, this Museum Late series unpacks the stories of our seven new Rooms Through Time and explore what Home can mean. Explore how homes have evolved aesthetically alongside societal shifts, and enjoy a lively night at the Museum.
About Jig and a Swig
Jig and a Swig are London's largest community of adult Irish dancers. Since 2022, over 1,200 people have joined us for a jig. We welcome absolutely everyone; whether you've never danced a step in your life, are a former world champion or haven't danced in 40 years! We're simply about having the craic, doing some cardio, and building a sense of community in London through Irish dance.
@jigandaswig
About Jessie Leach
Jessie Leach founded Jig and a Swig in 2019 after a competitive career in Irish dancing which included being crowned Great Britain, All-Ireland and North American Champion, as well as placing 3rd in the World Championships. In 2016, Jessie qualified as an Irish dance teacher with An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha, before joining the cast of Riverdance. She has since toured the globe with shows including Celtic Legends, Magic of the Dance, and Celtic Fyre. Career highlights include dancing to a live TV audience of 200 million at the Alibaba Gala in Shanghai, and on Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway with Riverdance.
Jessie's previous charity-sector work - at organisations such as Women for Women International, The Jo Cox Foundation and the London Marathon Foundation - has shaped her inclusive and community-focused approach to teaching Irish dancing, where joy and togetherness always comes first.
A Room Upstairs in 1956
Discover more about this room and its inhabitants.
Date
Thursday 24 October 2024
Time
6pm to 9pm
Cost
Free (with some paid elements)
Location
Museum of the Home - 136 Kingsland Road, London E2 8EA