Ipswich exhibition aims to attract new generation to museums
Power of Stories will include a display of costumes from Marvel Studios' Black Panther.
The exhibition was meant to be held this year but was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, and will now take place next year.
It'll be held at Christchurch Mansion, which has been home to exhibitions Kiss & Tell: Rodin and Suffolk Sculpture, and Ed Sheeran: Made in Suffolk which both proved to be major hits to residents and visitors of the town.
Outfits of Black Panther's T'Challa, Shuri and Okoye will be displayed alongside Marvel comics and historic museum objects.
They are expected to be the centre-piece of the exhibition, and it's hoped they'll attract a whole new generation of museum-goers.
Melanie Hollis, Collections and Learning Curator at Colchester and Ipswich Museums, said: "We're really hoping it will inspire a younger generation of museum visitors, but also a different demographic to what we are used to having at the museums.
"I think it's really important we reflect on which stories we're telling and how we tell them, so that more people know museums are there for them to enjoy."
Phanuel Mutumburi, Business and Operations Director for Ipswich and Suffolk Council for Racial Equality, is part of the group working on the exhibition and he thinks it is a good opportunity for young people to take inspiration and harness the positive energy it will bring.
He said: "Having representation on such an iconic film is as much for young black people as it is for others to see and understand them. This exhibition will contribute to shaping their sense of identity and provide opportunities for people to participate in many ways."
The exhibition aims to explore the way the stories have been told over thousands of years and the way they influence how we see the world, from movies to music and carvings to cartoons.
It'll be held at Christchurch Mansion between 3rd April 2021 and 29th August 2021.