Language, Place and the Museum: Exploring Multilingualism and Decolonial Practices

Project Overview

This project explores the relationship between language, place, and museums, examining how place is constructed, contested, and reimagined through linguistic practices in museum environments. It aims to investigate how museums use language to shape visitors' encounters with cultural objects and places, often reinforcing colonial spatial logics but also offering possibilities for decolonial transformation and support of multilingual heritage.

What You Will Do

The researcher will develop the project according to their disciplinary, methodological, or creative interests, exploring topics such as linguistic framing in museum labels and catalogues, translation and oral narration as modes of contesting colonial ideologies, and creative or participatory research methods. The project will be conducted in partnership with Manchester Museum, engaging with its Multilingual Museum platform to explore sustainable multilingual practices in museum settings.

Expected Outcomes

The doctoral researcher is expected to produce original research that rethinks museum language practices and contributes to decolonial and multilingual museology. Public-facing outputs including events, programming, and collaborative activities with Manchester Museum will ensure that the research has tangible impact beyond academia.

Why This Matters

Museums have historically reinforced colonial perspectives through language and spatial representation. This research addresses urgent debates about museum responsibility, community participation, and inclusion by investigating how language shapes notions of place and belonging. It offers transformative potential to reimagine museum practices that can support multilingual communities and challenge colonial legacies.