In 2025, the British Library’s major exhibitions will explore the transformative, enriching and sometimes radical power of gardening in Britain (May to August) and the relationship between mapping and secrecy in a global context between the 9th and 21st centuries (October to January 2026).
Next spring, a free, family-friendly experiential space inspired by the Librarys collection will introduce children to the wonders of literature through exploratory, imaginative and sensory play.
As part of the Library’s public programme in Leeds, Voice of the Fans, a free exhibition at Leeds Central Library (May to August), will address how football fans have used grassroots media to make their voices heard since the 1970s.
The Library will also take part in the UK City of Culture 2025 celebrations in Bradford and Fighting to be Heard, a free exhibition at the Cartwright Art Gallery (January to April), will delve into the connections between calligraphy and boxing.
Gardening (working title)
2 May – 10 August 2025
British Library, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB with accompanying Living Knowledge Network displays at public libraries around the UK
Gardening (working title) explores the transformative, enriching and sometimes radical power of gardening in Britain and how it impacts people, communities and the environment.
Presenting items ranging from the only surviving illustrated collection of herbal remedies from Anglo-Saxon England and the first gardening manual printed in 1564 alongside paintings, pamphlets and richly illustrated botanical works, this major exhibition reveals how gardening has contributed to social and political change throughout history.
From rural and urban gardens and allotments to indoor gardens and windowsills, the exhibition delves into how the act of gardening heals and sustains people in a multitude of ways. It explores how gardening brings people together, empowers communities and shapes our relationship with the natural world. It also considers gardening as a form of activism, as a means of challenging land ownership and highlighting social disparities, as well as the consequences of the international movement of plants for the environment and human societies.
The exhibition features new short films produced in collaboration with the Coco Collective, a grass-roots gardening organisation with two Afro-diaspora led community gardens in London and culminates with a contemporary art piece by Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg that transforms how we see gardens and who we make them for. With sustainability at the core of the exhibition, the design and build of Gardening (working title) has been guided by practices aimed at reducing the exhibition’s environmental impact.
The exhibition is supported by a donation made in memory of Melvin R Seiden, with thanks to Stanley Smith (UK) Horticultural Trust for additional support.
Secret Maps (working title)
10 October – 18 January 2026
British Library, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB
Secret Maps (working title) will explore the relationship between mapping and secrecy in a global context between the 9th and 21st centuries. It is an exhibition about how and why, contrary to their modern appreciation as things which openly provide knowledge of the world, maps have been used by governments, armies, businesses, organisations, communities and individuals to withhold all kinds of spatial knowledge.
Visitors will see a range of items, that explore the use of maps as a form of control, including a secret Ordnance Survey map, copies of which were later destroyed, produced ahead of the General Strike of 1926 illustrating potential weak spots in the case of civil unrest Maps used by governments in international conflicts will also feature, including a map of part of the Normandy coast, produced in 1944 in the weeks leading up to D-Day. On the once top secret invasion plan can be seen detailed information about German defences, gathered from intelligence sources including low-level flying missions, special services agents and the French resistance.
The exhibition will explore what types of spatial information (from hidden treasure to personal data) have been subject to attempts at secrecy. It will consider whether historical control of spatial information has influenced how the world is perceived, and whether, in an age where spatial data is routinely shared and democratised, it is easier or more difficult to keep a secret today.
The exhibition is made possible with support from Wayland Games, Tony & Maureen Wheeler and Sir Trevor and Lady Susan Chinn.
Family Space (working title)
4 April 2025 – 18 January 2026
British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB
A free, family-friendly experiential space aimed at 2-9 year olds inspired by highlights from the British Library’s collection will take children on imaginative journeys, from the depths of our solar system, through the jungle, to under the ocean. The space has been developed and co-created with local families and children will follow an activity trail through the space that will invite exploratory, imaginative and sensory play.
Fighting to Be Heard
Cartwright Art Gallery, Lister Park, Bradford, BD9 4NS
17 January – 27 April 2025
The ancient art of calligraphy and the noble art of boxing may seem an unlikely pairing, but they share a surprising amount of common ground. This free exhibition explores connections between the two disciplines through the eyes of a group of British South Asian Muslim men living in Bradford today.
Razwan Ul-Haq is an acclaimed calligrapher and one-time boxing trainee. Tasif Khan is a former world champion boxer and founder of Bradford’s Tasif Khan Community Boxing Academy. Together with boxers and trainers from the Academy, they have chosen a selection of rare items from the British Library’s Arabic and Urdu collections, and from the collections of Bradford District Museums & Galleries – from ninth-century calligraphy to extraordinary contemporary work.
Fighting to Be Heard also features the men’s personal stories and their reactions to the collections – offering fascinating new perspectives on these objects.
The exhibition is a British Library co-production with Bradford District Museums & Galleries. Part of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.
Voice of the Fans
9 May – 10 August 2025
Leeds Central Library, Calverley Street, Leeds, LS1 3AB
From zines to blogs, podcasts and recordings of terrace chants, this free exhibition will explore how football fans have made their voice heard within the beautiful game.
Voice of the Fans will look at how media created by fans developed from the 1970s onwards, how they became an important aspect of football and the impact the work by football fans has had on wider culture.
The exhibition will celebrate the creativity and importance of grassroots media and the role libraries have in preserving these publications for the future. It will also explore how creative responses from fans have helped combat the negative aspects of fan culture, including racism and homophobia.
This exhibition is co-produced with Leeds Libraries.
