The Museums That Make Us

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Neil MacGregor tours Britain's museums to explore how the past tells us who we want to be.

Neil MacGregor travels the length and breadth of the country to find out how Britain's museums use their collections to reflect the identity and ambitions of  local communities.

Neil MacGregor presents a new series for BBC Radio Four celebrating the museums to be found in all corners of Britain. The ambition is to explore local, regional and city museums across the length and breadth of the country, and in the process to answer the question 'What are Museums for in 2022?'.

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 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

BBC Radio 4 LW

The Museums That Make Us: Penrhyn Castle, North Wales

Penrhyn Castle, North Wales

BBC Radio 4 - The Museums That Make Us, Penrhyn Castle, North Wales

Neil MacGregor travels to Penrhyn Castle, a glorious faux Norman building with an equally glorious collection of art, but with a dark history now being told.

Neil MacGregor presents a new series for BBC Radio Four celebrating the museums to be found in all corners of Britain. The ambition is to explore local, regional and city museums across the length and breadth of the country, and in the process to answer the question ‘What are Museums For in 2022’.

In the third programme Neil is in North Wales to see Penrhyn Castle.  Built on money from slavery, the abolition of slavery and then the Slate Quarry nearby, the castle is now run by the National Trust who are striving to tell the story of their rich collection of art alongside the reality of what made it possible.


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 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

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