Museum celebrating British youth culture to open in Camden

The UK’s first permanent institution dedicated to the history of youth culture will open in May.

On Friday, May 15th, the Museum of Youth Culture launches in Camden.

The space will celebrate youth movements that emerged from clubs, record shops, markets and community halls in terms of how they have shaped the way Britain dresses, speaks, creates and organises.

From style and sound to politics and identity, the youth culture that has repeatedly redrawn the cultural landscape of the country wil be formally recognised and permanently preserved.

Founded in 1997 by Jon Swinstead, and joined by Jamie Brett in 2012, they developed the organisation from a simple photo archive in a shed.

What began as a grassroots act of preservation grew organically through community contribution into a nationally recognised archive, helped by National Lottery players and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

That collective effort now has a permanent home.

The museum spans three gallery spaces with photography, artefacts, audio, fashion and print to trace the evolution of British youth movements across decades.

Co-Founder of the Museum of Youth Culture, Jamie Brett, said: "Everything in this museum exists because people cared enough to save it. Flyers kept in drawers. Photos stored on hard drives. Stories shared before they disappeared. We’ve poured years into protecting this culture because it belongs to the people who built it. Giving it a permanent home is about honouring that effort.”

For details go to museumofyouthculture.com.