The British Music Experience at the O2 Bubble in London is a museum and educational institution that pays homage to British musicians from the 1940s to the present day. It features memorabilia from iconic British artists such as the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Amy Winehouse, as well as interactive exhibits and areas where visitors can try out musical instruments and learn folk dances. The museum was funded by donations from artists and producers, as well as contributions from famed British music promoter Harvey Goldsmith. The museum is run by Goldsmith and a team of curators, who decide which exhibits to highlight.
The Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Experience Music Project in Washington are where America preserves many of its most select music memorabilia, creating a distinctly American pantheon of legends. In 2009, with the creation of the British Music Experience at the O2 Bubble entertainment complex in London’s North Greenwich area, the UK established its own respectful pantheon. The museum and educational institution dates back to the 1940s to pay homage not only to the local artists who shaped modern pop and rock, but also to musicians from other countries who have been widely embraced by British culture.
Some of the biggest bands in modern British music are represented, by time, in the British Music Experience. The World War II era, with exposure to country music and American big bands, fueled the later eras of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones into more modern musicians such as the Stone Roses, Oasis and Amy Winehouse. According to a BBC report on the museum’s 2009 opening, every era since 1945 had detailed memorabilia, such as the iconic costumes of Adam Ant, David Bowie and Duran Duran filling the late 1970s and early 2000s. 1980s, heavily glam and punk section.
The non-profit museum received $6.5 million pounds (approximately $10,000,000 US Dollars (USD)) when it opened, from more than 100 artists and producers. Famed British music promoter Harvey Goldsmith, chairman of the board, contributed much of the rest of the items in the museum, which cost $9,500,000 million pounds sterling (nearly $15,000,000 USD) to design and build. At 6,500 square metres, the O2 Bubble also has room for three entertainment venues to fully promote the British Music Experience: the huge central arena which holds 23,000 as well as clubs indigO2 and Matter. The complex also has a cinema, restaurants and shops.
The goldsmith and a team of museum curators decide which artists and exhibits are highlighted at the museum. This differs from Rock Hall in Cleveland, which appoints and nominates members based on the votes of a sizable committee of industry leaders. The British Music Experience has filled a decade-long gap in the UK, however, that was formed when the Center for Popular Music in Sheffield closed.
As well as the comprehensive history displays and playback booths at the British Music Experience, visitors also have access to other areas with a hands-on focus. An interactive studio produced by instrument maker Gibson offers the latest rock musical instruments for you to sample. Another area, called Dance the Decades, teaches visitors folk dances from different eras. All of Great Britain is highlighted, with a display that allows customers to move the cursor across a map of the island nation to find out where various musical milestones have occurred.
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