Past Projects + Exhibitions
Colchester + Ipswich Museums have delivered countless projects and exhibitions over the years.
Highlights from some of those, along with links to further information, are provided below.
Projects + Exhibitions
Joy at the Jobcentre
(Ipswich Jobcentre Plus, February 2022)
In February half-term 2022, DanceEast, Rock Paper Scissors, Ipswich Museums, Suffolk Family Carers, New Wolsey Theatre, Suffolk Libraries, Britten Pears Arts, EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute, Art Eat, and Kimmy’s Zoo joined in the fun at Ipswich Jobcentre Plus. Together we created five days of arts, crafts, play, animals (alive and dead!), games, and den-building.
Norfolk and Norwich Festival Bridge commissioned the following report to understand how to create a Joy at the Jobcentre project in other areas of the East of England.
Decoding the Roman Dead
(Colchester Castle, July 2021 – January 2022)
Who were the first people that lived and died in Roman Britain’s capital city?
During 2020-2021, Colchester Museums worked with archaeologists and specialists to ‘decode’ the hidden stories of 40 of Colchester’s earliest inhabitants. Through new scientific research techniques, we reconstructed the identity and lives of these people: where they came from in the empire, what illnesses they lived with, and how they were cremated at their funerals.
Power of Stories
(Christchurch Mansion, June – October 2021)
From folklore to fake news, people have told stories for thousands of years.
Three iconic costumes from Marvel Studios’ Black Panther were woven into a patchwork of storytelling traditions from across time and place. The outfits of T’Challa, Shuri and Okoye, which featured in the ground-breaking film, sat alongside Marvel comics and historic museum objects. Spanning music to movies, carvings to cartoons, this exhibition asked how stories have the power to shape our lives.
Ed Sheeran: Made In Suffolk
(Christchurch Mansion, August 2019 – November 2020)
Ed Sheeran: Made in Suffolk opened to coincide with the four homecoming concerts in Ipswich, which brought his record-breaking Divide tour to an end. It featured dozens of personal items never seen in public before, along with stunning paintings and sketches by renowned artist Colin Davidson and photographs by Mark Surridge. The exhibition offered visitors an unrivalled insight into the making of Ed Sheeran, intimately portraying his creative and musical journey, whilst celebrating his strong connection to Suffolk and its people.
Decolonisation + Democratisation
Adorn: Jewellery, the Human Story
(Colchester Castle, July 2019 – February 2020)
Kiss & Tell: Rodin and Suffolk Sculpture
(Christchurch Mansion, November 2018 – April 2019)
Kiss & Tell: Rodin and Suffolk Sculpture explored the tale behind the lovers in Auguste Rodin’s iconic life-size marble sculpture, The Kiss, and the work of literature that inspired it, Dante’s Inferno from The Divine Comedy. This monumental artwork, on loan from the Tate, is a significant piece in the history of sculpture.
The exhibition took you on a journey to uncover one of the most enduring themes in art – the human figure.
The Training Museum
(2015 – 2018)
The Training Museum was a three year workforce development project funded by Arts Council England.
Through traineeships, volunteer opportunities, schools activities, staff professional development and more, the service worked to open up the museum sector to new voices.
Transforming People To Transform Museums Conference
(Colchester Castle, 2016)
This event was a national conference exploring how heritage and arts organisations are reacting to new challenges through radical approaches in partnership working, workforce development and the use of museum and gallery spaces.
Colchester Castle Redevelopment
Colchester Castle reopened on 2 May 2014 after a substantial redevelopment programme. Many improvements and developments were made, creating a high-quality, exciting and fit-for-purpose visitor attraction.
Venues
