Reframing the Zulu Collection

Reframing the Zulu Collection presents a new interpretation of the Powell-Cotton Museum’s Zulu collection, bringing together objects collected by members of the Powell-Cotton family during their visit to Zululand in 1935.

For many years, museum displays and colonial collecting practices often represented Zulu people, and African cultures more broadly, through narratives rooted in exoticism, primitivism, and cultural hierarchy. This exhibition seeks to challenge those inherited perspectives by creating space for dialogue, reinterpretation, and reclamation. Building on the museum’s ongoing decolonisation work, including the Decolonisation in Practice East Africa project, it invites visitors to engage critically with the histories, meanings, and legacies embedded within the collection.

Looking beyond the objects

At the heart of the exhibition are voices that have historically been absent from the interpretation of these objects. The collection has been re-examined not simply as a group of artefacts, but as carriers of knowledge, memory, identity, and lived experience. This process has uncovered stories that remained hidden within the collection, including those of the individuals and communities who shared aspects of their culture and daily lives with Percy Powell-Cotton and his family.

Structured as a journey between past and present, the exhibition explores both the historical circumstances in which the collection was assembled and the continuing vitality of Zulu culture today. Visitors will encounter the lives of the people documented during the Powell-Cottons’ travels alongside the perspectives of contemporary Zulu individuals, who have generously contributed their knowledge, family histories, and cultural heritage to this project.

A collaborative approach

This work has been made possible through the dedication of the Community Advisory Board, whose expertise and commitment have shaped the exhibition; the Conservation Team, who prepared the collection for display; and external consultants from Zulu heritage backgrounds whose lived experiences and inherited knowledge have enriched the presentation of contemporary Zulu life in the United Kingdom, KwaZulu-Natal, while also exploring the shared histories and distinct identities of neighbouring communities in Zimbabwe.

Together, these contributions have transformed the collection from a record of colonial encounter into a space for shared knowledge, reflection, and renewed understanding.

The exhibition will be unveiled at a private viewing on 17 July before opening to the public on 18 July.

It will become a permanent exhibition within the Powell-Cotton Museum, ensuring these new perspectives remain part of the museum’s story for years to come.

Meet the Community Advisors

Alice Mulinya is the founder of an online retailer. She was born in Uganda, is of Ugandan heritage, and was raised in Kent. Her aim is to remodel the Zulu collection in a manner that is both culturally sensitive and engaging, introducing many intriguing aspects of their culture that had not been explored previously.

Anita Mabaso was born in Durban and raised in the suburb of Newlands East. She takes great pride in her Zanzibari heritage, with her ancestral family having migrated from Zanzibar to settle first in the small village of Kings Rest on the Bluff in Durban. They later became part of the vibrant Zanzibari community that flourished in Chatsworth, Durban. Anita is deeply passionate about cultural diversity and celebrating the richness of different traditions. In her personal time, Anita enjoys creating TikTok videos with her son, combining creativity, fun, and family moments.

Courtney Joseph is a South African Researcher and Art Historian with a background in Psychology. She is Project Officer for the PCT100 creators at the Powell-Cotton Museum, an African and Caribbean Community Researcher at the Horniman Museum, and a Global Arts in Medicine Fellow. Her work explores museum education, neuroaesthetics and wellbeing, with a particular interest in how museums can foster learning, emotional connection and community dialogue. Having grown up in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, she brings both a personal connection and a research-led perspective to this redisplay of the Zulu collection.

Jordan Rowe (he/him) is a curator, researcher, and artist based in London, but with long-standing family ties in Thanet. He is currently documenting a hike around the English coastline as part of an artistic practice reflecting on nationalism, Black ruralities and the ‘right to roam’.

Thelma Ncube was born and raised in Zimbabwe. After an early career in finance, she dedicated time to raising her family while living for several years in different countries in the Middle East, Europe and Africa. She has always been involved in community work, which has left her with a deep appreciation of different cultures and histories. Through the exhibition she hopes to contribute a perspective that honours her lived experience and reflects a deep respect for different cultures.

Yolanda Hanson is a Margate-based media strategist and Managing Partner at Story9 Ltd. She studied Fine Art and History of Art at Goldsmiths, University of London, and has maintained an active engagement with contemporary art and cultural production throughout her career. Born in London and of Aruban and Jamaican heritage, her work spans media, culture, and creative partnerships, bridging commercial and independent sectors. She has collaborated on projects with iniva (Institute of International Visual Arts) and Red Bull Studios, as well as a range of artists, galleries, and community-led initiatives. She served on the advisory board for this exhibition.