MERL partnership awarded Museum of Sanctuary status

Reading’s Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) and Reading Museum (Museums Partnership Reading) are proud to announce they have both received Museum of Sanctuary status.

Museum of Sanctuary is a national award celebrating museums that go above and beyond to welcome people seeking sanctuary and contribute to building a more compassionate society.

To apply for Museum of Sanctuary status, Museums Partnership Reading produced a joint four-year plan to celebrate Reading’s cultural diversity. The plan, presented to someone with lived experience of seeking sanctuary, includes a renewal of displays, audio trails, opportunities for participation, and staff and volunteer training.

The Museum of Sanctuary awards build on the museums’ previous work with sanctuary seekers and local charities in Reading. The museums worked with Care 4 Calais to run craft sessions for sanctuary seeker families, and partnered with Reading’s Rank and File Theatre to share the stories of refugees, asylum seekers and survivors of domestic abuse through theatre.

The award also extends the commitment to sanctuary found throughout our town. It builds on the work of the University of Reading as a University of Sanctuary and of Reading Borough Council as a City of Sanctuary.

This announcement follows the 25th United Nations’ International Day of Peace on Saturday 21 September. This global event aims to celebrate peace in the minds of children and communities through formal and informal education, across countries and generations.

Reading’s museums are important spaces for celebrating cultural diversity. They educate on local and global history, provide space for shared learning and understanding, and can help to engender a sense of belonging and affirmation for groups that may be marginalised.

Professor Federico Faloppa, Research Division Impact Lead at University of Reading, said: “The University of Reading is proud to be a University of Sanctuary. The MERL becoming a Museum of Sanctuary extends our institutional commitment to being a safe, welcoming and compassionate place for refugees and asylum seekers wishing to participate in higher education.

“As a university with a diverse student and staff population, we welcome people from all backgrounds to our campus and spaces. The opportunity to understand new cultures and perspectives strengthens our understanding of the world, which helps us find new approaches to tackle the global issues that affect us all."

Nick Harborne, CEO of Reading Refugee Support, said: “We are living in troubled times, internationally and here in the UK with the recent civil disturbances. Thankfully Reading has always been a fantastically diverse place, rich in cultural heritage, and proud of its support of refugees going back to the Second World War. So it amazing that as the United Nations marks International Day of Peace, the museums share news of contributing to a more peaceful and welcoming town.”

Councillor Adele Barnett-Ward, Lead Councillor for Leisure and Culture at Reading Borough Council, said: “Reading is a City of Sanctuary not only in name, but in actions, and the Museums of Sanctuary Award for Reading Museum and Museum of English Rural Life is recognition of our actions - Reading is a welcoming place of safety for all and we are proud to provide sanctuary seekers a voice.

“Reading Museum is in the heart of our town and well placed to celebrate the achievements and contributions of everyone in our communities. The Museum has developed a culture of welcomeness and inclusion over a number of years and we'll continue to use Museums of Sanctuary status to promote a society that is fairer, compassionate and welcoming. Thank you to the staff and volunteers for all the hard work that has gone into this achievement.”