Ancient History, Contemporary Belonging

Ancient History, Contemporary Belonging is an arts-research collaboration across disciplines, sectors, and generations.

It aims to critically and creatively explore the biographies of ancient objects housed in the Manchester Museum and how they can help us to navigate contemporary issues of (neo)colonialism, migration, and belonging.

The research is funded through the UKRI Citizen Science scheme and delivered by MCYS’s Caitlin Nunn, Jennifer Cromwell, and Sarah Linn in collaboration with ten migrant-background youth researchers, the Manchester Museum, and Sheba Arts. The resulting exhibition was launched at Manchester Museum in March 2023 at an event hosted by youth researchers for an audience of family and community members, academics, and museum practitioners.

The youth and academic teams have gone on to run a range of tours and activities engaging with the exhibition, including for the National Saturday Club, A-level Sociology students and teachers, and undergraduate History and Sociology students. A podcast featuring academic and youth researchers discussing the exhibition and its relevance to contemporary issues of migration and (de)colonialism can be accessed here. Youth researchers have also co-presented at a number of academic conferences.

Supported by follow-on funding from UKRI, four members of the youth research team took on paid roles to work with Manchester Museum’s Curator of Education to develop an education resource to support high school students to engage with the exhibition. It poses the question: ‘Where do objects belong?’
A related event, co-hosted by MCYS, Manchester Museum, and Debate Mate in February 2024 gave local high school students an opportunity to learn about and debate this critical issue.

The Ancient History, Contemporary Belonging exhibition remains on display in Manchester Museum’s Archaeology, Egypt and Sudan, and Reimagining Galleries until March 2025.

You can learn more about the project and the exhibition here.

For further information contact:
c.nunn@mmu.ac.uk