North Hertfordshire Museum holds historic collections of items that are connected to countries, regions and cultural groups around the world. Some of these items are not fully or sensitively described or understood. There are items in our collections that have limited backstories, with a lack of information about how they were brought to this country. It is possible that some of these may have been acquired by unethical means. Without full descriptions or investigation, some items may reinforce a colonial record of events.
The museum collection is also missing stories and objects that show the lives and histories of people of Global Majority backgrounds connected to and living in North Hertfordshire. This centres a white view of history, and as part of this district’s community, the museum wants to represent everyone living here. By Global Majority, we mean people who identify as Black, African, Asian, Brown, mixed-heritage, are indigenous to the global south, and/or from communities often described as ethnic minorities.
Recognising that the museum aims to work on these areas, a new project funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, called Connecting Collections, plans to investigate parts of the historic collection, working with people and communities with underrepresented histories.
This project is open to anyone aged 18 or over who lives, works or studies in North Hertfordshire.
Online applications have now closed.
If you’d like to get in touch about this project, please email northhertsmuseum@north-herts.gov.uk