Exchange: Community-led Collections Research Recommendations for more equitable participation

Abstract

• The Exchange project funded museum partners around the UK to undertake community-led collections-based research and creative outputs. All Exchange projects used participatory research methodologies, working with African, Caribbean, and South Asian diaspora heritage community members to explore experiences of empire, migration, and life in Britain. The first stage of Exchange was funded by a £250,000 grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). The project was supported by a Hub formed between National Museums Scotland and Royal Museums Greenwich. The Hub distributed a central fund to seven museum partners, provided guidance, and evaluated partner activities to generate recommendations for more equitable participation. Museum partners recruited community members and, with the Hub, supported them to identify and explore research questions and define and produce outputs. The research was varied and included new community-led research into the historic and contemporary meanings of objects, archival materials, and absences and silences in the museum collections. Similarly, the outputs were many and varied including an artist-led zine, public events, musical and theatre performances, temporary exhibitions, permanent displays, academic seminars, panel discussions, spoken word poetry, filmmaking, stationery design and production, educational booklets and resources, a women’s trail, an interfaith ceremony, and a published book. Exchange evaluated these activities to address the project’s key question - How can participation be more equitable for diaspora heritage community members? - with the aim of increasing the plurality of voices in collections-based research and outputs and collaboration across the museum sector more generally. This report shares the Exchange experience and the recommendations emerging from the evaluation to inform future work between communities and museum partners.