Nura Ali, Executive Director of Allies Network and Charlotte Holmes of Birmingham Museums Trust Collecting Birmingham Team held an afternoon knowledge sharing event and celebration of the First Somali Cultural Artifact ‘Xeedho’ to be displayed in a West Midlands museum. People came from across England and Wales included artists, activists, community workers, curators and leaders of the City of Birmingham to explore issues around material culture, power and untold stories of the Somali Community of the West Midlands.
This event marked the close of Collecting Birmingham a unique project that has, with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England, significantly developed the relevance and accessibility of Birmingham’s collections. During this three-year project we worked with Nura Ali and her mother Fatumo Shabele to consult with them about the Somali cultural artifact ‘Xeedho’’ and understand the history behind the artifact. Also understand the family story behind the artifact before the museum acquired it, giving the family direct influence on the acquisition of artifact ‘Xeedho’. Nura Ali said The ‘Xeedho’ is at Birmingham Museum now and is accessible to the citizens of Birmingham for many years to come.’’
