Sujata DasRoy MPhil

Sujata DasRoy MPhil

DEVELOPMENT OF INDIAN TEXTILE COLLECTIONS IN THE MUSEUMS OF ENGLAND AND THEIR ROLE IN CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: CASE STUDIES OF THREE LOCAL AUTHORITY MUSEUMS

This research explores how the museums can utilize their Indian textile collections to represent cultural diversity and engagement with communities. In the multicultural society of modern Britain, diversity has emerged as a key feature. Museums, archives and libraries can offer unique and inspiring opportunities for people to come together and learn about each other's lives and cultures. As a consequence of Indo-British colonial relationships, museums of England possess substantial Indian collections. Museums should be able to effectively utilize these to develop community cohesion. Textiles, as museum objects, are unique in their broader scope as they can help to understand the historical, socio-political and economical background of societies. Working within their environment, museums can create representation of Indian textile objects to celebrate cultural diversity and inspire different segments of the community to come together for better understanding of each other. On the other hand, museums can build up strong relationships with local communities by utilizing their textile collections in innovative ways. The first part of this work will be an analytical review of the development of Indian textile collections in England and their significance; the second part will be based on the case studies of current practices of three different museums.