The Museum of Enfield holds roughly 20,000 objects showcasing the culture and heritage of the London Borough of Enfield – from prehistoric tools and Roman archaeology to artwork and industrial history.

We have been awarded funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of their Dynamic Collection programme, allowing us to create greater access to our collection with a new publicly accessible database. The project will bring volunteers and members of the public together to help us catalogue the collection and identify gaps, making it relevant to the borough today.

What does the project involve?

• Update our cataloguing system from paper cards and spreadsheets to a fully functioning digital system
• Create an online public platform to access collection information
• Recruit volunteers to help us catalogue the collection
• Identify gaps in the collection for contemporary collection
• Ensure the museum remains relevant to the borough today

Programme - What's On

EXHIBITION: The Things We Keep

01 May - 29 November

FREE

Dugdale Arts Centre (DAC)

This exhibition gives residents from Enfield’s diverse communities the opportunity to share the stories behind personal objects that hold deep meaning in their lives.

The objects displayed are cherished reminders of family, friends, and loved ones. For some, they represent connections to cultural heritage, for others, they mark significant milestones, achievements, and personal transitions, each telling a unique story. From old photographs to handmade crafts, these items tell stories that connect culture, identity, and personal reflection, fostering a deeper sense of connection among individuals and communities.

The exhibition offers a glimpse into individual lives through their loaned or donated artefacts, showing how cherished items can tell powerful stories. It also revisits objects in our existing collection, celebrating and enriching local narratives.

The Things We Keep is the final exhibition of the Objects Stories project, funded by the National Heritage Lottery’s Dynamic Collection programme. It has allowed us to collect and display objects from Enfield's diverse communities, making the Council’s collection more representative of the borough. A new public collections database will also launch later this year.

With special thanks to the following organisations for introducing us to individuals within their network who shared their incredible stories with us:

• Enfield Caribbean Association
• Black Heritage Hub
• African Health Policy Network
• Gyspy, Roma, Traveller (GRT)
• Britanya Alevi Federasyonu

PREVIOUS PROJECT PROGRAMME

What have we done so far in the project?

EVENT: Help us share your stories!

Wednesday 26 March, 2pm - 5pm

FREE (food, drink and entertainment provided)

Edmonton Green Library, 36-44 South Mall, Edmonton, N9 0TN

The Museum has significant gaps in its collection relating to the borough’s long-standing diverse communities despite their predominance in the borough’s identity. We’d like to use this event to invite you to bring along objects that represent your culture and/or have relevant stories that you’d like to share for this pop-up exhibition and celebration.

We are hoping that this will then lead to a major community exhibition this Spring at DAC (where the Museum of Enfield is located) celebrating the diverse cultures of Enfield.

If you’d like to participate and/or know others that would be interested, please get in touch:

E: marina.arbelbide@enfield.gov.uk / T: 020 813 20532

EXHIBITION: Home from Home

20 July - 11 January

FREE

Dugdale Arts Centre (DAC)

Working in partnership with local resident’s association REACT, Home from Home, the first of two major exhibitions as part of our Object Stories project funded by National Heritage Lottery Fund. This exhibition explores what home means to the people of Enfield, told through residents’ personal objects and stories of memories, journeys, working lives, social lives, and making home. The exhibition also takes a fresh look at objects in our existing collection, helping to illustrate these personal stories.

POP-UP DISPLAY: Object Stories - a collection by Museum of Enfield

24 April - 13 July

FREE

Dugdale Arts Centre (DAC)

As part of our Dynamic Collections project, we are aiming to display as many objects from our collection that have either not been on display for some time or have never been on public display before! The objects you can see in our pop-up display at DAC have been chosen by members of staff and museum volunteers, and showcase just some of the objects in the collection.

This is just one of three we have planned as part of this project - keep an eye out for two major exhibitions coming over the next year!

EVENT: Help us share your stories!

Tuesday 30 April, 5pm - 8pm

FREE (food and drink provided)

Fore Street Library, 109-111 Fore Street, N18 2XF

Would you like to see YOUR object in the Museum of Enfield?

The Museum of Enfield started its community partnership with REACT as part of the Object Stories project.

The Museum’s collection does not have much material relating to the borough’s long-standing working communities, despite their predominance in the borough’s identity. The museum wants to be able to share an existing collection that is representative, preserves, and celebrates these histories. To do so, we are working with REACT to find appropriate ways to engage local people of Edmonton and encourage object donations to the museum.

Come along to our first dedicated drop-in event and help us share your stories. 

We encourage individuals that have items at home they would like to see in the museum collection to bring them over to the event and share their stories with us. We will be presenting the project and explaining the donations process all in a convivial space with food and drinks provided. Your objects could be featured in the new museum exhibition this summer at Dugdale Arts Centre!

EVENT: Somali Culture Living Library

Tuesday 07 May, 4pm - 7pm

FREE (food and drink provided)

Edmonton Green Library, 36-44 South Mall, N9 0TN

Come over to Edmonton Green Library for a free event celebrating Somali cultural heritage in the borough!

What's involved?

• Guess the artefact
• Take part in craft activities
• Starting at 4:30 - talks on Somali history in Enfield
• dancing, music, food and more!