Tens of thousands of objects will tell stories from around the world, celebrating the wonder and complexity of what it means to be human, in a new anthropology gallery set to open in 2018. The HLF award will also fund a learning and engagement programme and The Horniman is raising a further £1.4m of funding to complete the project.
“This grant from HLF will transform our galleries and programmes,” said Janet Vitmayer, Director of the Horniman Museum and Gardens. “We will share exciting new research and build on the Horniman’s leading work in the development of community collaboration, to create programmes that stimulate curiosity and help our diverse audience relate to and engage with some of the many different ways there are of living in our extraordinary world.”
The World Gallery will display more than 3,000 objects from the Horniman’s collections. Alongside the new gallery will be a studio, home to a extensive programme of performances and exhibitions inspired by the Horniman’s internationally important collections.
“The objects from our collections will be displayed in a beautiful and joyful space that celebrates human creativity, imagination and adaptability,” said Robert Storrie, Keeper of Anthropology at the Horniman. “The displays will show how “things” connect people – practically and emotionally – as well as giving each of us a glimpse into other ways of understanding the world we all share.”
The Horniman’s current anthropology galleries will be closed to the public from September 2016.
