You can see objects from many different parts of Manchester Museum’s 5-million-strong collection, try translating them for other members of your community or for yourself, tell us what you think, or see what other people have contributed.
The Multilingual Museum is a collaborative project between Manchester Museum, the City of Languages, and the community around us, made possible with National Lottery Heritage Funding.
For more information on what we do and how you can be part of this community, see our Community Guidelines and FAQs.
Resources
Follow the link below for our toolkit. If you are interested in setting up a similar project at your own venue, this provides a step-by-step guide to follow.
The Multilingual Museum – Toolkit
If you would like to know more about the process of creating this project, we also have our Project Report available to read.
The Multilingual Museum – Project Report
Storied Translation
This website uses the concept of ‘storied translation’, or translation where the work put into it is made visible. This should make translation interesting and accessible for all, as well as show the work it takes to translate something successfully when the languages may be very different from one another. It also frames language as heritage and explores the making of meaning via the process of translation and the choices made in that.
This approach is participatory and dynamic, working with the museum to bring the translations to life. Storied translation was developed in collaboration with academics from The University of Manchester, Rebecca Tipton (Translation Studies) and Yaron Matras (Linguistics).
Manchester Museum
Our mission is to build understanding between cultures and a more sustainable world, and we are driven by our values to be inclusive, imaginative and caring.
A commitment to inclusion means greater collaboration and co-production, and foregrounding diverse perspectives, so that we are relevant to the communities we serve.
A commitment to imagination means engaging with big ideas, bringing people together to tell stories and explore important questions and research.
A commitment to care means caring for people, their ideas and relationships, as well as objects, so that we might build understanding, empathy and love for our world and each other.
We hope you will see this in action across the whole museum and in our work beyond the museum walls.
The Multilingual Museum website
This has been co-created with volunteers from many different language backgrounds. They have also suggested objects, and worked with museum staff to provide feedback and shape the way the website will be used.
We recruited a team of volunteers with the aim of providing training to improve skills, introduce them to the museum’s collection, and for them to share with us their own languages, skills and heritage.
With many thanks to our volunteers for all the help – you made this project what it is, and we couldn’t have done it without you.