CAMFK 656.36: Carved wooden figurehead of Queen Victoria, created by a disabled person.
The Museum of Cambridge is thrilled to announce an exciting new initiative made possible by a £99,802 grant from the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund through the Museums Association. This ground-breaking project will place disabled individuals at the forefront of researching, curating, and sharing the histories of disabled people in Cambridgeshire.
We are proud to partner with Rowan Humberstone, a local arts centre and forest school supporting adults with learning disabilities, to co-produce this important work. Together, we will uncover and amplify the diverse stories of disabled people in the region, confronting historical gaps and challenges, including those posed by the inaccessibility of the Museum’s current site.
This project represents a significant step forward in making the Museum a truly inclusive space. It aims to permanently integrate disabled stories into the Museum’s curatorial and engagement practices, as well as broader redevelopment plans. It will have a lasting impact on the Museum’s participatory model for meaningful collaboration that can inspire other institutions across the UK.
Disabled stories are already present throughout the Museum’s collection, including family photographs depicting individuals with disabilities, workhouse records detailing the lives of the “infirm,” and objects made by disabled craftspeople. These stories highlight the breadth of disabled experiences, spanning physical, sensory, and mental health disabilities, as well as their intersections with gender and class.
Yet, there is little institutional research conducted on disabled experiences within the Museum’s collection, reflecting ableist practices in cataloguing and curating in the past. By addressing these gaps, the Museum will take vital steps toward more equitable storytelling.
Alex Smaridge, Engagement and Collections Manager, said:
“This project is a pivotal step for the Museum of Cambridge, placing disabled people in the storytelling seat of disabled histories. We’re proud to collaborate with Rowan Humberstone to ensure these stories are told with authenticity, respect, and lasting impact.”
Cherie Evans, CEO of Rowan Humberstone, said:
“Rowan is delighted to collaborate with the Museum of Cambridge on this project to amplify the significant and often unheard stories of disabled people in Cambridgeshire – past, present, and future. As an organisation we are keen to share the often-hidden stories of people with learning disabilities. This project will provide an opportunity for our artists to explore their unique experiences of living life with a disability and to express this experience through their own stories and art. We believe that contributing to this research project based in their own city will give our community a voice and an opportunity to be at the forefront of their own histories.”
This co-produced initiative will not only celebrate the contributions of disabled people but also ensure that their histories are seen as an integral part of the region’s rich cultural tapestry. The Museum is excited to demonstrate the crucial importance of empowering disabled people to define, research, curate and share the histories of disabled individuals, past, present and future.