Memory Library: New Portsmouth pop-up museum explores memory, technology and human connection
A new pop-up museum exploring how art and technology can help us celebrate memories, share stories and connect with one another is coming to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard this November.
Running from 14–21 November at Boathouse 5, Memory Library will bring together people and communities from across Portsmouth with local and international artists for a free programme of contemporary art, film, workshops and immersive technology.
Created by Portsmouth artist and creative director Thomas Buckley, Memory Library explores what happens to our stories as technology reshapes the way we live and communicate, and the importance of preserving the human experiences behind them.
Thomas, an alumnus Fellow of the Royal Shakespeare Company, works across AR, VR, projection, theatre and immersive practice, exploring how emerging technologies can create new forms of connection.
Thomas said:
“Memory Library is a lifelong project for me. An ongoing exploration of how art and technology can put people, their stories and their memories at the heart of what we create.
“By bringing together international artists, emerging local artists and communities, we can experiment with new ways of telling and sharing stories, while exploring how technology can help us preserve memory, create empathy and connect with one another.
“Taking inspiration from the traditional role of a library as a place for stories, ideas and different perspectives, I want Memory Library to become a new kind of third space, somewhere to meet, listen, think and question the role technology plays in our lives.
“Ultimately, it’s about using technology as a tool for connection, while making sure the human story always comes first.”
Throughout the project, visitors will be invited not simply to experience the work on display, but to contribute their own stories and memories too.
One strand, Recollect Together will create opportunities for people who might otherwise never meet to sit down and talk, bringing those from different communities together to share experiences, memories and perspectives through a series of conversation prompts.
Visitors will also be invited to leave behind a memory of their own in the form of a note, letter or story, contributing to an evolving archive of the people and experiences that pass-through Memory Library.
Opportunity for Portsmouth artists
Local artists will also have the opportunity to become part of Memory Library through Resonate, an artist development strand supporting creatives who are underrepresented in the technology space, including women, queer artists and young creatives.
Three artists will be selected through an open call to work alongside Portsmouth communities, exploring themes of memory and heritage and investigating how technology might offer new ways to interpret and express those experiences.
The work created by the selected artists will be presented at Memory Library as part of its contemporary art programme.
Memory Library will also welcome artists and cultural practitioners from Bangladesh, Egypt, Lebanon and Malta to Portsmouth, supported by British Council and their Connections Through Culture 2025 grant funding. The visiting artists will share their work and perspectives on memory, storytelling and technology, while leading workshops with local participants in areas including filmmaking and video art.
Bringing together artists working in very different places and cultural contexts, the programme will explore both the differences and common ground in the ways we remember, record and share our experiences.
Film, art and new technology
A curated programme of international and art films exploring memory and technology will be on display throughout the project. Films will run on a loop, allowing people to drop in and experience the programme in their own time, alongside artwork from participating artists.
The wider programme will also include a special drag event and a conference bringing together artists, programmers and practitioners to explore some of the ideas and questions behind Memory Library, with further details to be announced.
For Thomas, this is one step in a much longer ambition for Memory Library, with a vision for the project to ultimately become a permanent museum and cultural space dedicated to memory, technology, storytelling and human connection.
Thomas added:
“Memory Library’s approach is rooted in the belief that being entrusted with someone’s story is a privilege.
“We want to explore how technology can be used sensitively to interpret, preserve and share memories and stories, while always respecting the people and experiences behind them.”
Memory Library takes place at Boathouse 5, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, from 14–21 November 2026. It forms part of the Portsmouth100 programme of events and is also part of We Shine Community, the free citywide light festival launched by Portsmouth Creates in 2021. Entry is free.
The pop-up museum is supported by Arts Council England, British Council, the British Council’s Connections Through Culture 2025 grant, Portsmouth City Council and Portsmouth Creates, with partners including Portsmouth100 and Portsmouth Historic Quarter.
Further details, including the full programme can be found here - https://memory-library.co.uk