Our Projects

Explore the Work We Do Across Heritage, Adornment & Community

My Adornment is My Power

Guest Curation for the National Trust's Kedleston Hall. This initiative focused on the decolonial significance of adornment within a colonial collection and challenged restrictive institutional practices. It also led to broader changes in how the Trust engages with diaspora communities. The learnings focused on how vital it is to create ‘safe spaces’ within museums—spaces that prioritise emotional safety, autonomy, and true collaboration. 

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Empowered Adornment - Women of Derby

Respond and Reimagine Producer for Derby Museums exploring the decolonial significance of adornment through personal stories and museum objects linked to colonialism, trade, and migration. Working with a small, culturally diverse group of women in Derby, this project fostered critical conversations around representation, reclamation, and celebration, culminating in a film, zine, and photography series.

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Gold Jewellery Stories

An Arts Council England-funded oral history project exploring the personal and cultural significance of gold jewellery within the South Asian diaspora. Through storytelling and interviews, it uncovers the deep-rooted histories and evolving meanings of inherited adornments. This ongoing project has resulted in a podcast series and continues to grow, preserving and sharing these powerful narratives across generations.

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What the Empire Exhibition Left Out?

Provided consultancy for the University of Derby's exhibition and event during the Being Human Festival, critically examining Derby's portrayal at the 1924 British Empire Exhibition in Wembley. This collaborative project reimagined historical narratives through art, performance, and participatory craft, encouraging contemporary reflections on representation and inclusion within cultural institutions.​

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Heirloom Sharing Circle

A storytelling and sharing circle hosted at Royal Museums Greenwich with Mehala Ford, founder of the Friday Sari Project, inviting participants to share the personal narratives behind their jewellery, clothing, and sentimental objects. This session explored how heirlooms connect South Asian communities to their heritage, families, and traditions in a safe and welcoming space.

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Speak Her Name

As a facilitating artist, I guided workshops where women brought meaningful imagery, adornments, and personal stories to create artwork honouring their stories. Working alongside Rachel Carter and Ismail Khokon, I contributed to this community-led installation, displayed touring exhibition at Nottingham Central Library, Artcore and Framework Knitters Museum. Featuring over 300 embroidered hoops, the project celebrates women's histories.

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Adorned Narratives

A co-curated three-day festival with personal stylist Neelam, exploring the profound connections between adornment and personal narratives within the South Asian community. Hosted at Lab E20 in East London, the event featured yoga sessions, sharing circles, creative workshops, and a showcase of South Asian artists and brands. We created a supportive space for participants to delve into their heritage, share stories, and celebrate identity.

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India UK Creative Industries at 75

Collaborated with Birmingham City University on this project marking the 75th anniversary of India's independence, focusing on the shared history and future of India-UK creative industries.Contributed to creative outputs that reflect on cultural exchange, innovation, and the evolving relationship between the two nations' creative sectors.

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Public Country House Conference

I was invited to speak at the Public Country House Conference at the V&A in collaboration with The National Trust & The British Academy - where I shared my experience as a guest curator and project producer, including insights from past projects like My Adornment is My Power. The conference explored the intersection of cultural heritage, identity, and contemporary practices, bringing together thought leaders to discuss how historic spaces and objects shape and reflect cultural narratives.

An Indian Summer Festival

The first public screening of Shakti, a film created as part of the My Adornment is My Power project at the Curve in Leicester, reimagining the perspective of the Maharani of Jodhpur visiting Kedleston hall through dance, music, and spoken word. The screening was followed by a panel talk with myself and dancer Kesha Raithatha, where we discussed the creative process, the significance of adornment as power, and the challenges of working with historical artefacts. The event concluded with a community discussion, creating space for shared reflections on identity, heritage, and the decolonisation of material culture.

Through curation, consultancy, talks and workshops...

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Interested in joining forces with us? We'd love to work with brands and organisations eager to harness the transformative power of adornment to cultivate connection, storytelling, and the weaving of narratives. Get in touch below or email us hello@anishaparmar.com