The Museums Association (MA) was delighted to publish the Supporting Decolonisation in Museums guidance at our conference in Liverpool in November. The guidance supports an open and transparent examination of Britain’s colonial history. It’s vital to show support for the great work that is happening across the UK to decolonise museums, and to encourage others to adopt such an approach to their own work.
This guidance meets a genuine need in the sector. When we published our Empowering Collections research in 2019, one of the key findings was that people wanted to engage with decolonising work, but often felt unsure about where to start.
Our guidance – which was drafted by an expert working group and with the support of our Ethics Committee – aims to provide the necessary help, whether you’re working with collections, visitors or communities of origin.
This is just the start of the process. We will be adding material, such as case studies and blogs looking at the difference in approach and context across the UK’s four nations. The MA will also launch a Decolonisation Confidence and Skills programme this year that will create a cohort of people who are taking a lead on decolonisation, and will provide more direct training and support on how to put our guidance into practice.
Alistair Brown is the policy manager at the Museums Association