Can we take politics out of museums?

Information

In partnership with the University of Aberdeen

Museums have often been viewed as the trusted custodians of collective memories and shared heritage. However, as they choose the stories they tell, the items they collect, the sponsorship they accept, and whether they should repatriate from collections, museums are making political decisions. Should they try to be impartial, or should they become places of activism? What are their ethical responsibilities to the people they claim to represent? How can museums build trust with diverse communities? If museums want to be places for open debate, are there limits on what can be discussed?

Panellists:

Neil Curtis is Head of University Collections at the University of Aberdeen. He also chairs the Museums Galleries Scotland Repatriation Working Group.

Salma Ali is a Global Historian and the Co-Lead Coordinator for the Scottish Museum of Empire, Slavery, Colonialism and Migration. Salma works to bring forward histories of PoC communities within colonial networks and in colonial histories, focusing on narratives of exchange, participation, and agency in cross-cultural exchanges and identity-making.

JP Reid is Project and Exhibitions Manager at The Hunterian at the University of Glasgow. His work focuses on the interpretation of contested histories, curatorial co-production, and the role of cultural institutions in addressing legacies of empire and colonialism. Previously he led the development of Perth Museum and Stone of Destiny display.