Interior Architecture students explore Kilburn’s hidden stories in latest phase of innovative community and Middlesex University project

A recent event in Kilburn saw the culmination of a project that involved Middlesex University Interior Architecture students working with community groups to explore the area’s hidden stories.

The event, entitled ‘Kilburn Museum Lab’, was held at The Tin Tabernacle, a Grade II listed building in Kilburn.

The exhibition brought together a diverse array of contributions from the community, each reflecting their interpretation of what a museum represents. These contributions included photographs, art pieces, documents, written stories, and interviews. Each item offered a unique perspective on the experiences and narratives of people working and living in Kilburn, showcasing their vision of the museum and what it means to them.

It was the latest manifestation of the Kilburn Museum Lab project, an initiative that has seen collaboration between university students and academics, community groups including Camden Kilburn Library and PAPRIKA Collective, an arts and education social enterprise, and local residents.

Funded by Middlesex University and The British Academy, the project has involved workshops, talks and events over the past nine months to gather information for exhibitions that enable visitors to explore the area’s past, present and future through the eyes of its community.

Earlier this year, Dr Francesca Murialdo, Director of Programmes in Interior Architecture and Design at Middlesex University who leads the Kilburn Lab Project, conducted a three-week workshop with BA Interior Architecture students to develop and design The Nomadic Museum. Students worked and discussed their ideas with community members to develop ideas and designs for the displays.

Dr Murialdo said: “The community’s diversity and historical significance has provided a unique lens through which we can explore London’s and the UK’s broader historical narratives.

“The Kilburn Museum Lab is a work in progress; every member of the community becomes a curator, a storyteller and a guardian of Kilburn’s legacy, ensuring its preservation for present and future generations.

“The Museum is everywhere in Kilburn; while it manifested recently in a physical event at The Tin Tabernacle, its essence transcends physical boundaries, thriving on community interaction.”

Visitors to the exhibition were able to see and experience a rich array of events including listening to a song written and performed especially for the event by Stevon The Well Wisher, a local musician, and see the Kilburn State of Mind Choir performing during the evening.

Among the Museum’s contributions, The Kilburn Tapestries, a work created by visual artists Helen Delaney (lecturer in Fashion Communication at Middlesex University) and Brenda Aherne that depict the lives both past and present of the Irish community in the Borough of Brent and the Kilburn area, and demonstrate their influence on the music and arts scene in London.

An installation called ‘Indentiscentory’ by Jr-Yun Lin, a Middlesex University and Kilburn Museum Lab artist and designer-in-residence, gave visitors a sense of the smells and sounds of Kilburn using a scent inspired by the area. The aim was to create an immersive experience where memories and stories were triggered for visitors through olfactory cues.

The collection of objects raised questions about how to preserve them without having to maintain a physical archive, explained Dr Murialdo. As a result, the project 3D Scan x Kilburn, in collaboration with Alex Morillon, Senior Technician in Digital Manufacturing at Middlesex University, explored the use of portable 3D scanning technology to capture three dimensional objects. The scanning process resulted in a collection of virtual digital objects and videos featuring the 3D scanned models which are archived on the Kilburn Museum Lab digital platform at kilburnmuseumlab.org.

A sustainability project involving the entire Middlesex University community and led by Dr Murialdo and Rory Hooper, Senior Technician in Small Metals and Jewellery at Middlesex University, resulted in the repurposing of donated plastic bottle tops collected on campus into bespoke components for the exhibition display systems for the Kilburn Museum Lab.

Additionally, the exhibition included a dedicated space called ‘The Future’ which calls for ideas and wishes from visitors on the area’s future and the continuation of the Kilburn Museum Lab project.

• Find out more about The Kilburn Museum Lab project
• Find out more about studying BA Interior Architecture