PCT100 Then & Now: 100 Creative Responses to 100 Years

This October, we’re delighted to open PCT100 Then & Now, a special exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Powell-Cotton Trust.

The exhibition begins with a dedicated opening event for participating artists and contributors on Friday 9 October, before opening to the public in Gallery 6 from Saturday 10 October until 1 November.

PCT100 Then & Now is a creative celebration of the Powell-Cotton Trust’s centenary year. Over the past century, much has changed. The ways we learn, create and connect with the world are very different today than they were when the charity was founded in 1926 to govern the Museum. Museums have evolved too. Once seen primarily as places to collect, preserve and display objects, they have increasingly become spaces where people can share experiences, ask questions, explore ideas and contribute their own perspectives.

Made possible through funding from Arts Council England, PCT100 Then & Now invited people of all ages and backgrounds to engage with the Powell-Cotton Trust’s collections in new and creative ways. Working with artists Molly Pickle, Nomakhewzi Becker, Julia Court and Kevin Lawrence, participants explored objects, stories and ideas from across the Museum, House and Gardens, creating responses shaped by their own experiences, interests and imaginations.

The 100 artworks displayed in the exhibition demonstrate how collections can continue to inspire new ways of seeing the world. They connect past and present, revealing fresh perspectives and showing that museum collections are not simply records of history, but living sources of creativity, learning and discovery.

As we celebrate 100 years of the Powell-Cotton Trust, this exhibition highlights the value of unlocking collections and inviting people to engage with them. When more voices are included, new stories emerge, new connections are made, and we continue to learn from the collections in our care.

A huge thank you to every visitor, school, family, community group, volunteer, artist and participant who took part in PCT100. Your creativity, curiosity and enthusiasm have helped make this project a truly special part of our centenary celebrations.