Aboriginal community co-curates new exhibition at Manchester Museum
Anindilyakwa Arts: Stories from Our Country, a major new permanent exhibition at Manchester Museum, has opened in close collaboration with the Warnindilyakwa people — an Aboriginal community from the Groote Archipelago in Australia's Northern Territory.
The exhibition builds on an important relationship formed when Manchester Museum became the first British institution to repatriate a significant collection of Australian Aboriginal material. In September 2023, 174 cultural heritage items were returned to the Warnindilyakwa community following a three-year partnership involving the Australian Government’s Return of Cultural Heritage programme, the Anindilyakwa Land Council, and the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS).
Anindilyakwa Arts: Stories from Our Country offers visitors the opportunity to engage with the rich cultural traditions of the Groote Archipelago. In a unique hands-on element, the museum is hosting Dadikwakwa-kwa Come Out to Play sessions, where families can handle a set of traditional shell dolls. These dolls, crafted by Anindilyakwa women, serve as intergenerational teaching tools and have been gifted to Manchester Museum on the express condition that they must be brought off display once a year to be played with.
Esme Ward, Director of Manchester Museum, said:
"These events reflect everything we stand for – collaboration, care, and the power of cultural belongings to connect people across generations and continents. We are deeply honoured to continue our partnership with the Anindilyakwa community and to provide a space where their voices, stories and traditions can be shared on their own terms."
Jude Barlow, Acting Chief Executive Officer of AIATSIS, added:
"This type of collaborative exhibition is exactly the sort of work that can flourish from genuine partnerships and repatriation projects. The respect and ability to listen that Manchester Museum demonstrates in their work with Indigenous communities is to be applauded."
Anindilyakwa Arts: Stories from Our Country is now open to the public, and admission is free. Advance booking is required for the Dadikwakwa-kwa Come Out to Play sessions.
For more information and to book, visit Manchester Museum’s website.