M+H Awards Hall of Fame: A community-first approach to co-curated exhibitions

An exhibition celebrating the history of Hip Hop and its connections to Leeds was among the winners at the Museums + Heritage Awards 2024 earlier this year.

Esther Amis-Hughes, Community Engagement Manager at Leeds Museums and Galleries, spoke to Advisor six months on from winning, with updates on its co-curated project, plans for the future, and a look back at the win.

‘A Hip Hop Journey: 50 Years Of Kulture‘ was shown at Leeds City Museum from July 2023 until March 2024.

Co-curated with Leeds Museums and Galleries and the volunteer-run Hip Hop Historian Society, the exhibition showcased the history of the movement and its impact in Leeds, for the very first time.

Leeds Museums and Galleries and the Leeds Hip Hop Historian Society jointly won the ‘Temporary or Touring Exhibition of the Year – budget under £80K’, for the exhibition.

The panel of Museums + Heritage Awards judges said of the exhibition: “This winning exhibition shows co-curation at its very best; a genuine community response, it is authentic and creative, achieving impressive scale on a tiny budget.”

How has your work evolved since receiving the Museums + Heritage Award?

Esther Amis-Hughes: I don’t think our work has evolved – but I think it has strengthened our resolve to push forwards with meaningful, authentic co-curated displays and projects.

What did winning mean to you and your team?

Winning this has meant everything. It was a thoroughly co-curated project, and it was not an easy process to ensure the display was completely authentic. The exhibition meant a huge amount to the Hip Hop Historian Society and communities in Leeds, which was all we wanted, but to see it recognised on a national stage validated our strong belief in co-produced community exhibitions, and I hope, will pave the way for more of them.

What would you say to others considering entering the Museums + Heritage Awards?

Go for it – especially if you can have worked with a partner as it shows how much you value the partnership.

to see [the exhibition] recognised on a national stage validated our strong belief in co-produced community exhibitions, and I hope, will pave the way for more of them.

Where do you display your Museums + Heritage Award?

So, we have two! I bought a second one because we only get presented with one, and as this was a shared project, both partners needed an award. The Museum’s award is in a case outside the Special Exhibition Gallery in Leeds City Museum, where the Hip Hop Exhibition was, acknowledging the longevity of the partnership. I presented the HHHS with theirs this year at the MA conference which was in Leeds, when they performed at the closing ceremony

It made a reappearance for our joint Hip Hop History Month event where it was on the table for the Q+A session. It is safely with the HHHS now, waiting for their dream of a public building for their collection.

Tell us about your plans for pushing boundaries further

At Leeds Museums and Galleries we are so inspired by the success of ‘A Hip Hop Journey’ that we are working with an even larger number of partners and volunteers to explore the Leeds music scene, which will culminate in a large exhibition in 2025.