Exhibition: Behind that Door

A special exhibition exploring the rich heritage of the Wimbledon Village Club and Lecture Hall. Over the years the building has witnessed a full spectrum of experiences, providing piety and sobriety, shelter and camaraderie, conviviality and revelry. Visitors will discover the building’s links to Wimbledon’s history and the colourful characters who have crossed its threshold.

Artist in Residence: Alastair Gordon

Alastair Gordon is working with Wimbledon Museum to produce a show in the Gallery in early 2026. The core of the show will be paintings of museum objects, based on drawings made during his residency.
Notions of authenticity lie at the heart of his artistic enquiry, as he looks for evidence of the real thing within his practice. Artists’ materials such as masking tape and paper are rendered in paint to appear as taped or pinned on a wooden surface, a practice that refers to a specific form of illusionism that proliferated in 17th century Northern Europe called quodlibet (what you will).

Photography Exhibition: Shamani Surendran

Shamani Surendran was Photographer in Residence in September 2023, when she created this series of portraits of the building. She lives with her family in Wimbledon.

Shamani sees photography as a way to capture a unique moment, never to be repeated, different from the time before and different from the time ahead. It allows her to translate her observations visually onto paper so that others may interpret what she has seen. It is often exciting when someone notices something totally different whilst looking at the same subject – a face in a tree, a shape in a shadow, a story in a reflection – and provokes the question “What is it we truly see in front of us?”.

Family Activities

BACK HOME
Help bring Wimbledon’s wildlife back to the Common! In this interactive collage activity, families can:
Choose a local animal friend
Learn about its habits and needs
Build a new “home” for it on Wimbledon Common using paper collage materials
A fun and imaginative way to explore the habitats of local wildlife while learning about the Common.

OUR PATCHWORK HOME
What does “home” mean to you? Families are invited to paint and stitch their own stories of home onto recycled fabric. Each piece will be joined together to create a large communal quilt — a growing artwork that reflects the personal and collective memories of Wimbledon residents.
These workshops have been specially created by Kingston University MA Illustration and Animation students.

CHILDHOOD MUSICAL MEMORIES
Share your earliest memories of music at home and in childhood in this relaxed drop-in session and listen to a soundscape inspired by the childhood songs and stories of local residents.

Walking tour: Lost Manor Houses of Wimbledon

Join experienced guide Alan Blower for a Wimbledon Museum walk taking in the sites of the lost Manor Houses of Wimbledon. The tour starts and finishes at the Wimbledon Museum, where you can see the models of the Manor Houses as well hearing the stories of the other objects on display.