Open Day

The chapel is open to the public and is free to visit. Today’s Open Day includes the exhibition below.

Please note that we are closed for maintenance on 8 and 9 September, reopening on 10 September at 11am.

HIVstory is an innovative and exciting outreach project created by The National HIV Story Trust, an archival and educational charity who have collected the largest collection of filmed testimony in the UK from people who have been affected by HIV and AIDS.

Paul Coleman, Chair of the National HIV Story Trust said, “The Fitzrovia Chapel has a long association with HIV and AIDS and was originally part of the Middlesex Hospital where the first AIDS wards were created: the Broderip and Charles Bell Wards.
“Some of the participants featured in the exhibition have a deep association with the wards – some worked or received care there in the 80s and 90s.

“It is therefore particularly poignant to be bringing their voices back to the Chapel as we ensure the stories of the pandemic live on.”

The exhibition draws from an archive of over 120 filmed interviews, hosted at the London Archives, and which capture both the horror and the hope of the period.

Each person’s story is of course unique, but the exhibition has been designed to guide visitors through the interconnections between them. The HIVstory Project and exhibition has been funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The exhibition runs from 1st-3rd September.