Open until 5pm Friday 11th July. Panel members will receive £200 for their participation in four meetings across July to October 2026
Reimagining Museums is seeking expressions of interest from Egyptian, Egyptian diasporic, North African, Sub-Saharan, Arab, and Mashriq artists, academics, creatives, activists, and community members to contribute to an online Lived Experience Panel for the development of a new programme of work connected to the Bust of Queen Nefertiti.
Background
Culture& is an independent charity working to challenge and reshape cultural spaces by creating opportunities for voices and stories that have not always been represented in museums and heritage. We are working with the University of Oxford on a Wellcome-funded Discovery Research Platform exploring ethical disagreements in museums (Reimagining Museums). We are looking at the potential of replicas to resolve disputes about objects with contested provenance held in western museums and we have created a full-sized 3D printed replica of the famous bust of ancient Egyptian Queen Nefertiti that is held in the Neues Museum, Berlin.
Reimagining Museums is undertaking several interventions at the 2026 Museums Association Conference, including 1) an installation at the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, situated near to the Elephant in the Room exhibition; 2) a panel discussion/session on contested heritage and the role of replicas; and 3) an evening performance.
Image source: Ivan S, Pexels.com
About the Lived Experience Panel
We recognise that conversations around ancient Egypt, cultural ownership, and representation can be complex and sensitive. We are committed to ensuring that diasporic voices are meaningfully involved in shaping the programme and its interpretation from the outset. Therefore, we need your support with feedback and input on the plans for the programme of work and its interpretation.
What we are looking for
We are looking for between 4 to 5 panel members who will provide advice on our Nefertiti programming. Culture& invites expressions of interest from individuals from the Egyptian, North African or Sub-Saharan diaspora, as well as people who identify as part of the wider Arab or Mashriq (Eastern Arab world) community.
We welcome expressions of interest from people working across a range of disciplines and approaches, including but not limited to:
- Museums and heritage
- Egyptology, archaeology, and history
- Black studies and diaspora studies
- Arab and Islamic studies
- Community engagement and cultural organising
- Drag and queer performance
- Visual arts and design
What’s involved?
Advisors will be invited to take part in up to four online advisory meetings. In these meetings, members of the production, curatorial, and research team will circulate materials for feedback and discussion.
We will meet online via Zoom. Meetings will last between 60-90 minutes and will have opportunities for dialogue and sharing. Documents and materials will be shared ahead of the meeting for review. Meetings will take place in English.
Panel members will receive £200 for their participation in four meetings across July to October 2026.
We will meet on the following dates:
- Friday 31st July between 14:00 – 15:30
- Friday 14th August between 10:00 – 11:30
- Friday 25th September between 14:00 – 15:30
- Friday 23rd October between 10:00 – 11:30
Interested?
Please fill out the expression of interest form below. The form asks you for some information about yourself and your interest in this project.
Expressions of interest for Lived Experience Panel – Fill in form
Deadline for submissions is Friday 11th July at 5pm, when the form will close.
This webpage provides some information about the background of the project and the details of what would be involved. If you have any questions, please get in touch with Chloe Asker on chloe.asker@cultureand.org.