African and Caribbean Collections Research Hub

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The African and Caribbean Collections Research Hub is a space for people of African and Caribbean heritage to research and respond to the Museum’s collection.

About the Research Hub

Most of the African and Caribbean objects in our collection are not on display. In the past, it has been difficult for community members to access these collections. The Research Hub is a way for people of African and Caribbean heritage to connect more easily with these collections, and the museum more widely.

Community Researchers meet twice a year at the Museum or online. Community Researchers have the opportunity to:

  • receive support with independent research
  • get involved with events and activities around the museum
  • network with museum colleagues and other Community Researchers
  • apply to take part in paid workshops and consultations
A photo of African and Caribbean Research Participants: Pearl, Nadine, Abiola, Courtney and Judy at the Youth Late
Pearl, Nadine, Abiola, Courtney and Judy at the Youth Late

Join the Research Hub

To join the Research Hub you need to be someone of African and/or Caribbean heritage who is interested in the Museum’s collections. You must be over 18. You do not need to be a professional researcher, academic or have any previous museum experience.

To express your interest, please send an email to kanyimadu@horniman.ac.uk outlining:

  • why you want to be a Community Researcher
  • what you hope to get out of the Research Hub
  • any specific interests you have

Creative Commissions

An image of Betty Efemini sitting at a table with a blue textile in her hand.
1. Betty Efemini textile print workshop
A photo of a woman in a kikuyu girl's apron.
2. Threads of becoming: A Kikuyu girl’s apron
An image of the inside of the Horniman Museum with a large black globe on the floor.
3. Finding the wider Caribbean at the Horniman
The words from a poem that read: 'What a sight. What a fight. At the height of a rule not out own, they toast while we still ache. And yet, I raise my voice with you. You lift your glass I, my grain of memory to Ozolua, conquering king, who stands though others sit. The husband and wife recline in comfort, but my king endures upright a symbol unbroken.'
4. The Talking Plaque poem
A split screen image showing two angles of a multicoloured textile.
5. Chinelo L. Njaka tapestry

Each year, we ask Community Researchers to respond creatively to the Museum’s collection. You can explore previous commissions below.

  1. Betty Efemini textile print workshop inspired by Ghanaian cloth
  2. Threads of becoming: A Kikuyu girl’s apron
  3. Finding the wider Caribbean at the Horniman
  4. The Talking Plaque poem
  5. Chinelo L. Njaka tapestry inspired by this Nigerian Ikenga

Family Threads: Heart, Home and History

Family Threads was a photography exhibition showcasing history from members of the African and Caribbean Collections Research Hub.

The exhibition featured personal family photos from the 1800s to the present day, exploring the themes of family, migration and home. It was shown at Canvas and Cream in Forest Hill and on the World Gallery balcony.

See the online exhibition.

Judy Joseph Passport Picture, Trinidad 1961
Judy Joseph Passport Picture, Trinidad 1961

Community Knowledge and Research Space

From 2022–2023 the Community Researchers developed the Community Knowledge and Research Space – a range of resources that help researchers navigate the collections online and start their own research journeys.

This project was made possible due to the support awarded from the Digital Innovation and Engagement Fund. The Digital Innovation and Engagement Fund is a collaboration between the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), and The Museums Association.

The Research Hub was developed thanks to the Community Action Research and Rethinking Relationships projects.

Dates

Currently active

CONTACT

Korantema Anyimadu
kanyimadu@horniman.ac.uk