The new Hackney Museum opened in April 2002 with new permanent displays focussing on migration and settlement.

Hackney is one of the most culturally diverse areas in Europe; today, more than 90 languages are spoken in the Borough and it is the second most economically deprived area in the UK. The challenge was to create a local history museum both relevant to and reflective of Hackney and its people.

One of the strengths of the project is the degree to which local people have been involved in the research and development of the displays. Oral history interviews were conducted by

and with local people; groups of volunteers from a wide range of Hackney communities were commissioned to collect artefacts for display; and children from a local school produced powerful and moving sculptures illustrating why their family lives in Hackney. This kind of participation continues to shape the museum's development. The museum has used a thematic approach, with separate areas of the museum exploring the different reasons people chose to settle in Hackney over the last 1000 years.

Public response to the new museum has been enthusiastic with the museum on target to attract double its annual target already.

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