The South Asia Gallery at Manchester Museum is the first permanent gallery in the UK to celebrate the lived experiences and contributions of the South Asian diaspora. It is part of Manchester Museum’s £15m redevelopment and opened to the public on 18 February 2023.

Manijeh Verghese was appointed to lead on interpretation, storytelling and visitor experience as part of the design team with Studio C102 and Mobile Studio Architects, who won the commission to design the gallery in 2020, as well as Sthuthi Ramesh who developed 2D design, Adi Audiovisual and Arup. The new 372 sqm gallery showcases over 140 historic artefacts from the collections of the Manchester Museum, British Museum and their partner institutions, alongside new contemporary commissions and personal belongings loaned by the South Asia Gallery Collective. The space was cocurated by the Collective, who are a group of 30 inspiring local experts including community leaders, educators, artists, historians, journalists and musicians. The gallery’s story-led design reflects multiple voices and perspectives on South Asia through six anthologies: Past & Present, Lived Environments, Science & Innovation, Sound Music & Dance, British Asian, and Movement & Empire.

Click here for more information on the South Asia Gallery and Manchester Museum opening times.

Image: The new South Asia Gallery. Photo by Gareth Gardner.