Two talented Curator Interns, passionate about mental health, heritage, culture and representing their communities’ lived experience through curation, have been selected for Remembering What’s Forgotten.
Mosopefoluwa Abiodun-Ade, aged 18, and Maria Sharif, aged 22, are supported by a £1,000 bursary, attended virtual curator masterclasses with Renaissance One and Museum X, and will have an in-person tour of Thackray Museum of Medicine with curatorial advice and a Leeds Black History Walk led by founder Joe Williams, with mentoring and tailored guidance from Joy Francis Remembering What’s Forgotten project manager.
They also successfully co-curated The Future Space for the Remembering What’s Forgotten preview at Leeds Playhouse on Monday 23rd September 2024, which focused on the themes of Healing, Leadership, Community and Future Action.
Maria Sharif said: “The Remembering What’s Forgotten Curator Internship offers a unique opportunity to combine my passion for mental health and art, with the focus on addressing underrepresented narratives. Coming from a community where mental health is often stigmatised, I’m passionate about advocating for those whose voices are often forgotten, particularly Black and South Asian men who face unique struggles due to both racial discrimination and mental health stigma. I’m eager to gain experience in curating exhibitions that challenge the way we view and engage with mental health.”
Mosopefoluwa Abiodun-Ade said: “I am glad to be a Remembering What’s Forgotten Curator Intern because I believe that history holds the key to healing, and I want to help unearth the forgotten stories that will inspire change and understanding for future generations. Mental health and racial justice are deeply connected. When we address one, we begin to heal the other. Through this internship, I hope to create spaces that allow for collective healing and build bridges of understanding between communities.”
Co-produced by Synergi-Leeds, Words of Colour and Joe Williams, Founder of Leeds Black History Walk and Heritage Corner, the curator internships are funded by the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
Abiodun-Ade and Sharif will also create content for the final digital exhibition, which will be launched in November 2024.