'Museum Doctor': Cultural Executive, Consultant, Content Designer
Activating Culture
If you are thinking about starting, expanding, renovating, improving a museum or cultural centre, I can help. I will work with you and your team to make sure you are empowered to make solid decisions for an exciting visitor experience and a sustainable future.
Bio
I am a versatile and innovative cultural consultant with experience advising more than 55 museum and cultural projects worldwide. My specific expertise is in finding innovative ways to connect cultural resources (collections, ideas, stories, research, space and staff) to new audiences. Throughout my career, I have been based on three continents, and have worked with dozens of municipal, regional and national governments, museums, companies, foundations and individuals who are dedicated to sharing their cultures with others. I was the director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art from 2021-2023, where I began transforming the museum into a 21st Global African Art Museum, restituted the Benin Bronzes in the collection back to Nigeria and initiated unprecedented collaboration with African institutions, scholars, curators, designers and communities.
I am co-editor, with Ali Hossaini, of the Manual of Digital Museum Planning, (Rowman and Littlefield 2017) which provides practical guidance for cultural institutes to transform to reflect new digital realities.is I also co-edited, with Gail Lord, of Cities, Museums and Soft Power (AAM Press 2015) which urges museums to play a more vital role in creating equitable, inclusive and empowering cities.
History for Today
How to engage and inspire diverse audiences today about a past that may exclude them or they may find irrelevant or painful. A common challenge for museums. Clue: Tech isn't the only answer...
Jerusalem Exhibition, Jewish Museum Berlin.
In 2017, I worked closely with the curators at the Jewish Museum, Berlin and the designers Kossmann.dejong to shape the complex story of Jerusalem- a city whose past and present are often violently intertwined.
This was to be the main exhibition during the redevelopment of the permanent exhibition, and given the bias assumed in a Jewish Museum tackling this subject- it was important to be engaging, whilst also providing a balanced reflection on a city that is at once empirical, holy and political.