Critical Conversations : Africa Day Edition : Relooted Game

The May edition of Critical Conversations will give space to play and discuss the computer game Relooted - "an Afrofuturist heist game with a twist: You’re not thieves, you’re liberators reclaiming stolen African artifacts from the dusty vaults of private collectors and Western museums."

There will be chance to collectively play and explore the game and discuss the themes behind the games concept such as repatriation, colonialism, justice, representation and Afrofuturism.

The game asks "Is it stealing to take back what is stolen?" our conversation will start with this question. We will also be joined online by some of the team behind the game from Nyamakop game studio for a Q&A.

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This edition of Critical Conversations is part of our Africa Day programme. Africa Day is an annual commemoration of the foundation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), today known as the African Union, on 25 May 1963.

For Africans on the continent and in the diaspora, Africa Day signifies unity, pride in being African, and an opportunity to celebrate their heritage by donning traditional outfits and putting on vibrant displays of culture and diversity.

Significantly, Manchester is a very important city for many Africans, the city hosted the Pan African Congress at Chorlton-on-Medlock Town Hall in 1945, intended to address the decolonisation of Africa from Western imperial powers. The congress demanded an end to colonial rule and racial discrimination as well as the recognition of human rights and equality of economic opportunity for all peoples of African heritage.

Manchester Museum cares for more than 40,000 objects from across Africa, many of which were collected during the period of the British Empire, through practices that included trade, anthropology, confiscation, and looting. Your Museum’s Africa Day celebrations are a way of making the stories of these African collections more visible, collaborating with diaspora communities to celebrate and build understanding of African cultural heritage.

If you have any questions about this month's Critical Conversations, you can email [email protected]

• Facilitated group discussions
• Opportunities to meet and connect with new people
• Snacks

Critical Conversations is for all young people aged 18 - 30 who are interested in discussing topics related to museums, culture and heritage and will be led by Chloe Cousins, Manchester Museum's Social Justice Manager and a mix of Visitor Team staff.

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