Visiting Manchester Museum

Today was day three of the ITP trip to Manchester, and we spent the day at ITP UK partner Manchester Museum with Campbell Price (Curator of Egypt and Sudan). Adam Jaffer joined us again this morning from the People’s History Museum, to see ITP fellow Manisha Nene’s Spotlight Loan tour Celebrating Ganesha, which had previously been presented at Adam’s former museum in Birmingham.

We started the day by observing Campbell speaking to A-Level students attending a Graeco-Roman Egypt study day at the museum. It was great to watch Campbell and the learning team engaging with these young people, and particularly interesting to hear Campbell highlight the importance of the city of Manchester to the collection and interpretation of Ancient Egypt (sponsorship of Petrie’s excavations by a Mancunian cotton industrialist, collection of papyri by Enriqueta Rylands).

We also met with Menaka Munro, who is leading the capital expansion of the museum, including the new South Asia Gallery, in partnership with the British Museum. Then we were given a tour of the museum from a  visitor services perspective by Peter Fallon, Visitor Team Manager.

Finally, Campbell took us behind the scenes to the stores before we returned to the A-Level study day group to watch the short films they had made about Graeco-Roman Egyptians.

Thanks to everyone at Manchester Museum for a brilliant day!

Can’t wait to hit the Museums Association conference tomorrow!