Housewarming: A Victorian Home from Kolkata to London

Atrium

Free

Join Suresh Singh AKA The Cockney Sikh for a DJ set. Punk fans may remember Suresh Singh as the drummer from the band Spizzenergi, who toured with Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Cure in 1979. In this charming playlist, Singh shares his love for music and his Sikh immigrant parents and his childhood in Spitalfields, east London.  

Architect and author of A Modest Living: Memoirs of a Cockney Sikh: The first London Sikh biography published by Spitalfields Life Books and edited by the Gentle Author. Suresh proves himself to be a candid writer and a canny curator of material that crosses family biography with postwar cultural history. His youth is filled first with National Front racism, then punk music and rebellion.

In his DJ set, he reflects the changing faces of his family and the evolution of one corner of the capital. Combined with Singh’s words and selection of music he loves, it is a timely reminder of all that modern Britishness encompasses.

A close friend of David Hoffman, this late is also a final opportunity to reflect on the powerful photography of David Hoffman in the exhibition Endurance and Joy in the East End: The Photography of David Hoffman.

Studio

Free

A Love Supreme is an audio-visual essay about the preparation of samosas and a tribute to the director's mother. Shot on 35mm film, the short focuses on capturing her dexterous fingers on film following a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.

Director Nilesh Patel will present an introductory talk to A Love Supreme at 6.30pm.

Run time: ca. 10 minutes, looped after the director's talk 

Ticketed £5 | Booking required

Opened in July 2024, explore the seven newest period rooms at the Museum from 1878 to 2049. Delve deeper into A Townhouse in 1878 with co-curator and historian Dr. Arunima Datta. Specialising in the British Empire and Asian history, Datta will share insights into the experiences of migrant workers in the British Empire and how these stories shaped the design of the period room.

 Ticketed £50 | Booking required

Discover Indian block printing in this hands-on workshop inspired by the textiles an ayah (nanny) might have brought with her from India in 1878. Discover the rich history behind this centuries-old craft, learn traditional techniques, and create your own printed fabric to take home. Led by Isabela from Haveli Diaries, this session celebrates the beauty of handmade textiles and the cultural stories they carry across time and place.

The session will begin with a brief introduction by Isabela from Haveli Diaries, exploring the history of block printing and its significance in Indian textile traditions. She will also provide insights into the 1878 room and its connection to the stories of migration and craftsmanship.

Participants will then have the opportunity to experience this centuries-old technique firsthand—choosing from hand-carved wooden blocks and printing their own unique patterns. By the end of the session, each participant will have their own hand-printed cushion cover to take home, carrying forward a tradition that has spanned generations.

Our bar will be serving up delicious snacks and drinks, including Kesar Chai from Chai Guys.

Open all evening, explore a curated collection of unique pieces from Haveli Diaries.

Plus, browse the Museum shop's curated selection of homeware, books, jewellery, ceramics and more. Recently awarded Best Retail Initiative at the Cultural Heritage Awards 2025.

Artist Chila Burman will be signing the 2024 monograph Chila Burman, published by Tate Publishing. This book celebrates one of Britain’s most exciting contemporary artists and showcases her extraordinary body of work spanning four decades.

Dr. Arunima Datta is a historian of British Empire and Asian (South and Southeast Asian) history. In her research and teaching, she is constantly exploring the everyday experiences of labor migrants within the context of the British Empire. Her themes of focus in her research are: labor, women's history, food and emotions. 

She serves as an Associate Editor for the journals Gender & History and Britain and the World, and as an Associate Review Editor for the American Historical Review. 

Arunima is also an IHSS Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Studies of Home, a partnership between Museum of the Home and Queen Mary University of London

Located on Oakfield Street in Chelsea, this terraced house is a typical home built to accommodate London’s fast-growing middle classes. Spread across four floors, the rooms have high ceilings and large bay windows to create bright spaces. It would have been home to the family and their servants, who would have slept in the attic.  

Find out more

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.

Born in Liverpool to Punjabi parents, artist Chila Kumari Singh Burman works across a range of mediums to explore themes of cultural identity and femininity, often blending her Indian roots with pop culture imagery. In 2023, Burman created Shiv Ji for Museum of the Home’s Winter Festival. Her works Queen of the Slip Stream and Mum are displayed near the Townhouse in 1878, creating a dialogue with the stories, images and objects in the room. 

Chai has a way of bringing people together—a moment of warmth, comfort, and connection. In 2018, Abhilash and Gabriel traveled across India, learning the craft and sourcing the finest tea. They returned to London with a vision and, in 2019, began serving authentic chai at Brick Lane Market. The city embraced it, and soon, Chai Guys expanded to Spitalfields, Canary Wharf, Covent Garden, and a chai Bakehouse on Portobello Road. Through every cup, we honour the tradition of chai while creating something fresh and exciting. Today, Chai Guys is a London staple, fueling a growing community with every pour. 

Isabela Streeter, founder of Haveli Diaries, is dedicated to preserving traditional Indian block printing while embracing a sustainable, slow-fashion approach. Half Indian and half English, she draws inspiration from heritage textiles, royal craftsmanship, and the stories woven into every handmade piece. Through Haveli Diaries, she collaborates with artisans to create one-of-a-kind, block-printed homeware and lifestyle pieces, ensuring that these time-honored techniques continue to thrive in a modern world. 

Nilesh is an award-winning architect who has worked in architectural and landscape design studios. He currently works for the National Trust. His debut film, A Love Supreme, is held in the collections of the British Film Institute and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.