This weekend, the Museum of Edinburgh opened an exciting new exhibition, Respect! Caribbean life in Edinburgh.
The exhibition is a celebration of the culture of Caribbean Scottish people through museum objects, poetry and film and has been created in collaboration with the Edinburgh Caribbean Association
The exhibition explores what it is like to grow up in the Caribbean, what it means to be Caribbean, links with Scotland and how Caribbean food and music has influenced British culture. The items on display have been chosen by members of the Edinburgh Caribbean Association to share their stories with museum visitors. A Spotify playlist has also been created so visitors can enjoy a full range of Caribbean music.
The exhibition is part of a £250,000 community-led collections research project, Exchange, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council in partnership with the National Museums Scotland and Royal Museums Greenwich. Exchange | National Museums Scotland (nms.ac.uk)
Cllr Val Walker, Culture and Communities Convener at City of Edinburgh Council said:
Our Museum of Edinburgh celebrates the history of Edinburgh and all the communities who live in the city. This wonderful new exhibition has been a community led project, exploring the collections of our Museum of Childhood and the connections between Edinburgh and the Caribbean. Visitors to the Museum can enjoy a celebration of the culture of Caribbean Scottish people through museum objects, poetry and film and has been created in collaboration with the Edinburgh Caribbean Association. I would like to thank the association members for their time, creativity and generosity.
Lisa Williams, Edinburgh Caribbean Association said:
It's been a wonderful experience collaborating with Museums & Galleries Edinburgh. We learned a lot from each other and forged friendship and understanding along the way.
Curator Lyn Stevens, said:
It has been a tremendous privilege to work with the Edinburgh Caribbean Association. The group have shared their knowledge and expertise generously with museum staff and the result is a fascinating insight into the many different Caribbean cultures and what it is like to live in Britain and maintain traditions and a sense of identity. I have learnt so much working with them and I am looking forward to our visitors enjoying this wonderful exhibition.
Dr John Giblin, Keeper of Global Arts, Cultures and Design at National Museums Scotland:
Thanks to a generous grant from the AHRC, the Exchange project has allowed organisations around the UK to work with communities who have historically been marginalised in museum and gallery displays to explore experiences of empire, migration, and life in Britain through their collections. Many hundreds of people have come together over the past year to reveal and share a wider range of stories and perspectives, and Respect! Caribbean life in Edinburgh is the culmination of a rich, thoughtful and productive collaboration between a museum and a community group.
Our Museum of Edinburgh and Museum of Childhood champion local Edinburgh history and Edinburgh communities. The City of Edinburgh council is working to diversify museum collections as part of the Edinburgh Slavery and Colonialism Legacy Review. New acquisitions of dolls, books and magazines have been made as part of this project to add to the Museum of Childhood collections.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a Spotify playlist Respect! Caribbean Life in Edinburgh.
A wide-ranging events programme has been arranged alongside the exhibition. For up-to-date information about events, and details of how to book, please visit the Museums & Galleries Edinburgh website.