‘Artefacts were just sitting in suitcases in people’s homes’: the London museum preserving Somali culture

‘If we don’t preserve these objects now, we risk losing them altogether’ … containers and camel bells used by nomadic people, part of the Culture House collection. Photograph: Luke Unsworth

You could probably walk right past Culture House without noticing it. Tucked away, just off the bustle of London’s Uxbridge Road, the building’s muted colours, simple sign and arched doorway give little away. Step inside, though, and you’ll soon be enticed by what is the UK’s first permanent exhibition and cultural space dedicated to Somali heritage.

Officially opened last May, Culture House features a collection of over 150 artefacts, a rotating exhibition, poetry workshops and a digital archive. It has quickly developed a reputation as a hub for the UK’s Somali community, while drawing in curious visitors from outside the diaspora too. Non-profit group the Anti-Tribalism Movement, who lead the project, say the aim is to “celebrate, preserve and connect” Somali culture and communities.