‘Objeks and Tings’ Exhibition Review: in Celebration of Black History Month

Words by Juliet Skelly

October is Black History Month in the UK, which is a great opportunity for non-Black Brits to learn more about not only the contributions people of African and Caribbean descent have made to British history and world history at large, but also about the history of Black people and culture in the UK. I was pleased to see that the University has organised and advertised events in and around campus via the newsletter for Black History Month, which has the theme of “Reclaiming Narratives” this year as set out by Black History Month Magazine. One such event that caught my eye as an Art History student was the “Objeks & Tings” exhibition taking place at the York Castle Museum until 1st November 2024, run by the organisation Museumand, which is the National Caribbean Heritage Museum.

The exhibition, located on the first floor and included in the general admission (quite pricey- about £15 for students, but this includes an optional sign-up for 12 months free access if you return), consists of 70 “objeks and tings” pertaining to Black and Caribbean culture in the UK - from vinyls of calypso and soca music to combs and cosmetics- based on 184 interviews conducted with Caribbean elders. 

The aim of the collection is to celebrate 75 years since 492 Caribbeans travelled to the UK via the HMT Empire Windrush ship, as well the subsequent waves of Caribbean immigrants that followed from 1948-1971. These people are known as the Windrush Generation. After the Second World War, Britain called for support from other citizens of the Empire to emigrate and the Caribbeans who answered this call played vital roles in rebuilding Britain’s industries and infrastructure, and creating the NHS.

I attended the guided tour of the exhibition on Saturday 12th October which was led by Catherine Ross, who curated the exhibition alongside her daughter. Catherine herself arrived in the UK as a small child during the 1950s and her experience as part of the Windrush Generation brought to life the displays found dotted around the exhibition symbolising key aspects of Caribbean culture; such as food, music and household items. There was also a screening of historic video clips, and audio clips from interviewees that you can listen to through headphones.

Catherine was a joyful and entertaining host who enlightened me and the other tour members on what experiences the Windrush Generation had in the UK, how they brought aspects of their cultures with them and the ways Caribbean culture became integrated into British culture at large, such as the various Caribbean food products available in supermarkets, like Jamaican patties. She also explained aspects of Caribbean culture that continue to be practised on the islands themselves such as the Nine Nights funerary tradition. It is safe to say that I left with a much greater knowledge of Caribbean culture and what life was like for those who left their homes in search of better opportunities. 

I think the central themes of the exhibition remain very relevant in contemporary society- institutional racism and discrimination continues to pervade British society and culture even if controversial shows such as “Love Thy Neighbour” would no longer be aired on the BBC. Additionally the general prejudice towards immigrants not only from Caribbean nations but other parts of the world, especially ones where the majority of the population are people of colour, remains a serious problem, especially since Brexit and the far-right riots from earlier this year.

I would encourage everyone to visit the exhibition as part of our duty to educate ourselves on Black history, something that continues to shape the here and now this month, and the next, and the next…

A note on accessibility- there is a lift to the first floor located on the ground floor making the exhibition accessible to those who cannot use stairs, however, be aware that to get to the Objeks and Tings exhibition you have to go through another exhibition on World War One that is quite cramped in parts so not ideal for wheelchairs etc. Also the loud noises and low lighting may affect neurodivergent and partially sighted visitors. The video clips have captions however I don’t believe the audio clips are transcribed and can only be listened to with the headphones. There are benches located in the exhibition rooms.

(All images are the author’s own)