Visitors to the People’s History Museum in Manchester are confronted with the key debates on the UK leaving and remaining in the European Union (EU) as soon as they set foot inside the building.
It is almost impossible to avoid walking through a four-metre long and three-metre wide ‘Eurotunnel’ appearing in the museum’s entrance hall from 18 May to 5 July.
The tunnel, which has been designed by artist Alex J Gardner, is adorned with materials and information outlining the arguments for and against Brexit. The museum worked with academics from the University of Nottingham to condense key aspects of the debate, which it is displaying visually.
Security, immigration and the economy are among the themes being explored. Infographics are used to illustrate the arguments and highlight how the members of each of the main political parties are voting.
The exhibition also features caricatures of key figures in the remain camp and the leave camp, including the prime minster David Cameron, the former London mayor Boris Johnson and Gisela Stuart MP – the most senior Labour figure in the leave campaign.
Material attached to the outside of the tunnel explains how the EU works and the key institutions involved in it.
Chris Burgess, the curator at the People’s History Museum, says: “The physical exhibition offers a balanced guide to the EU referendum, and will provide a backdrop to discussion and live events and debate. This is the space to learn about what the EU means to us as a nation.
“Because no one really knows the consequences of leaving and staying, the People’s History Museum will provide a space where people can really think about what the EU means to them in order to make an informed choice when they come to vote.”
Visitors also have the opportunity to post and share their opinions on the referendum and distribute their own campaign materials, which will be added to the museum’s collection. Campaigners have the chance to film and broadcast from the museum.
“We want the museum to be a place where these ideas are discussed, so if people want to come and hold their own events here that’s fine,” says Burgess.
On the whole the museum has stepped away from focusing on objects and has instead let the project be led by creative design features. However, the exhibition does include materials from the leave and remain campaigns.
Visitors can also compare the leaflet Cameron sent through people’s doors at the start of the referendum campaign with a similar pamphlet produced under Harold Wilson’s government ahead of the last referendum on Europe in 1975. Maps are displayed to show how much the EU has expanded since then.
Burgess reiterates that exhibition’s purpose is to tell people to go out and vote, rather than which way to vote. “The museum believes you should vote – some people think that we shouldn’t take that stance – but it is about engagement. If someone is going to spoil their ballot then that is a political act in itself.”
It is almost impossible to avoid walking through a four-metre long and three-metre wide ‘Eurotunnel’ appearing in the museum’s entrance hall from 18 May to 5 July.
The tunnel, which has been designed by artist Alex J Gardner, is adorned with materials and information outlining the arguments for and against Brexit. The museum worked with academics from the University of Nottingham to condense key aspects of the debate, which it is displaying visually.
Security, immigration and the economy are among the themes being explored. Infographics are used to illustrate the arguments and highlight how the members of each of the main political parties are voting.
The exhibition also features caricatures of key figures in the remain camp and the leave camp, including the prime minster David Cameron, the former London mayor Boris Johnson and Gisela Stuart MP – the most senior Labour figure in the leave campaign.
Material attached to the outside of the tunnel explains how the EU works and the key institutions involved in it.
Chris Burgess, the curator at the People’s History Museum, says: “The physical exhibition offers a balanced guide to the EU referendum, and will provide a backdrop to discussion and live events and debate. This is the space to learn about what the EU means to us as a nation.
“Because no one really knows the consequences of leaving and staying, the People’s History Museum will provide a space where people can really think about what the EU means to them in order to make an informed choice when they come to vote.”
Visitors also have the opportunity to post and share their opinions on the referendum and distribute their own campaign materials, which will be added to the museum’s collection. Campaigners have the chance to film and broadcast from the museum.
“We want the museum to be a place where these ideas are discussed, so if people want to come and hold their own events here that’s fine,” says Burgess.
On the whole the museum has stepped away from focusing on objects and has instead let the project be led by creative design features. However, the exhibition does include materials from the leave and remain campaigns.
Visitors can also compare the leaflet Cameron sent through people’s doors at the start of the referendum campaign with a similar pamphlet produced under Harold Wilson’s government ahead of the last referendum on Europe in 1975. Maps are displayed to show how much the EU has expanded since then.
Burgess reiterates that exhibition’s purpose is to tell people to go out and vote, rather than which way to vote. “The museum believes you should vote – some people think that we shouldn’t take that stance – but it is about engagement. If someone is going to spoil their ballot then that is a political act in itself.”
