A site-specific exhibition celebrating the iconic India Club, put together by National Trust London, one of our New Museum School partners where trainee Qanitah Malik was based.
Opening on the 30th of January 2019, the National Trust’s A Home Away from Home: The India Club was a site-specific exhibition that shined a light on the rich social history of this iconic club on the Strand and showcased its significance as a meeting point and community space, initially for migrants arriving from the Indian subcontinent, and gradually spreading to a wider intellectual community.
Hosted in the club itself at 143 Strand, the exhibition warmly invited visitors to immerse themselves in interactive audio exhibits and hear the first-hand stories of people connected with the Club: from freedom fighters and descendants of its founding members to former staff, BBC reporters who worked in nearby Bush House, as well as artists and writers. The exhibition accompanied a programme of supper clubs, artist talks, screenings and conversations. Collaborators include the Migration Museum, Chocolate Films, Comfort Food Stories, Migrateful, and artist collective Specular Assembly.
Image: India Club restaurant today, courtesy of the National Trust.