Local Global
Local Global is a ground-breaking project to deliver a new permanent gallery at Brighton Museum, showcasing a visually stunning and internationally significant collection of objects from Africa, Asia, the Pacific and the Americas. It is one of 14 national projects that make up the Stories of the World scheme, part of the Cultural Olympiad for the London 2012 Olympics.
The gallery will be developed in collaboration with young people – and will be inspired by their ideas, stories and creativity. It will explore the global connections of locally based collections and challenge ‘local’ people to consider the global dimensions of their lives, and their environments and how they connect with Brighton Museum’s collections of World Art.
Young people in particular will be involved as co-producers at every stage of the interpretation and exhibition process. They will research and select the objects for display, participate in developing stories that resonate with their own concerns and experiences, and contribute to design, marketing and the creation of an events programme in a process that aims to be engaging, educational and lots of fun. At the same time, our work with source communities will aim to ensure that their rights and concerns are respected and reflected in the way the museum understands and utilises its collections.
By engaging in these collaborations, we aim to make the museum’s collections relevant and meaningful in ways that really appeal to a diverse audience. We aim to break down some of the barriers that prevent people from accessing museums, foster a strong sense of place, and build links with and between community groups. The result will be a truly inspiring and memorable museum experience that draws on personal narratives, objects, images, sound, film, interactives, alternative sensory experiences and performance.
Our partnership with the British Museum’s People and Place programme is currently supporting the work of a Youth Support Worker who is developing relationships with local young people and community groups. By brokering connections in this way, the project will create a legacy of partnerships that will inform all our future work.
