Neil MacGregor presents a new series for BBC Radio Four celebrating the role and ambition of museums the length and breadth of the country, and in the process he'll be find answers to the question ‘What are Museums For in 2022’.

In today's episode Neil heads to the South coast where Brighton's reputation as a flamboyant, 'out there' city has been enjoyed from the Regency period to the present. And while the Pavilion itself might be an object that epitomises that, the museum has chosen to celebrate an exhibit from their 'Queer Looks' gallery which tells the story of the city's status as the unofficial gay capital of the UK, by celebrating powerful and universal human emotions and rituals which have been allowed to flourish here. That's what lies behind the choice of the wedding attire of Ciara Green and Abbie Lockyer. They got married in 2016, and in a first for Neil, he gets to chat to the original owners of a museum exhibit about what it means to see their clothes on display, and how it affects their views about a museum's role in shaping the attitudes and ambitions of a local community.

Museums have always been telescopes trained on the past to help locate a sense of place in the present. Neil believes that role is an active one, responding to changes in the people museums serve and the shifting social and cultural landscape they inhabit. After spending much of his life at the centre of our national Museum life in London, Neil is taking to the road to discover more about the extraordinary work being done in cherished Museums outside the capital, from Stornoway to Stowmarket, and Belfast to Birmingham.

In each episode he visits a single museum, inviting them to choose an object from their collections which they feel best illustrates their civic role, and the way they relate and want to relate to their local audience. Very rarely have they chosen a crown jewel from their often priceless collections. More often it's an object with a particular local resonance, or which helps tackle episodes from the past which are being viewed very differently by citizens in the 21st century.

He’ll be visiting the great national museums of Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, as well as major city institutions in Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool and elsewhere. And in spite of the challenges of the last two years, everywhere he meets passionate teams who are dedicated to providing a unique experience for both local audiences and visitors from further afield.

Neil writes: “What’s going on in our museums is at once challenging and exciting and it can only really be understood by visiting as many as possible and finding out how they have approached what is a vital role in providing a sense of local, regional and national identity.”

Producer - Tom Alban
Original music composed by Phil Channell Show less