Horrible British Histories: young people in museums interrogating national identity through principles and practices of critical pedagogy
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PRISM Journal
PRISM (2021) https://doi.org/10.24377/prism.ljmu.0302205
Horrible British Histories: young people in
museums interrogating national identity
through principles and practices of critical
pedagogy
Sadia Habib1
1
Manchester Museum, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK (sadia.habib@manchester.ac.uk)
Received: 22/01/2021
Accepted for publication: 01/06/2021
Published: 25/06/2021
Abstract
This paper explores the importance of supporting young people in exploring identities
and belongings in the cultural heritage sector. When working with young people in
British museums, creating open and safe spaces for discussing the entanglements of
contemporary multicultural identities with the legacies of British colonialism is necessary
and long overdue. By employing the principles and practices of critical pedagogy,
heritage organisations can interrogate the dominant narratives about identity and
belonging in Britain, and work with young people to highlight shifting, fluid and multiple
identities and belongings in contemporary Britain.
Drawing on my experiences as the Our Shared Cultural Heritage Project Coordinator at
Manchester Museum, I argue the case for cultural and heritage institutions to create
safe spaces for young people from diverse ethnic and class backgrounds to explore and
celebrate the meanings and complexities of their lived experiences of Britishness.
Museums can become crucial cultural sites where young people can lead a critical
interrogation of the idea of nation, through an exploration of the discourses attached to
British identities that play out at local, national and global levels. Critical pedagogy is an
emancipatory and transformative approach to democratising education, and we
urgently need more of it in museums to radically transform heritage spaces.
Keywords: identity, belonging, museums, young people, critical pedagogy
public and political debate about multiculturalism,
1. Introduction: challenging exclusionary diversity and belonging. Those of us who work with
politics of nation and belonging young people have observed how these discourses of
Britishness have also governed policies and practices
Over the last two decades, the promotion of
in educational settings such as schools, colleges,
national identity has increasingly come to dominate
https://doi.org/10.24377/prism.ljmu.0302205 1 © 2021 PRISM, ISSN: 2514-5347PRISM (2021) Habib (2021)
universities and youth and community spaces (Habib, Britishness. My own work has revealed the rich
2018). Whilst discourses of Britishness might initially insights that emerge when young people are
have partly emerged due to the UK government’s encouraged and supported to challenge hegemonic
anxieties about Scotland and Wales seeking myths about British identities (Habib, 2018, 2020). Yet
independence, ethnic minorities, and particularly across both formal and informal educational settings,
Muslims, have subsequently become the relentless opportunities for young people to engage in these
target of Fundamental British Values (FBV) policies debates are currently limited. My work with young
(Maylor, 2016). This exceptional focus on ethnic people in schools, colleges, and community and
minority communities has been perpetuated by the heritage organisations highlights the importance of
terror attacks in the USA on 11 September 2001 and valuing and recognising complex and nuanced
in London in July 2005, which have amplified public, multiple identities and belongings, whether they be
media and political debates about what it means to local, national or transnational (Habib, 2018, 2020).
be British and what it means to belong to Britain
In this paper, I argue the case for cultural and
(Kiwan, 2012).
heritage institutions to create safe spaces for young
The world has transformed in many strange and people from diverse ethnic and class backgrounds to
new ways since these aforementioned events, explore and celebrate the meanings and complexities
especially with regards to political demands for and of their lived experiences of Britishness. I argue that
confused attempts to define and preserve a form of museums can become crucial cultural sites where
national identity that promotes a rhetoric of exclusion young people can lead a critical interrogation of the
and assimilation. Official accounts of Britishness in idea of nation through an exploration of the
the political field have been critically reviewed as discourses attached to British identities that play out
false, mythical and exclusionary (Habib, 2018). at local, national and global levels. I advocate critical
According to Croft (2012), the political elite construct pedagogy as an emancipatory and transformative
and present their version of a story of Britain’s approach to democratising education, and emphasise
history. Often it is a narrative that serves to that we urgently need more of it in museums to
reproduce the British nation as being exclusive and radically transform heritage spaces. Giroux (2004,
exceptional in character and values. Critics of how p.64) applauds the power of critical pedagogy in
national identity has been historically framed note a transforming “how people think about themselves
rhetoric is created deliberately. Often these and their relationship to others and the world”, and
narratives are “rhetorical frames through which to in inspiring young people to “engage in those
define how the public sees policy issues” to influence struggles that further possibilities for living in a more
the public in determining who is a friend or who is an just society”. Critically engaged pedagogy empowers
enemy, as well as who are outsiders or insiders young people, especially those who might have
(Grube, 2011, p.628). previously felt unworthy of participating in school life
(hooks, 2010) or alienated from a Eurocentric school
The promotion of Britishness—a very social
curriculum.
phenomenon—has therefore been critiqued time and
again as a means for the powerful elite to perpetuate
2. Museums, national identity and
“officially constructed patriotism” (Colley, 1992,
belonging
p.145). As the mainstream official discourses on
Britishness have been problematised by researchers, It is helpful to acknowledge from the outset when
educators and students as being narrow and insular, exploring Britishness that defining national identity is
there is a call to engage with a sense of multicultural neither simple nor straightforward. Nation,
Britishness that is diverse and complex. As a nationality and nationalism are concepts that are
researcher and educator who is openly critical of the hard to define, and also difficult to analyse (Anderson,
FBV agenda, I have sought to make the case for young 2006), especially for young people grappling with
people’s voices, experiences and opinions to be rapid global changes and digital technologies
recognised and valued in the ongoing debates around impacting their local belongings. For Bhabha (1990,
PRISM 2 Early viewPRISM (2021) Habib (2021)
p.1), the nation is “a powerful historical idea” national identity and belonging. I highlight a need to
emerging from “impossibly romantic and excessively create a movement in heritage spaces for young
metaphorical” political and literary thought. The most people to critically interrogate the contemporary
popular definition for nation seems to be what machinations and meanings of museums, and
Anderson (2006) calls an “imagined political importantly, I describe how these institutions can
community”, where “even the smallest nation will begin to take the smallest steps to work towards
never know most of their fellow-members, meet dismantling a colonial legacy that impacts society
them, or even hear of them, yet in the minds of each even today. My own experience has found that young
lives the image of their communion” (Anderson, people are very committed to and passionate about
2006, p.6). Similarly, Colley (1992, p.5) highlights how uncovering the colonial and transnational histories of
nations have long been “culturally and ethnically buildings, monuments and architectures in their
diverse, problematic, protean and artificial constructs everyday spaces which can open up opportunities to
that take shape very quickly and can come apart just explore connections between their sense of
as fast”. It is helpful therefore to acknowledge from belonging to Britain and legacies of empire,
the outset when exploring Britishness that defining colonialism and the slave trade (Habib, 2018).
national identity is not simple nor straightforward.
If museums have been contributory factors in
Museums are known to be the stalwarts of nation cementing the imagined notion of a nation, then
states. They are seen as pandering to the whims and museums must not delay in critically examining their
desires of the political architects of the nation. own role in promoting exclusionary notions of British
Consider the notion of the national museum with identities. Museums must strive to now actively use
“collections and displays that ultimately claim, their spaces, collections and objects to challenge the
articulate and represent dominant national values resurgence of a defensive, exclusionary politics of
and myth” (Aronsson & Elgenius, 2015, p. 1). The national identity. This resurgent defensiveness – an
sheer power of museums to contribute to debates almost symbolic denial of the violence of colonial
about nation and identity is supported by “scientists, heritage - has been seen very recently in the marked
art connoisseurs, citizens and taxpayers, policy hostile reaction of right-wing cultural commentators
makers and visitors alike” (Aronsson & Elgenius, 2015, and politicians in a bizarre public backlash against the
p. 2). Phillip's (2011, p.3) work on the indigenisation National Trust’s report (National Trust, 2020). It’s as
of Canadian Museums reveals the challenge for though by suppressing the dark and violent colonial
museums seeking to engage diverse communities histories of quintessential British country houses,
whilst simultaneously attempting to align with the those levelling criticism against the National Trust,
values and identity of the nation: navigating this position themselves as guardians and defenders of
tension has significance for “issues of identity, British Values.
diversity, and public representation”. Trofanenko
That Britishness and national identity are so closely
and Segall (2014) explain that to begin “to understand
connected to heritage and politics became all too
the pedagogical mandate of public museums, one
apparent last autumn when the National Trust
must understand the colonial practices that aided in
published the aforementioned interim report (2020a)
their creation”. And so it transpires that this power of
describing "the connections 93 historic places in our
museums as bolsterers of national identities cannot
care have with colonialism and historic slavery"
be underestimated.
(National Trust, 2020b). The Interim Report on the
As critical museum educators witness the ways in Connections between Colonialism and Properties now
which “national values and notions of a ‘Western in the Care of the National Trust, Including Links with
civilization’” continue to be transmitted through Historic Slavery (National Trust, 2020) was well
some European museums (Aronsson & Elgenius, received within the heritage sector and generated a
2015, p. 2), in this paper, I ask how might we support great deal of productive discussion about how to
young people from diverse communities who are move forward with honest conversations. While
keen to challenge dominant and popular myths about museum curators, heritage staff, academics,
PRISM 3 Early viewPRISM (2021) Habib (2021)
students, educators and historians were particularly company for the spirit of the nation”. Mitchell (2020)
vocal in applauding the National Trust for its explains to his readers that,
responsible decision to explicitly write about direct
Country houses are easily mythologised as
and indirect links to British colonial histories, others
Britain’s soul, places in which tradition and
reacted more defensively.
inheritance stand firm against the
The media reported on government, claiming the anonymising tides of modernity. They are
report was ‘unfortunate’ and caused offence, and places of fantasy, which help us imagine a
supposed outrage at the inclusion of Winston rooted relationship to the land that feels
Churchill’s estate (Hope, 2020). In an open letter to safe and secure. As Wright pointed out, this
The Telegraph, the ‘Common Sense Group’ of Tory makes the project of preserving them
MPs accused the Trust of rewriting history, having necessarily defensive, and one that doesn’t
“implicitly tarnished one of Britain’s greatest sons, sit well with the practice of actual historical
Winston Churchill, by linking his family home, research – which contextualises, explains
Chartwell, with slavery and colonialism” (Cowles, and asks uncomfortable questions (n.p.)
2020, n.p.). Likewise, for Sandbrook (2020) of The
Against this backdrop, the idea of Britishness and
Daily Mail, in daring to scrutinise key figures in British
national identity is perhaps even more complex for
history such as Kipling, Churchill and Wordsworth,
young people today whose lived experiences of
“the Trust published one of the most intellectually
nation and sense of belonging are further
fraudulent documents I’ve ever read” (n.p.). These
complicated by the rapid pace of global change and
political and media figures were quick to impose an
emerging digital technologies.
insular and defensive type of Britishness on those
seeking to diversify and share honest accounts of A key question then for the heritage sector is: how
histories in cultural heritage spaces. In fact, the Tory do young people define nation? As a critical museum
MPs who damned the National Trust Report highlight educator, I am interested in young people’s
that part of their mission is to “ensure that interpretations of the critiques levelled against the
institutional custodians of history and heritage, political establishment for appointing themselves as
tasked with safeguarding and celebrating British vanguards of “shaping, defining and guarding
values, are not coloured by cultural Marxist dogma ‘Britishness’” (Grube 2011, p. 628). Does the idea that
colloquially known as the ‘woke agenda’” (Cowles, “patriotism and ideas of national identity have long
2020, n.p.). It is perhaps interesting to note that much been the playthings of politicians” (Ward 2004: 93)
of the criticism was not so much concerned with the resonate with young Britons? Given the opportunity
National Trust making public the dark colonial to explore different ways to belong to Britain and
histories of the nation’s built heritage, but rather, that what Britishness means to them personally, young
such links necessarily revealed connections to the people are capable of rich and nuanced
‘great Britons’ who built, lived in and owned the understandings and discussions around the
properties. distinctions and tensions between classed and
racialised belongings to urban (multicultural) and
I was interested in following how the report
rural (White) Britain.
(National Trust, 2020) also received support on social
media from museum curators, heritage staff, My own research into Britishness and belonging
academics, students, educators and historians who has found that young people are often keen to
applauded the National Trust for its responsible interrogate the ways that the political and media elite
decision to explicitly write about direct and indirect impose racial prejudices and class stereotypes on
links to British colonial histories. The Guardian young Britons (Habib, 2018). It is important to
newspaper’s Mitchell (2020) cited the academic highlight the ongoing challenges in formal education
Patrick Wright’s arguments from as far back as the for teachers and students who want to spend more
1980s when he had argued that the National Trust, time critically reflecting and exploring identities and
…had been constructed as a kind of “ethereal holding belongings but - due to curriculum constraints and
PRISM 4 Early viewPRISM (2021) Habib (2021)
teaching to pass examinations – there’s not room for museum displays do not resonate with their lived
thoughtful individual and collective creative work experiences. Such modes of knowledge in museum
about cultural heritage and multicultural identities spaces perpetuate a myth that the formal heritage in
(Habib, 2018). This means the roles and museums is more important than the cultural
responsibilities of museum educators in collaborating heritage of young people from diverse communities
with young people to explore contemporary British that exists beyond the museums walls. These
belongings become even more paramount. For young encounters in mystifying heritage and histories
people growing up in the wake of recent anti-racist continue to push young people away.
mobilisation, identities are a hot topic.
How can we expect young people to challenge the
If the imagined community of a nation consists of processes and practices of heritage making and
“economic, political, linguistic, cultural, religious, display when such formative experiences of the
geographical, historical” relationships (Hroch, 2012, museum are so passive? A bolder and more radical
p.79), then heritage organisations can seek to approach to heritage education is required to
uncover how young people interpret, represent and interrogate the ways that museums have long
live these very relationships that constitute a nation. become adept at discouraging any nuanced - and
This paper argues museums are ideally suited for honest - discourses about British national identity
young people to lead on the critical interrogation of being tied up with theft and looting of colonised
the idea of nation, and to explore diverse British places. Critical educators – working within heritage
identities and the various aforementioned spaces – can seek to disrupt the status quo by opening
relationships as described by Hroch. As such up avenues and opportunities for young people to
museums – their spaces, objects and collections - can challenge popular elitist notions of British values. This
become rich spaces for challenging the resurgence of then also raises the important question of whether
a defensive, exclusionary politics of national identity. museum spaces are employing critical educators who
Museums can radically reconfigure ways of engaging are welcome and encouraged to create
young people from multicultural communities who transformations within their organisation.
inhabit transnational and glocal spaces.
A bold and radical vision is especially needed when
we consider how schooling and education in the UK
3. Young People in Museums
has for far too long failed young people by not making
When working with young people in British multiculturalism, diversity and anti-racism central to
museums, creating open and safe spaces for school policies and practices. This neglect has
discussing the entanglements of contemporary stemmed from the lack of time and attention given to
multicultural identities with the legacies of British these important topics in school professional
colonialism is necessary and long overdue. Normative development courses and teacher training courses
practices where young people simply drop in to their (Lander, 2014). As a result, young people seek out
local museum on a school trip, have a tour, learn a alternative spaces – for example, community, cultural
little about the objects and collections, and never or online spaces – where they can reflect, have
return to the museum need to be problematised. dialogue and debate about the past, present and
Such passive encounters with heritage simply future of multicultural Britishness.
reinforce the belief that the ‘formal heritage’
Dewdney, Dibosa and Walsh (2012, p.29) raise the
displayed in museums constitutes the heritage and
issue of whether museums are doing enough to alter
tells the story. The treatment of collections as special
“curatorial practice and audience development” in
with artefacts displayed behind glass so you can’t
the light of there being so much new important
touch them is a privileging of a certain type of classed
research about “the museum’s historic role in
and racialised heritage. The presentation of these
maintaining colonial and imperial worldviews, as well
historic objects as fixed and static things with a
as their function of producing audiences based upon
significant name and alongside authorless text is
social distinction”. While I agree with their call for
another way of alienating young people who feel
PRISM 5 Early viewPRISM (2021) Habib (2021)
new ways of knowing museums, such a radical exhibitions as a key barrier for people of colour. Thus,
departure requires drawing upon seminal works by young people of colour in the UK have been socialised
Edward Said and Franz Fanon, and others who to this into experiencing cultural barriers and exclusions,
day inform our critical examination of the ways where they have witnessed that neither their parents’
culture and arts are still used to push colonial generations nor their peers have felt they can
discourses about national belonging and identity. unconditionally belong in heritage spaces and
These theories are not only necessary to explore projects. Sometimes they might be called upon to
contemporary contradictions and concerns between participate in certain projects, but this might be on
distinctions such as the “global/local, private/public, the terms of the institution or organisation who
identity/difference, knowledge/feelings, etc”, they temporarily seeks their skills, expertise and ideas.
are urgent given the call “to help us articulate
The problematics of participation in heritage
teaching practices together with the social, political
institutions’ projects has been written about at length
and cultural issues that constitute, design and could
in critical museology studies. Dewdney et al. (2012)
transform them” (Tourinho & Martins, 2008, p.63).
draw on David Beech’s work problematizing the ways
In The Brutish Museums, Hicks argues that that institutions do not critically examine the power
British museums must own up to the “sheer dynamics at play when they encourage communities
brutishness of their continued displays of violently- to participate in arts and culture; instead, it is better,
taken loot” (Hicks, 2020, p. xiii). Critiquing the lexicon Beech advises, to work in collaborative ways where
employed by anthropologists and museum curators communities are able to lead and make decisions
who perpetuate the notion of “gift-giving”, Hicks about arts and culture. Of particular interest for this
writes “and yet those institutions that anthropology paper, Lynch and Alberti’s (2010) critical review of
has built for material culture research are filled with well-intentioned efforts to develop authentic
objects that have not been given, but taken” (Hicks, practices of community engagement at Manchester
2020, p.20). It’s time for museums to acknowledge Museum is strangely familiar and reveals how certain
that “vocabularies of booty, desolation, wasting, challenges remain unresolved over a decade later.
ravaging, depredation, plunder, pillage, confiscations,
As well as striving for culturally relevant galleries,
desecration, trophy-taking, spoliation, enslavement,
museums still need to work out ways to engage young
loot, elginisme, relics of war” (Hicks, 2020, p. 20)
people through critical thinking which fosters a sense
exclude and alienate museum-goers. The colonial
of ownership and belonging. Writing about adult
heritage of museums is embedded within and across
education, Lewis and Clarke (2016, p. 92) argue for
many practices that are undertaken within museums,
emancipatory and transformational practice to
and thus, museums need to challenge these archaic
counter an inflexible – and I would argue racist and
ways of maintaining museums. The beginning of this
classist – model of ‘heritage education’ that
necessary journey of critique and resistance
“institutionalises a Eurocentric colonial authorial
necessitates a deeper mode of reflexivity and critical
model”. New democratic practices can be strived for
consciousness where young people’s voice is more
by working with people of colour across all age groups
central and critical pedagogical approaches are
“in all aspects of learning, design, co-production and
embraced consistently throughout the different parts
delivery/facilitation”(Lewis & Clarke, 2016, p.92).
of a museum.
This critical education practice is further developed
Young people of colour in Britain have grown up in through their discussion of heritage projects with
a world where their own cultural heritage has been adults that “progress multiple voices, challenge
treated as irrelevant or actively excluded, having seen authoritarian positions and encourage active
the ways in which elders in their communities have participation and empowerment” ”(Lewis & Clarke,
been ignored, neglected or marginalised by formal 2016, p.92). And important for the arguments
cultural heritage spaces. Writing about cultural presented in this paper, they raise concerns about
capital, class and habitus, Newman, Goulding, and structural and institutional barriers that mean
Whitehead (2013) refer to culturally irrelevant “community-led grassroots (heritage) projects have
PRISM 6 Early viewPRISM (2021) Habib (2021)
to, in effect, re-educate the institutionalised South Asia and develop new methods for museums to
educators to value and recognise so-called non- engage with people” (Lanchin, 2019). It is funded by
traditional skills” (Lewis & Clarke, 2016, p. 92). If the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s (NLHF) Kick the
heritage staff want to make radical changes with Dust programme, a funding stream launched in 2016
communities or young people leading on heritage specifically in order to “make heritage more relevant
projects, then the sector needs to actively embrace to the lives of young people aged 11-25” (Lanchin,
new ways to co-design, co-produce and co-curate, 2019). While the NLHF had, for a number of years,
thereby engaging with the complex relationships invested in work to engage young people more
between cultural heritage, identities and belongings. closely with heritage, the establishment of Kick the
Dust represents the fact that, in spite of their efforts,
Within the heritage sector, I work with young
“young people were still under-represented as
people who state their desire for safe spaces where
audiences, participants and volunteers at heritage
they can be critical and interrogate the status quo,
sites and services” (Lanchin, 2019). There are key
where their critique of colonial practices and policies
questions to be asked of how heritage is defined and
is welcomed and acted upon, and where they feel
to what extent such definitions are understood by or
they can belong. How can museums, therefore, begin
relevant to the young people with whom the NLHF is
to help to shift the pernicious racialised and classed
attempting to engage. The UNESCO (n.d.) definition
discourses about young people in Britain? I will now
of ‘cultural heritage’ gives examples of tangible
go on to describe the significance of the Our Shared
cultural heritage as movable (e.g. paintings,
Cultural Heritage (OSCH) project in creating change
sculptures, coins and manuscripts), immovable (e.g.
for young people and the heritage sector. Young
monuments and archaeological sites), and
people’s ideas, experiences and stories of
underwater (e.g. shipwrecks, underwater ruins and
contemporary Britishness and cultural heritage can
cities). Intangible cultural heritage examples include
be a catalyst for change within cultural spaces. Key
oral traditions, performing arts, and rituals. For
questions about the past, present and future of
natural heritage, UNESCO refers to natural sites with
museums can be interrogated within these very same
cultural aspects (e.g. cultural landscapes, physical,
museum spaces through the lived experiences of
biological or geological formations).
diverse communities. Young people are interested in
grappling with questions regarding ethics and During the preliminary consultation to pave the
ownership. For example, how do museums continue way for the OSCH project, the British Council also
to maintain a picture of the benevolent British who found that whilst the themes of identity and
travelled throughout the world and were given gifts belonging are important to young people from South
in faraway lands to take back and treasure in Asian backgrounds, unfortunately, many young
antiquated buildings? In the following sections I will people do not see heritage organisations as sites to
highlight that when young people show interest in the explore cultural heritage (Imran, Clark, Iconic
(controversial) relationships between museums, Consulting, & Bolton, 2018). The consultation also
identities and belongings, these can become revealed the strong associations between museums
significant opportunities for museum educators to and the formal school curriculum, and as such, that
embrace and develop. many young people felt that home and family
environments were their only spaces to explore their
4. Project Overview: Our Shared Cultural lived experiences of heritage, identity and diversity. In
Heritage (OSCH) order to redress these problems and the fundamental
lack of connection that young people feel towards the
Our Shared Cultural Heritage (OSCH) is a
formal /official heritage presented in museums in
partnership project, led by the British Council and
particular, OSCH has sought to make heritage spaces
working with Manchester Museum, Glasgow Life and
more relevant and useful for young people keen to
UK Youth, that sets out to give “young people from
explore their experiences of identity and belonging. In
around the UK the chance to come together to
order to do this, OSCH supports young people from
explore the shared cultural heritage of the UK and
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the South Asian diaspora and their peers to lead on books, as well as a ‘partition wall’ for attendees to
developing, experimenting with and evaluating new note thoughts and comments on the themes of the
ways of engaging with discourses of cultural heritage day. Young people were paid to lead on the
in their communities, with their peers, and within the workshops; they designed and delivered engaging
heritage sector. This focus on young South Asians in workshops for their communities and peers. There
Manchester is especially pertinent with the was great attendance of young people with their
development of the first permanent South Asia families. A local news reporter covered the day’s
Gallery in the UK at Manchester Museum. events also recorded a recitation of the Sujata Bhatt
poem ‘Partition’ by a young person and uploaded it
Since OSCH commenced in May 2019, young
to social media.
people in Greater Manchester - and beyond since the
project moved online in March 2020 due to Covid - Young people run the OSCH Twitter, Instagram and
have formed a Manchester Museum Young blog – and the diversity and complexity of what it
Collective. What happens then when young people means to be British, and the impact of classed and
are supported to critically engage with a museum and racialised identities, as well as attachments to local,
gain confidence, skills and therefore a sense of national and transnational identities very much come
agency? They embrace opportunities to deliver through on what the young people post, produce and
programming and contribute to organisational write. Moreover, young people have been teaching
decisions. Young people have led on and organised the heritage sector about these very same lived
events, activities and campaigns that they have felt realities by delivering social justice and anti-racism
are important to their lived experiences, to their training to museum staff. Young people have
peers and to their communities, and in doing so have engaged in shortlisting exercises for new posts, sat on
demonstrated their keenness and drive for exploring recruitment panels, and interviewed the designers for
cultural heritage and changing cultural spaces. the new upcoming South Asia Gallery. Recently in
autumn 2020, some of the young people co-
Some of the OSCH project aims are for museums to
submitted a brilliant proposal to the Fair Museums
become better places for young people to explore
Careers Summit to share their learning about how
identity and connect with others; for museums to
museums can engage with young people to create
change how heritage spaces engage with and
transformative new policies and practices with the
represent young South Asian communities,’ and, for
wider sector. Their joint proposal was accepted and
museums to open up new opportunities for young
they delivered an outstanding session online
people. One of the very first events young people
attended by heritage staff throughout the UK who
played a key collaborative role in was in August 2019
learned about how these young people had embraced
when, in partnership with the Whitworth Art Gallery
opportunities to collaborate and create in museum
and the Manchester Museum, OSCH young people
spaces.
commemorated the history of the 1947 Partition of
India. The key themes explored at the
5. Critical pedagogy in Museums: co-
commemoration day were - why do we need South
production, co-design and co-curation
Asian Heritage Month and why/how does the history
of the Partition of India need to be taught in UK My arts-based research with ethnically diverse
schools? young people from south-east London showed that
even in the classroom context it is hard to shift the
We held a call out for young creatives to plan and
mindsets of students (and sometimes teachers) to
deliver workshops for young people and wider
employ radical and critical ways of exploring
communities. At the family event, there were guided
Britishness, identities and belongings (Habib, 2018).
tours by curators, presentations by historians and
However when students and their teachers embrace
authors, creative workshops, object handling, films
an approach which disrupts conventional and
and performances. There was a bazaar for young
traditional classroom hierarchies, and engage in deep
creatives to sell arts and crafts, refreshments and
and meaningful critical encounters with peers,
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families and teachers, there is a remarkable honesty places to critically engage in dialogue and discussion,
and openness in the reflective and collaborative and to interrogate dominant myths about migration,
conversations about identities and belonging. multiculturalism, nation, identity and belonging.
Throughout this paper I am focusing on what Museums have a responsibility to develop
occurs when we adopt a framework of critical strategies with young people to further exploration of
pedagogy in museum spaces to explore identities and the self and the other through arts and culture. These
belongings with young people. I am interested in the practices of interrogating identities can transform
activities, events and campaigns that they create, young people’s ways of thinking about multiple
change, or lead on in ways that they deem relevant to identities and belongings. Arts-based reflection and
themselves, their peers and communities. Critical discussion enables young people to recognise
pedagogy advocates for a non-hierarchical and non- complexities, to challenge oppressions and to seek
elitist approach to learning and teaching. Thus, we social change (Habib, 2018). According to Chilton and
can adopt critical pedagogy principles and practices to Leavy (2014, p.403), the arts can consistently
radically shift traditional arts and culture hierarchies “promote autonomy, raise awareness, activate the
and privileging of curators (often white, male and senses, express the complex feeling-based aspects of
middle-class) as being the most knowledgeable. Co- social life, illuminate the complexity and sometimes
production, co-design and co-curation are currently paradox of lived experience, jar us into seeing and
the preferred new methods in establishing the UK’s thinking differently, and transform consciousness
first permanent gallery dedicated to South Asian through evoking empathy and resonance”. When
histories and cultures at Manchester Museum. Over engaging with arts and culture through frameworks of
the last three or more years, a whole range of critical pedagogy, we find that these aforementioned
interested parties with different levels of experience, benefits are even more heightened and deeply felt by
skills and knowledge – including members of the both young people and museum educators.
community, designers, young people, and
Critical pedagogy principles and practices are
Manchester Museum and British Museum staff, and
powerful when working with different social groups.
many others – have come to learn from one another
Clover and Sanford (2016, p.73), researching the
and teach one another. This mode of learning has
challenges specifically faced by women museum
resulted in a conscious effort to rethink and redirect
educators in a heritage sector that denies the lived
outdated policies and practices, in order to strive to
and gendered experiences of museum educators,
co-produce non-hierarchical and non-elitist ways of
highlight that some of the educators they heard from
showcasing British Asian histories, identities and
were keen to emphasise the need for critical
belongings.
pedagogy in “gaining the confidence needed to tackle
When supported with the right opportunities in difficult issues and contribute to meaningful social
collaborative and caring spaces, young people are change”: “One participant in particular spoke about
eager to explore social justice through arts and how the complexity of today’s social issues and
culture (Habib, 2020). The young people I’ve worked populations necessitated deep and critical
with on the OSCH project, as well as previously in my pedagogical preparation”. And thus, it isn’t only the
capacity as a school and college teacher, will share traditional ‘official’ museum educators who might
that they aren’t granted these moments of identity understand the significance of critical pedagogy, but
exploration as much as they would like in schools. the young people – our teachers in the museum
They recognise this is due to the time and curriculum sector – also appreciate the value of critical pedagogy
demands on teachers to teach them to pass in museums.
examinations. Museums, therefore, need to be
Some of the main issues raised by the museum
spaces of reflection and critical collaboration where
educators working with adults equally apply to those
young people delve into understanding and sharing
engaging with young people in heritage context.
historic and contemporary modes of belonging,
Young people are conscious of museums acting as
identity and citizenship. Museums are important
PRISM 9 Early viewPRISM (2021) Habib (2021)
“manifestations of cultural and political desires, and teachers to lead on workshops/talks and co-
rather than straight-forward representations of produce events and activities for the community
historical or national ‘facts’” (Aronsson & Elgenius, commemoration. The Partition1947 event, for
2015, p. 2). Thus, young people are keen to use a example, was advertised through social
critical pedagogy framework to uncover the media/community groups, but need more lead time
representations of history that museums produce and to publicise the event for more young participants to
maintain over time. There are a number of changes produce, collaborate, and participate in activities
that museums can make to implement pedagogies relevant to the South Asian British diaspora. Since
that are relevant and useful to young people and their this event, we have created spaces for young people
communities. Clover, Sanford, Johnson, and Bell to continue to lead on and deliver (and as far as
(2016), for instance, highlight recurring themes in art possible paid opportunities) so many other
and culture organisations: firstly, the need to move meaningful community events, ranging from the
beyond focusing solely upon schooling and launch of a report on the impact of discourses of the
curriculum in museum education; secondly, create war on terror on young people, both Muslim and non-
new and better ways to negotiate tensions between Muslim to a multilingual poetry and language learning
curation and pedagogy; thirdly, build upon critical and session to accompany the Beauty and the Beasts
radical pedagogies; and finally, establish museums as exhibition at Manchester Museum.
pedagogical spaces for us to challenge the dire
There is still so much work to be done when it
consequences of capitalism and neoliberalism on our
comes to young people feeling secure and confident
society and on the environment.
in belonging (or not) to Britain, and in young people
All of these aforementioned issues are relevant to being bold and proud to celebrate complex multiple
the lives and experiences of young people, and are identities. Heritage spaces need to move towards
key for museum educators interested in promoting models that are ethical and responsible when doing
young peoples’ identities and belongings within the community engagement with young people of colour.
museum context. All of these identified challenges At the very least, this means diversifying museum
and tensions can begin to be understood at deeper spaces and museum workforces by providing
and critical levels if we use a critical pedagogy meaningful and useful paid opportunities, paid
framework when working with young people (and of internships, and paid work experience for young
course with adults too) in museum education. people who wish to get to know the sector, learn
about the careers and opportunities available, and
change the future of the heritage sector.
6. Conclusion: young people radically Museums can be welcome and necessary spaces to
transforming arts and culture showcase young people’s lived realities. Moreover,
museums must adopt radical and transformative
In this paper, I have drawn upon my relatively new
practices to platform young people’s counter stories
role within Manchester Museum as the project
about British histories, identities and cultures. If it is
coordinator of a cultural heritage initiative - Our
commonly accepted that museums were introduced
Shared Cultural Heritage (OSCH) - to engage young
as elitist endeavours to reproduce and preserve
people from the South Asian diaspora and their peers
discourses about cultural heritage in heavily classed
in leading on changing the ways that museums have
and racialized ways, then how do we own those
worked with traditionally underrepresented groups.
shameful moments of our colonial past and neoliberal
Some of the key learning from the OSCH experiences
present? When working reflectively and
are that we need a longer time period to plan for an
collaboratively about our shared colonial histories
annual event on Partition1947 and for better scope to
using critical pedagogy principles, tensions about the
have a grander events with more young people
authenticity of ‘democratic’ practices might emerge
gaining organising and leading on the day. It might be
as museum staff naturally have the power to shift the
better to hold a weekday event for school students
course of the project and activities. More work needs
PRISM 10 Early viewPRISM (2021) Habib (2021)
to go into breaking down power imbalances, and reflecting on the OSCH project, I am keen to keep on
subsequently, encouraging authentic, radical and working to accommodate these challenges and
productive modes of collaborative activities in counter-stories in cultural and heritage spaces. Do we
museums. do enough genuine challenging and enough
subverting, or do we adhere to the status quo and to
How do we provide safe spaces for young people
what has always been? A very important question
to be able to counter dominant myths about
that drives my work with young people is when it
Britishness and belonging with their own creative and
comes to exploring identities and belongings do we
cultural campaigns, exhibitions and pedagogies?
dedicate enough time and space with young people
When exploring cultural heritage, we can explore
for them to reflect on and create conversations where
what resonates for young people, showcase their
they begin to grapple with the complexities of
contemporary perspectives on cultural heritage, and
belonging to nation? The latest exciting space to
learn more about how technological developments
reflect and converse about these issues, and then to
have impacted young people’s ideas about cultural
co-curate, co-design and co-produce a gallery for
heritage. Naturally, new ways of doing collaborative
Manchester is the upcoming South Asia Gallery.
arts-based activities with young people will bring
Young people are integral to this reflective and
forth contemporary nuances to ethical decision-
collaborative process: they are currently working on
making about co-production and co-dissemination,
this co-curation, co-production and co-design, and
particularly in an age of social media (Lomax, 2015).
their individual and collective stories about diasporic
There is increasing discussion in museum education
belongings to Britain will be showcased in the South
about adapting heritage spaces to go beyond what is
Asia Gallery when it opens in 2022.
traditionally deemed as cultural heritage.
Questions continue to arise—and will keep on
emerging—about who defines “British Values”, and
whether religiously, ethnically and culturally diverse
Britons are permitted and welcome to contribute to
the conversation on British belongings and identities
(Bragg, 2006; Habib, 2018; Miah, 2015). What truths,
hopes and stories do young people want to share
about the past, present and future of British histories,
identities and cultures? What are the classed and
racialized experiences of contemporary belongings to
Britain? How are museums important cultural sites
for young people to explore, develop, and rethink
some of these aforementioned questions about
national identity? Moreover, by adopting critical
pedagogy principles and practices, museums can
offer educational and curatorial support and
resources to young people eager to teach us about
Britishness past and present.
When exploring Britishness with young people my
experiences have pointed towards the importance of
young people’s counter-stories (Habib, 2018) which
correlates with the idea that perhaps then the nation
is “important only in the moment where its cultural
imperatives are being carnivalized, subverted and
challenged” (Back, 1996, p.250). Therefore, in
PRISM 11 Early viewPRISM (2021) Habib (2021)
7. Disclosure statement
The author(s) declare no potential conflicts of
interest with respect to the research, authorship,
and/or publication of this article.
8. Acknowledgements
Thank you to the young people who inspire us
to do better in the heritage sector, and to the
brilliant colleagues who support radical
change-making. Thank you also to Dr Garth
Stahl and Dr Hannah-Lee Chalk for their very
valuable feedback and advice to aid the
writing of this paper.
9. Open Access Policy
This journal provides immediate open access to its
content with no submission or publications fees. This
journal article is published under the following
Creative Commons Licence:
This licence allows others to read, download, copy,
distribute, print, search, or link to this article (and
other works in this journal), and/or to use them for
any other lawful purpose in accordance with the
licence.
PRISM is also indexed in the world largest open-
access database: DOAJ (the Directory of Open Access
Journals). DOAJ is a community-curated online
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PRISM 12 Early viewPRISM (2021) Habib (2021)
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