The University of Cambridge Museums (UCM) announced on 15/01 that it has received nearly £90,000 from the Museums Association, an independent funding body, for its investigation into “legacies of empire and enslavement in collections.”

The two-year research project, conducted across the museums, will form the basis of a programme of public events that will include an exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in 2022.

The Museums Association joins Arts Council England, the Fitzwilliam Museum, and the University’s Isaac Newton Trust in financing the project. Asked about the significance of the latest grant, a UCM spokesperson told Varsity that “this funding will support a Communities Coordinator to enable vital dialogue with our partners and audiences.”

The UCM’s project exists alongside other studies of institutional links to slavery and colonialism at Cambridge, such as the research being overseen by the Advisory Group to the University’s Inquiry into the Legacies of Enslavement, in which sixteen colleges are cooperating.

As well as “acknowledging and understanding the complex histories of our collections,” a statement on the UCM website adds that the project’s objectives encompass “examining challenging topics, including racial inequality,” and “building dialogue and connections with our diverse audiences.”

Revealing that he was “delighted” with the news of the grant, Howard Chae, the Cambridge Students’ Union BME Officer, told Varsity that “the scope of this investigation demonstrates a much-needed and long-overdue commitment from the UCM to utilise its resources and expertise to confront these legacies.”

Commenting to Varsity, a spokesperson for the University noted “although the [UCM’s] project is separate from the work of the Advisory Group, we have been liaising closely with the curatorial team and look forward to a continuing fruitful relationship.”

A “major international conference” proposed in the initial report, exploring “the legacies of enslavement in the Cambridge context,” would also coincide with the Fitzwilliam Museum’s exhibition in 2022.

“I sit on the Advisory Group [to the UCM’s project] as an SU rep,” Chae told Varsity, “and I have been consulted at each stage of the investigation so far.”

“I look forward to continuing our collaboration with the UCM,” he continued, “representing student voices in advisory group discussions, promoting transparency and accountability, and facilitating links with student-led campaigns and groups.”