On Wed 25 Nov we’ll discuss how country houses and museums have (and have not) grappled with the complex histories that define Britain’s past, including structures of racism and colonialism. Our text for this week is Sumaya Kassim’s video essay ‘The Museum Will Not Be Decolonised’ (2017). See you there!
“Museums trick audiences into believing colonialism is all in the past; that neutral objective voice of the labels, the veil of nostalgia… all promoting forgetfulness and fantasy” (Sumaya Kassim)
Text (Viewing/Listening)
- Sumaya Kassim, ‘The Museum Will Not Be Decolonised’ (Produced by Arwa Abuwara, 2017)
- Content warning: This video essay incorporates quotes from Enoch Powell and other instances of racist and imperialist language.
Time and Place
- Wed 25 November, 1 pm
- Zoom: Link (Password: pagebreaks)
Looking forward to seeing you all again soon! This event is run by Dorothy Butchard and Toria Johnson (d.butchard@bham.ac.uk and t.johnson@bham.ac.uk). Please email us if you have any questions, but you’re welcome to just turn up.
About Page Breaks
This is an informal weekly reading group within the Department of English Literature. All welcome! https://blog.bham.ac.uk/englitpostgrad/page-breaks/