Multaka-Oxford
What is MultakaOxford?
Brings museum collections to life
HRH Princess Lamia bint Majed Saud Al Saud, Secretary General of Alwaleed Philanthropies
MultakaOxford tour
Funded by a generous donation from Alwaleed Philanthropies, the award-winning MultakaOxford team brings the rich, diverse knowledge of people settling in Oxford – many through forced migration – to the History of Science Museum and Pitt Rivers Museum.
Multaka – which means meeting point in Arabic – uses the two University museums and their collections as a meeting point to bring communities together, strengthening understanding through the mutual sharing of art, stories, culture, and science.
Mutual learning and benefit is at the heart of everything we do
Nicola Bird, Multaka Project Manager
Working with young people
The Museums recruit, train, and support a team of 270 volunteers from across Oxfordshire to work with a range of collections including:
- scientific instruments from the Islamic World at the History of Science Museum
- textiles, objects, and material from the Photographic and Sound Collections at the Pitt Rivers Museum.
With a special focus on connecting with young people, the volunteers share the diverse perspectives they bring to these collections with their museum colleagues and the wider community.
It has transformed museum practice
Nicola Bird, Multaka Project Manager
MultakaOxford volunteer Hussein Kara Ahmed giving a tour
Collaborating with museum staff, the volunteers also:
- co-produce online and in-person events
- co-curate displays sharing artefacts from the Islamic world
- lead tours and deliver object handling sessions.
The Multaka team forms an integral part of an Oxford network that supports people who are asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants, building extensive partnerships with mutual skill-sharing and support.
[Multaka] opens its arms to refugees and helps to integrate them into the local community through the power of art and culture
HRH Princess Lamia bint Majed Saud Al Saud, Secretary General of Alwaleed Philanthropies
More about Alwaleed Philanthropies
An international philanthropic organisation collaborating with a range of philanthropic, governmental, and educational organisations across 189 countries to combat poverty, empower women and youth, develop communities, provide disaster relief, and create cultural understanding through education.
For the last 40 years, their work has sought to innovate and foster a new meaning of peace and inclusiveness through education, art, and conversational exchange between communities.
For more about Multaka-Oxford and the generous support of Alwaleed Philanthropies, read our press release.
Award-winning team
Award-winning MultakaOxford team
MultakaOxford is already highly regarded in the museums, arts, and heritage sector, having won the prestigious 2019 Collections Trust Award and the 2019 Museums + Heritage Award for Volunteer Team of the Year.
The MultakaOxford team will be sharing its learning and resources by establishing a UK Multaka network:
- offering informal mentoring support to UK heritage projects
- sharing project information at conferences
- supporting the development of Multaka projects at other international museums.
WINNER
Vice-Chancellor's Diversity Award for Diversifying Participation 2020
MultakaOxford won the Vice-Chancellor's Diversity Award for Diversifying Participation 2020 at the University of Oxford.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Louise Richardson writes:
'The University is deeply committed to promoting equality and diversity in the workplace and to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of our community ... The awards recognise and celebrate these pioneering initiatives and the people behind them.'
One our our Multaka volunteers shared her experiences: 'When I came to the History of Science Museum I found these objects here from the Islamic world ... I was so happy and I feel so pleased when I show people these are from my country."
Find out more about the Awards.
WINNER
Collections Trust Award 2019
The MultakaOxford Team won the 2019 Collections Trust Award recognising the often unsung achievements museum collections managers.
Rachel Harrison, Volunteer & Community Engagement Coordinator, writes:
‘Working with the volunteers has transformed our practice. It’s made us reflect on how we can be more inclusive in everything we do.’
The project provides on-the-job training, work experience — and a sense of inclusion and community.
Abdullah AlKhalaf, a Syrian volunteer, told us: ‘Here at the museum, we see we share a human history and culture. We see we are similar. The museum really is a 'multaka' — a meeting point for culture.’
More Awards for MultakaOxford in 2019:
MultakaOxford volunteer working with a young child at an event
Visitor viewing display
Volunteer stories
Meet Hussein Kara Ahmed
People here respect my language, respect where I come from. They like to hear about different cultures, and that’s been very encouraging. It has really helped me to feel part of this community.
Former MultakaOxford volunteer Hussein Kara Ahmed now works at the Ashmolean museum
Before coming to Oxford in 2018, Hussein Kara Ahmed worked in an embroidery factory in Turkey.
Three years before that, he was living in Syria, preparing to study law at university, but was forced to leave the country.
Shortly after arriving in Oxford, a contact at a local community organisation suggested he might like to get involved in MultakaOxford.
After eight months of volunteering, Hussein felt confident enough to apply for a job. He now works part-time as a Visitor Services Assistant at the Ashmolean Museum.
Hussein saw how the project fostered a sense of intercultural understanding between those visiting the museums and those volunteering in them.
Meet Dhamyaa Abbas
[MultakaOxford] changed my life … and it changed many, many things in my heart.
Volunteer Dhamyaa Abbas at the Multaka One World Festival
Dhamyaa Abbas arrived in Oxford from Iraq in 2017, joining MultakaOxford as a volunteer in 2018.
At the time, she didn’t speak English but the MultakaOxford programme and tour guide training gave her the opportunity to practise.
I enjoyed leading the tours in English and loved showing visitors the objects from Iraq, Sudan, and Arabic culture
Dhamyaa became more involved in MultakaOxford, running a series of popular fashion shows, featuring dress from around the world, to encourage inter-cultural understanding.
The MultakaOxford programme gave Dhamyaa the confidence to continue her English training at City of Oxford College and to explore further education.
She has now completed a Teaching Assistant course and works as a Teaching Assistant in Oxford primary schools.
Dhamyaa continues to bring her knowledge and experience to Oxford University museums — she volunteers at the Ashmolean Museum's Welcome desk.
[MultakaOxford] supported my language training and encouraged me towards other education ...
[it] introduced me to so many people and cultures and made me feel part of a community.
And if I ever missed my country, the project gave me the opportunity to speak about it and my family.
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