Decolonise! trail launch
An evening of lively, thought-provoking discussion
Want to be one of the first people to experience Manchester Museum’s Decolonise! trail.
Come along to the launch event to take these first steps with us, while hearing more about decolonising and values-based museum practice at your Museum and connecting with others interested in this area of work, and be one of the first people to go on the trail.
What to expect
The evening will start with an informal panel conversation exploring themes addressed in the Decolonise! trail, with artist Senna Yousef and Visitor Team Assistant Raymond Mashizha, led by our Social Justice Manager Chloe Cousins.
Following the conversation, all are invited to do the trail! Guests can pick up a physical copy on the day and/or download a digital version. Senna, Raymond, Chloe and museum staff will be around for the rest of the event for further discussions on the trail and decolonising work at Manchester Museum.
What is decolonising?
Many European museums are a product of European colonialism, created to house and show off ‘spoils of Empire’. ‘Spoils’ were cultural items, belongings, nature and ancestors taken from countries that Europe forced control over. For centuries, museums across Europe have documented and interpreted the world through these colonial collections, presenting the world and a version of history through a narrow, colonial lens.
Decolonising at Manchester Museum is a long-term process of reflection, critical thinking and broadening perspectives. It starts with acknowledging the violence of colonialism, how it impacted the world and continues to shape our world today. In the museum, one of our starting points is offering an accessible, transparent and nuanced understanding of The British Empire and of the collections, centring Indigenous and diaspora voices, experiences, knowledge and agency.
This trail is an invitation to our visitors, to reflect on the past, present and future of the Museum collection with us.
More information about the history of Manchester Museum and its collections can be found here.