Museum of Youth Culture to open in London this year

A museum focused specifically on youth culture is opening in London later this year.

Situated at St. Pancras Campus in Camden, the”world’s first” youth culture will open in December. Having been in the making for over two decades, it will provide a look into the music and subcultures of Britain’s youth, with an aim to “collect, preserve and celebrate the real stories and impact of teenage life”.

The museum will be housed in a 6500sq ft space, and will tell its stories about British youth via a “radical, national collection” of memorabilia. Among the archives and collections on display will be “well-worn band t-shirts, iconic photography, rave flyers, dub soundsystems and school leavers shirts”. Tracing a line from post-war London, it will look at various youth culture movements, including the ’90s popularity of raves and acid house.

The gallery will be split across three spaces. Two of them will house the museum’s permanent collection, while the third will give young people a place to exhibit their own work.

“This is more than a place to look back, it’s a space to participate, contribute, and shape the cultural narrative together,” founder Jon Swinstead said. “Camden has been synonymous with music and youth culture for decades, making it the natural home for the museum.

“We’re creating a space for stories that have often been overlooked but are essential to understanding who we are. Youth culture drives innovation, challenges norms, and creates communities – it’s one of the most powerful forces in society.”

The museum will also feature a café, record store, and various exhibitions, workshops, talks and other events.

Find out more about the project here.

Earlier this year, London’s V&A museum announced it would be opening an exhibition on the city’s lost music venues next year.