Session 4/4 of Cultivating Change in Rural Collections Conference. Since 2020 is all about change, the RMN is taking the bull by the horns this October, delivering an online Conference for people who work with rural life collections that delves into some of our greatest concerns and looks for practical solutions and support. Join us for tea break sessions between 8-23 October to hear speakers examine how rural collections and rural sites can respond to global environmental issues, Covid-19 and Black Lives Matter, as well as how the RMN supports people to get the best out of their collection.

Our final speaker, Louisa Adjoa Parker, closes the Conference by encouraging delegates to understand what they can do to support Black Lives Matter in a rural context. A writer and researcher from South West England, she focuses on the experiences of people of colour in white rural landscapes, including the Black History in Dorset project (2007) which explores the presence of African and Caribbean people in Dorset over 400 years. She brings that work up to date for us here by exploring the differences between rural and urban racism, the challenges in challenging others, Black Lives Matter protests in rural areas, as well as what museum workers can do professionally and personally to enact change.