The Fashion and Textile museum in Bermondsey is fundraising to stay afloat after losing 80 per cent of its income in the Covid-19 pandemic, writes Kit Heren….
The museum, on Bermondsey Street, says it needs £35,000 to keep going, of which it has already raised about £14,000. Lockdown has cost the museum £32,000 per month on average, organisers say. Most of the museum’s income before the pandemic came from visitors, workshops and donations.
Museums in London have been shut since mid-December after the capital was put into “tier 3” coronavirus rules and then national lockdown. The Fashion and Textile museum was shut from March 2020 amid the first outbreak and reopened in August.
Staff have put on online events while the museum has been closed to the public. Upcoming events include talks about sustainable fashion, the history of fashion magazine Vogue and the role of women in post-war textile design.
The museum which was founded in 2003 by Dame Zandra Rhodes, has had some emergency funding from Southwark Council through the local restrictions programme.
It has also applied for National Lottery funding as part of the government’s plan to bail out cultural centres hit by Covid-19 closures, and will find out if it has been successful by the end of the month. But a spokesperson for the museum said this money would not replace its lost income.
The museum is set to reopen on May 18 in line with government rules for moving out of lockdown. Supporters, designers and people who work at the museum have spoken out about its importance to the industry.
“Through the Covid-19 pandemic the Fashion and Textile Museum has become more important than ever, contributing to knowledge at a time when we must preserve, rather than destroy and forget,” Rhodes said.
“It is essential that we preserve a museum which exhibits design histories that might otherwise be ignored.
“The Fashion and Textile Museum is an incredible place to volunteer,” volunteer Danielle Higgins said. “It’s a warm, nurturing place, full of kindness. It means no matter what else is happening in the world, the few hours spent there are going to be informative, aesthetically beautiful and fun.”
Fashion designer Kitty Joseph added: “”I was really lucky to be part of the Fashion and Textile Museum’s encouraging, creative world and have hugely benefited from the community, support and education I’ve gained.”
You can donate to the fundraiser here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/fashionandtextilesforever#start