Historically, migration has played a major role in Britain’s national life. It is the movement of people from one place to another, nationally or internationally, with those individuals making a place their home, on a permanent or temporary basis.

Lives in Motion features stories of migration spanning nearly 1000 years from the collections of the National Portrait Gallery and Nottingham City Museums and Galleries.

Including painting, sculpture, photography, print, and digital art, it looks at the variety of reasons why people move - and explores how leaving home and finding a new one in a different place can present opportunities but also challenges to somebody’s personal identity and sense of belonging.

Featuring a range of familiar names from throughout history such as William the Conqueror and George Frideric Handel, through to Freddy Mercury and Mo Farrah, the exhibition is arranged chronologically with sections exploring royalty, fame and contemporary commissions by the National Portrait Gallery. While the stories portrayed are of individuals within the portraits, they also demonstrate lived experience across time.

Exhibition organised by the National Portrait Gallery as part of the National Touring Programme and curated by Octavia Tam, an Art Fund Vivmar curatorial trainee, hosted by the National Portrait Gallery and Nottingham City Museums and Galleries. The Art Fund Vivmar Curatorial Traineeships are generously supported by The Vivmar Foundation.