Youth Club Archive are planning on opening an IRL, physical version of its site.
The team behind the site are building the UK’s first Museum of Youth Culture. Having collected photographs, clothing and rave ephemera over the years, the online archive has now launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund a permanent Museum of Youth Culture in London – designed to be a free education space with a darkroom and gallery. The plan is to launch the museum next year, in 2020.
The team behind Youth Club Archive said, “We think it’s about time a permanent museum is dedicated to the specific needs of youth culture, subculture, and social history without the agenda of big institutions or curatorial bias.”
The current goal is to raise £15,000. Patrons will benefit from merch packages including a limited edition print, VIP early bird access to all exhibitions, talks and events, member-only events and unlimited access to both the online and physical archive.
Youth Club Archive are also planning on launching a free immersive, pop-up show in central London. The exhibition will pilot the physical museum with VR experiences, educational workshops, masterclasses and free public talks by key youth culture figures.
Originally formed from the archives of London-based club culture magazine Sleazenation, Youth Club Archive’s collection features over 100,000 photographs, slides and objects from various eras – including the acid house, northern soul, emo and punk scenes.
You can contribute to the Kickstarter campaign here.