Margaret Middleton
@magmidd.bsky.social
They/them. Manchester, England. Freelance designer of playful learning experiences.
Museums - Exhibit Design - Social Justice - Queer Possibility - Power of Play - Children's Museums
margaretmiddleton.com
Museums - Exhibit Design - Social Justice - Queer Possibility - Power of Play - Children's Museums
margaretmiddleton.com
Pinned
Reposted by Margaret Middleton
This isn't just near Independence Hall. It's where Washington stayed while president, kept slaves, posted bounty ads for runaways, and rotated them back and forth to VA to evade PA's manumission law. This is what it's known for, this specific location's primary historical significance is slavery.
The exhibits about slavery at the President’s House in Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park have been removed amid pressure from the Trump admin www.inquirer.com/politics/nat...
January 23, 2026 at 2:24 PM
This isn't just near Independence Hall. It's where Washington stayed while president, kept slaves, posted bounty ads for runaways, and rotated them back and forth to VA to evade PA's manumission law. This is what it's known for, this specific location's primary historical significance is slavery.
Just walked past a house getting roof work with the radio blasting. As soon as Natasha Bedingfield hit the chorus, four loud Yorkshire voices suddenly joined in from under the tarp. Bravo, lads.
January 23, 2026 at 2:04 PM
Just walked past a house getting roof work with the radio blasting. As soon as Natasha Bedingfield hit the chorus, four loud Yorkshire voices suddenly joined in from under the tarp. Bravo, lads.
Reposted by Margaret Middleton
This is surreal. 4 Oglala Lakota men kidnapped by ICE in Minneapolis have finally been located. One of them was released but the other 3 are being held at Fort Snelling, a former concentration camp used to imprison Native people incl. the Dakota 38 during Dakota Wars.
ictnews.org/news/north-c...
ictnews.org/news/north-c...
Four Oglala detainees located, three still in ICE custody - ICT
The four Lakota detainees were reportedly sent to a former concentration camp used during the Dakota Wars
ictnews.org
January 14, 2026 at 10:31 PM
This is surreal. 4 Oglala Lakota men kidnapped by ICE in Minneapolis have finally been located. One of them was released but the other 3 are being held at Fort Snelling, a former concentration camp used to imprison Native people incl. the Dakota 38 during Dakota Wars.
ictnews.org/news/north-c...
ictnews.org/news/north-c...
Reposted by Margaret Middleton
Note that the fascist is not using the pepper spray for crowd control. He is entering a vehicle unimpeded to depart. He is simply using the pepper spray to physically punish an unarmed citizen he doesn't like.
Big clash this afternoon between DHS agents and protesters in a residential street in Minneapolis, following a DHS agent hitting another vehicle. Tear gas was deployed in people’s yards and agents pepper prayed people.
January 12, 2026 at 9:04 PM
Note that the fascist is not using the pepper spray for crowd control. He is entering a vehicle unimpeded to depart. He is simply using the pepper spray to physically punish an unarmed citizen he doesn't like.
Reposted by Margaret Middleton
if you want to know what it is like in minneapolis, I don’t even have to scroll on facebook to find a horror story. it’s basically my whole feed.
everyone i know in minneapolis is seeing ICE take people—at gas stations, taquerias, bus stops, schools. just snatching random people.
everyone i know in minneapolis is seeing ICE take people—at gas stations, taquerias, bus stops, schools. just snatching random people.
January 10, 2026 at 2:12 PM
if you want to know what it is like in minneapolis, I don’t even have to scroll on facebook to find a horror story. it’s basically my whole feed.
everyone i know in minneapolis is seeing ICE take people—at gas stations, taquerias, bus stops, schools. just snatching random people.
everyone i know in minneapolis is seeing ICE take people—at gas stations, taquerias, bus stops, schools. just snatching random people.
Reposted by Margaret Middleton
This looks like 1,000 videos I've seen from authoritarian states
What in the Gestapo is going on in Grand Rapids?
Watch this activist get arrested *mid-interview* for speaking out against U.S. action in Venezuela.
Watch this activist get arrested *mid-interview* for speaking out against U.S. action in Venezuela.
January 5, 2026 at 4:37 PM
This looks like 1,000 videos I've seen from authoritarian states
Reposted by Margaret Middleton
I’m at Times Square, where an emergency “No War On Venezuela” protest just took to the street. Easily a thousand people here in real-feel 20°F weather.
“No more coups, no more wars, Venezuela’s not yours!”
“No boots on the ground no bombs in the air, U.S. out of everywhere!”
“No more coups, no more wars, Venezuela’s not yours!”
“No boots on the ground no bombs in the air, U.S. out of everywhere!”
January 3, 2026 at 8:02 PM
I’m at Times Square, where an emergency “No War On Venezuela” protest just took to the street. Easily a thousand people here in real-feel 20°F weather.
“No more coups, no more wars, Venezuela’s not yours!”
“No boots on the ground no bombs in the air, U.S. out of everywhere!”
“No more coups, no more wars, Venezuela’s not yours!”
“No boots on the ground no bombs in the air, U.S. out of everywhere!”
83 in 2025!
January 2, 2026 at 9:04 PM
83 in 2025!
These guidelines are beyond irresponsible. AHA lost all credibility with this one.
Seriously, fuck off.
I say that with all due gravity.
I say that with all due gravity.
December 22, 2025 at 8:23 AM
These guidelines are beyond irresponsible. AHA lost all credibility with this one.
Reposted by Margaret Middleton
Call for papers closes in 2 weeks time!
📣 Call for Papers 📣
Please share widely.
I am pleased to announce a #CfPs for the upcoming international
conference on Museums and Dissidence at @officialuom.bsky.social
Scan the QR code for further details.
#Museums
#Dissidence
#PoliticalDisagreement
#Conference
#MuseumActivism
Please share widely.
I am pleased to announce a #CfPs for the upcoming international
conference on Museums and Dissidence at @officialuom.bsky.social
Scan the QR code for further details.
#Museums
#Dissidence
#PoliticalDisagreement
#Conference
#MuseumActivism
December 1, 2025 at 7:36 AM
Call for papers closes in 2 weeks time!
Reposted by Margaret Middleton
Please give a little money to the trans secret santa project, so a trans youth will know they’re not alone.
Trans Secret Santa 2025
Help us bring festive joy to trans youth
www.transsecretsanta.co.uk
December 1, 2025 at 7:43 AM
Please give a little money to the trans secret santa project, so a trans youth will know they’re not alone.
Reposted by Margaret Middleton
I'm glad to have signed this statement in support of queer and trans staff at the National Library of Scotland, who by the sounds of it are going through an awful time at the moment: docs.google.com/document/d/e...
November 19, 2025 at 10:15 AM
I'm glad to have signed this statement in support of queer and trans staff at the National Library of Scotland, who by the sounds of it are going through an awful time at the moment: docs.google.com/document/d/e...
Reposted by Margaret Middleton
Reminder that, unless a creative freelancer has a spouse with a day job that offers health insurance, they likely have an ACA plan. And with the hits to creative industries the past few years, I'm guessing many qualify for subsidies.
Related reminder that comic creators are freelancers.
Related reminder that comic creators are freelancers.
The average SNAP benefit per month is $177 a person.
The average ACA benefit per month is up to $550 a person.
People want us to hold the line for a reason. This is not a matter of appealing to a base. It’s about people’s lives.
And working people want leaders whose word means something to them.
The average ACA benefit per month is up to $550 a person.
People want us to hold the line for a reason. This is not a matter of appealing to a base. It’s about people’s lives.
And working people want leaders whose word means something to them.
November 10, 2025 at 3:34 AM
Reminder that, unless a creative freelancer has a spouse with a day job that offers health insurance, they likely have an ACA plan. And with the hits to creative industries the past few years, I'm guessing many qualify for subsidies.
Related reminder that comic creators are freelancers.
Related reminder that comic creators are freelancers.
Reposted by Margaret Middleton
all the staffers at teen vogue who just got laid off I hope yall feel how appreciated your work has been by so many.
November 3, 2025 at 9:31 PM
all the staffers at teen vogue who just got laid off I hope yall feel how appreciated your work has been by so many.
Reposted by Margaret Middleton
I was due to take part in an event at @britishlibrary.bsky.social tonight but now I’m choosing not to go because I won’t cross a picket line. Solidarity to @pcsunion.bsky.social and the British Library workers.
November 3, 2025 at 9:11 AM
I was due to take part in an event at @britishlibrary.bsky.social tonight but now I’m choosing not to go because I won’t cross a picket line. Solidarity to @pcsunion.bsky.social and the British Library workers.
Reposted by Margaret Middleton
With the Trump administration cutting off SNAP benefits, I think it's really time to pull together. I made a little donation to City Harvest, and if you donate to any food bank and tell me what your small problem is, I'll give you a pep talk in Monday's newsletter! (Send me your receipt too!)
October 30, 2025 at 11:05 PM
With the Trump administration cutting off SNAP benefits, I think it's really time to pull together. I made a little donation to City Harvest, and if you donate to any food bank and tell me what your small problem is, I'll give you a pep talk in Monday's newsletter! (Send me your receipt too!)
Reposted by Margaret Middleton
The Complaint Apparatus open.substack.com/pub/feminist...
The Complaint Apparatus
Some thoughts on the co-option of complaints
open.substack.com
October 29, 2025 at 4:02 PM
The Complaint Apparatus open.substack.com/pub/feminist...
If you ever think you're doing something new with visitor centered practice in museums, a children's museum has probably already done it.
October 28, 2025 at 2:48 PM
If you ever think you're doing something new with visitor centered practice in museums, a children's museum has probably already done it.
Reposted by Margaret Middleton
Opinion | Trans pride in the museum 🏳️⚧️
Margaret Middleton on how Manchester Art Gallery has opened its doors to transgender communities.
Margaret Middleton on how Manchester Art Gallery has opened its doors to transgender communities.
Trans pride in the museum - Museums Association
Margaret Middleton on how Manchester Art Gallery has opened its doors to transgender communities
www.museumsassociation.org
October 23, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Opinion | Trans pride in the museum 🏳️⚧️
Margaret Middleton on how Manchester Art Gallery has opened its doors to transgender communities.
Margaret Middleton on how Manchester Art Gallery has opened its doors to transgender communities.
How can museums stand in solidarity with their local transgender communities? “I think the biggest thing is opening their doors to us,” said trans activist Arlo West. “When museums stand up and say, ‘We support trans people,’ it sends a powerful message.”
www.museumsassociation.org/museums-jour...
www.museumsassociation.org/museums-jour...
Trans pride in the museum - Museums Association
Margaret Middleton on how Manchester Art Gallery has opened its doors to transgender communities
www.museumsassociation.org
October 23, 2025 at 12:54 PM
How can museums stand in solidarity with their local transgender communities? “I think the biggest thing is opening their doors to us,” said trans activist Arlo West. “When museums stand up and say, ‘We support trans people,’ it sends a powerful message.”
www.museumsassociation.org/museums-jour...
www.museumsassociation.org/museums-jour...
Reposted by Margaret Middleton
After the British museum theft and now the Louvre heist, the premise of Euro-custodianship of global south heritage is more than debatable. Return the possessions to their community custodians.
Much like colonizing museums claim about African artifacts held in European and American collections, if the Louvre cannot properly take care of its possessions, perhaps another nation can. I heard the Benin Royal Museum in Nigeria may have a space.
PARIS (AP) — Paris prosecutor says jewels stolen in Louvre heist worth an estimated 88 million euros ($102 million).
October 21, 2025 at 10:28 PM
After the British museum theft and now the Louvre heist, the premise of Euro-custodianship of global south heritage is more than debatable. Return the possessions to their community custodians.