Rethinking Relationships Community Researcher Proposals

Visitors to the museum's off-site store examine an object from the African collections.

The Rethinking Relationships project is looking to work with four community researchers to explore the African collections at the University of Cambridge's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. This is an excellent and unique opportunity to engage deeply with the museum collections and be reimbursed for your time. This will be especially exciting for people who really want to develop their knowledge and expertise around African collections and heritage. The Rethinking Relationships project is working towards a small re-display of African Collections in the museum over the next nine months and are particularly keen to work with people who want to be part of the process. The selected community researchers will be reimbursed for their time for a maximum of five days at £150 per day. This includes online workshops, museum visits and object handling at the Centre for Material Culture. This is not a formal contract of employment.

About the Project

The Rethinking Relationships project is working across five African countries and four UK museums to develop new museum practice based on equitable collaboration. It is an Arts Council England funded project that began in Summer 2024 and runs until December 2026. It is working in partnership with members of the African Diaspora and people from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria and Ghana to explore collections and develop museum practice that better serves their needs. The project also works across four UK museums; the Horniman Museum, the Pitt Rivers Museum, (University of Oxford), the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (University of Cambridge), and the World Museum in Liverpool. Collaboration is at the heart of what this project does, and partners include heritage professionals, community members, researchers, artists, diaspora groups and academics. The project's work and outcomes are tailored to the specific contexts of the museums and partners.

How to Apply

Please write a short proposal of around 100-200 words in total that:

1) Reflects your engagements with the collections online with a proposed idea that relates to the African collections at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge. You can search the collections online using the collections portal.

2) An idea of what you would like the outcome of your work to be and what kind of output you would like your research to have.

Please see below for some suggestions but feel free to suggest other outcomes.

All proposals will be selected using the following criteria so please make sure you address these points. Applications from those with a personal connection to the African Collections will be prioritised.

  • Availability to take part in workshops and objects handling sessions (see dates below).
  • Clarity of the research proposal, which demonstrate clear questions, and interests that relate to the collections at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
  • A clear idea of why you wish to be involved and what you hope to get out of participating.
  • Adequacy of the research proposal and the museum’s capacity to support the proposed research ideas.
  • The successful applications reflect research projects with a balance of themes, questions, and geographic areas.

Additional Information

Key Dates you should be available:

  • 9th August 2025 - Workshop – Introduction to the museum and navigating the collections- ½ day.
  • July/August 2025 - Personal work to research collections and select objects for closer view and 1-1 sessions – ½ day.
  • 6th September 2025 - Visit to the museum and Centre for Material Culture engage with objects – 1 day.
  • September 2025-January 2026 - 2 days of supported personal research time- 2 days.
  • January 2026 TCB - Re-display planning day – 1 day.

What kind of work is possible?

Here are some ideas of the kind of work Community Researchers can do:

  • Involvement in new display- including selecting objects, working with the group and museum staff to design the case layout and introductory text panel, and producing a descriptive label for the selected object(s).
  • Online outputs – this could be a blog but might be possible to do an 'online exhibition'.
  • Involvement in a podcast.
  • Short video talking about their experience.
  • New information for museum records and catalogue.
  • Learn about a new topic related to the collections.
  • Share your work with your own communities through events/talks.
  • Creative outputs- including but not limited to artwork/music/wiring.
  • Sharing work with museum sector audiences via the Museum Ethnographers Group.
  • Toolkits and guides- to support others carrying out their own research.

The selection panel will be made up of the following individuals:

Thomas Fearon - Relationship Manager, Rethinking Relationships Project

Cambridge African Network Committee Members

Sarah-Jane Harknett - Head of Public Engagement and Learning, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

If you require any adjustments for the application process or for the Community Researcher role, please get in touch and we will be happy to discuss alternative applications and projects.

For enquiries, please contact Thomas Fearon: thomas.fearon@prm.ox.ac.uk

Please send proposals toadmin@maa.cam.ac.uk by 20th July 2025.

A decision will be made by 25th July 2025.