Diaspora community-led museum practice needs recognition

A new report published by National Museums Scotland (NMS) calls for diaspora community participants in museum projects to be valued as experts and offered fair remuneration.

The report is the first stage of the Exchange: Community-Led Collections Research initiative, funded by a £250,000 grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

It outlines nine recommendations that also include the creation of safer spaces and co-designing participation so people can tell stories on their terms.

Seven museum partners around the UK were supported to carry out the research, with NMS and Royal Museums Greenwich acting as a support hub.

The partners worked with African, Caribbean, and South Asian diaspora heritage community members. Participatory research methodologies were used to explore experiences of empire, migration, and life in Britain.

John Giblin, keeper of global arts, cultures and design at NMS, said: “The key question at the centre of the Exchange project was how participation can be more equitable for diaspora heritage community members. 

“This report highlights the benefits of community-led participatory practice as well as the challenges and barriers to participation, and the nine recommendations are a valuable first step in finding an answer to that question."

The AHRC has announced £150,000 of funding for Exchange 2.0, which will aim to build on the findings of the first stage with a focus on knowledge sharing, sustainable legacy and impact.