PODCAST: A DIVE INTO THE BRITISH MUSEUM AND THE IDEA OF DECOLONISATION
This podcast series examines how the British Museumconstruct narratives through their exhibitions, shaping how we understand culture, migration, and history. It explores the tension between representation and reality, showing how curatorial choices reflect colonial legacies while attempting to address issues like identity, conflict, and restitution. Rather than giving clear answers, the series raises critical questions about whose voices are heard, which histories are included or excluded, and whether museums can truly move toward more transparent and decolonised storytelling.
SUDAN
This episode turns to the politics of representation, examining how museum narratives can universalize public understanding while simultaneously smoothing over the ongoing struggles of marginalized communities. Focusing on Sudanese migrants to Britain, it considers how institutions like the British Museum shape public perception in ways that can either challenge or reinforce dominant political narratives about migration. Ultimately, it argues that when museums gloss over fragmented histories or silence lived experiences, they risk reproducing harm rather than offering meaningful understanding.
MOAI
This episode uses the case of Hoa Hakananai’a at the British Museum to show the tension between acknowledging colonial histories and still holding contested objects, questioning whether true decolonisation is possible.
CURATORSHIP
This episode takes us inside the British Museum to examine how displays of Aboriginal culture can appear respectful and inclusive, while still omitting the deeper histories of colonial violence and displacement that shape them.