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Ipswich Museum's Black Panther exhibition wins award

BBC The idea to showcase the costumes came from the museum after they were asked by their community panel to come up with something "exciting and relevant for more people"BBC
The museum asked its community panel to come up with something "exciting and relevant for more people"

An exhibition featuring three costumes from the Marvel movie Black Panther has won an award.

The Power of Stories exhibition at Christchurch Mansion in Ipswich won temporary exhibition of the year at the Museum and Heritage Awards.

The exhibition attracted more than 24,000 visitors from June to September last year.

Ipswich Borough Council said it was "wonderful" news and was planning similar exhibitions in the future.

Simon Callaghan Melanie Hollis (Curator at Ipswich Museums), Elma Glasgow (co-director of Aspire Black Suffolk), Glen Chisholm (Community Curator for Power of Stories), Iszi Lawrence (comedian & show presenter)Simon Callaghan
The Power of Stories won an award for the best temporary exhibition

The exhibition included outfits worn by three characters in the film: T'Challa, the Black Panther and king of fictional African country Wakanda, played by the late Chadwick Boseman, his scientific genius sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) and Okoye, Wakanda's military leader (Danai Gurira).

It overcame opposition from shortlisted entries by the V&A and the Natural History Museum to win the award.

Melanie Hollis, the museum service's collections and learning curator previously said it was a "huge deal that these costumes - from this epic story and this epic storyteller - are coming to little old Ipswich".

Elma Glasgow, co-director of Aspire Black Suffolk, said the exhibition was "made possible by a community effort" - with six curators from the local black community working alongside the museum.

The exhibition, which also features marvel comics and historic objects, is currently touring Suffolk and will go on display at The Food Museum, Stowmarket, from June to September, and Snape Maltings from October to January 2023.

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