ABSTRACT
This chapter demonstrates how exhibitions can provide a meeting place between collections, the institution, its audiences and unresolved public issues. The public value that museums create as forums for civic engagement is the subject of the chapter, illustrated through a case study exploring the engagement of Londoners with African-Caribbean heritage in the development of a permanent gallery, London, Sugar and Slavery, which explores the history of London's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and its legacies. The introduction is by David Spence, Director of Programmes at the Museum of London and Managing Director of Museum of London Docklands when London, Sugar and Slavery was created. There are further contributions from Dr Tom Wareham and Dr Caroline Bressey, both curators who worked with the Consultative Group on the gallery and Dr June Bam-Hutchison, who was the Museum's Diversity Manager and a key facilitator between the museum, the Consultative Group and local London communities.
