These open and frank conversations explore themes of access, sharing knowledge, heritage, and research. Guests share their experiences of engaging with museums – including the Horniman.
The podcast highlights the issues members of the African and Caribbean community face when accessing the collections, sharing knowledge, responding to heritage, and starting their own research journeys. It is an honest reflection on the shortcomings of existing museum knowledge, and provides listeners with some of the tools they might need to engage with the collections on their own terms.
Hosts and Producers: Sancha Gaere, Chinelo Njkaka, PhD and Tom Fearon.
Episode 1: Access
In this episode, we are joined by Judy Joseph and Pearl Hodgson. Both are community researchers and long time collaborators with the Horniman. They share their experiences of accessing museum collections. Pearl also shares excerpts from her research.
Episode 2: Sharing Knowledge
In this episode, we are in conversation with JC Niala, former Keeper of Anthropology at the Horniman, heritage worker, researcher and writer. We also welcome Jean Thompson, a Horniman community member and contributor to the development of the Community Knowledge and Research Space. They discuss sharing community knowledge with us.
Episode 3: Intangible
In this episode, we discuss the less explicit aspects of history and heritage in museum collections. We are joined by Zakia Sewell and Meghan Mills-Amissah.
Zakia is a broadcaster, producer, writer and DJ based in London. Her varied work across history, culture and sound has often explored themes of identity and belonging and ancestral experiences. Zakia’s documentary work explores themes of the intangible through audio storytelling.
Meghan has been involved in the Community Knowledge and Research Space project and she is currently doing a PhD in Black British Popular Culture at the University of Leeds. Meghan has previously worked at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Cambridge.
Episode 4: Research Journeys
In this final episode we are joined by Margaret Otieno, joining us from Nairobi, Kenya. Margaret is an anthropologist and has been involved in the heritage sector, currently working for the National Museums of Kenya. Margaret has been involved as a community researcher for the Rethinking Relationships project with the Horniman.
Both Margaret and our host Chinelo Njaka PhD will share with us their research process and discuss some of the challenges they faced along the way.
We would like to acknowledge the support administered by the Museums Association on behalf of UKRI/AHRC. Also, many thanks to Judy Joseph, whose donation made the production of this podcast possible.