Manchester Museum invites visitors to the launch of its Decolonise! Trail—an opportunity to explore decolonising and values-based museum practice, connect with others engaged in this work, and be among the first to experience the trail.
What to Expect
The evening opens with an informal panel discussion exploring the themes addressed in the Decolonise! Trail. Artist Senna Yousef and Visitor Team Assistant Raymond Mashizha will be in conversation with Chloe Cousins, the museum’s Social Justice Manager.
After the discussion, attendees are invited to embark on the trail themselves. Physical copies will be available on the day, alongside a downloadable digital version. Senna, Raymond, Chloe, and other museum staff will be present throughout the event to engage in further conversation about the trail and ongoing decolonising efforts at Manchester Museum.
About Decolonising
Many European museums were created as a result of colonialism, designed to display the so-called ‘spoils of Empire’—cultural objects, natural specimens, and ancestral remains taken from countries under colonial rule. These institutions have long shaped public understanding of the world through a colonial lens.
At Manchester Museum, decolonising is an ongoing, long-term process of critical reflection and widening perspectives. It begins with acknowledging the violence of colonialism, its global impact, and the ways it continues to shape the present. The museum aims to offer accessible, transparent, and nuanced interpretations of the British Empire and its collections—centering the voices, experiences, and knowledge of Indigenous and diaspora communities.
The Decolonise! Trail invites visitors to reflect on the past, present, and future of the museum’s collections, and to join the museum in reimagining what a more inclusive and just institution can be.
