“How did this get here?”A podcast about the contested journey of museum artifacts and the fight for repatriation
How Did This Get Here? offers a timely exploration of one of the most significant ethical questions facing museums today.
It seems like almost weekly there’s a bunch of new articles about the return of the so-called "Elgin Marbles" to Greece. Meanwhile, the British Museum's social media pages overflow with comments demanding the return of their entire collection. This discourse often lacks nuance. The reality of repatriation is far more complex than most people realise. Moreover, the stories behind how contested artifacts ended up in Western museums are often fascinating.
How Did This Get Here? poses the deceptively simple question that visitors often wonder when viewing spectacular artifacts from distant cultures in Western museums. The title invites listeners to look beyond the display cases and information placards to uncover the complex stories of colonialism, power, cultural heritage, and identity that these objects represent.
Each episode of this documentary-style podcast traces an object's journey from its place of origin to its current location, exploring the historical context of its acquisition, the debates surrounding its ownership, and the ongoing efforts for repatriation.
"The defence of 'encyclopaedic museums' is, in the 21st century, intellectually corrupt. They are not innocuous 'encyclopaedias': they are disproportionately repositories of spoils acquired by force from former colonial territories."
- Geoffrey Robertson, Human Rights Lawyer
Format & Structure
Each 30-40 minute episode focuses on a specific contested artifact or collection, structured roughly as follows:
Cultural Origin: Introduction to the artifact's cultural significance and historical context within its place of origin.
The Characters: Who acquired the artifact, and what was their background? What was their motivation?
The Taking: Detailed account of how the object was removed from its original location, whether through military conquest, archaeological excavation, purchase, or other possibly nefarious means.
Journey to the West: Tracing the object's path to its current museum home, including key historical figures involved.
Museum Life: How the object has been displayed, interpreted, and received in its institutional setting.
The Repatriation Debate: Examination of arguments from both sides regarding whether the artifact should remain or be returned.
Current Status: Update on ongoing negotiations, legal battles, or recent developments in the repatriation effort.
"Repatriation is an act of cultural justice. It's recognizing the wrong that was committed when these objects were taken without permission and restoring them to their rightful communities."
- Taína Caragol, Curator at the National Portrait Gallery
Production Elements
The podcast will feature:
Host & Narrator: A host with expertise in cultural heritage issues to guide the narrative and conduct interviews.
Multi-Voice Perspective: Representation from museums, source communities, historians, and legal experts when appropriate, to ensure accurate coverage.
Archival Audio: Historical recordings, when available, of key figures in acquisition or repatriation efforts.
Sound Design: Culturally appropriate music and ambient sounds to establish setting and mood.
Digital Repository: Companion website with photographs and documents for each artifact, as well as all sources used for researching & writing the episode. This can act as a database for all objects discussed on the podcast.
These elements will be carefully woven together to create an audio experience akin to a documentary film. Rather than presenting a dry academic lecture, each episode will unfold as a compelling narrative with clear stakes, dramatic tension, and emotional resonance.
The production will balance journalistic rigor with accessible storytelling techniques, using vivid descriptions, personal accounts, and expert commentary to illuminate complex historical events. By prioritizing human stories behind these artifacts, the podcast will engage listeners on both intellectual and emotional levels, making distant histories feel immediate and relevant to contemporary conversations about cultural heritage.
"I'm not saying: 'Yes, all collections should be given back.' I think these are items of global significance, which are brilliantly explained and engaged with here... What I'm saying is that we need to be open to the idea of greater circulation, more loans, more permanent transfers."
- Tristram Hunt, Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum
Explore our Episode Proposals, featuring 3 objects housed in the British Museum:
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Investigating how a massive stone Moai from Rapa Nui (Easter Island) ended up in the British Museum in 1868, and the island community's efforts to bring their ancestor home.
To the people of Rapa Nui, their stolen friend, Hoa Hakananai'a, is a lot more than a statue. He is the ‘living embodiment’ of an ancestor. Is it fair that such an thing should be on permanent display in the British Museum? And what would his return mean for the people of Rapa Nui?
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Investigating Lord Elgin's removal of marble sculptures from the Parthenon in early 19th century Athens, the British Museum's justification for keeping them, and Greece's persistent campaign for their return.
Were the marbles really stolen? Did Elgin have any right to take them? AND, the often forgotten history of the shipwreck that nearly caused the marbles to be lost at sea.
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Detailing the Rosetta Stone's discovery during Napoleon's Egyptian campaign, its surrender to British forces, and the modern debates over whether this key to understanding hieroglyphics should remain in the British Museum or return to Egypt.
And exploring how an object as seemingly mundane as the Rosetta Stone (there are a lot of Ptolemaic multilingual inscriptions, it turns out) can still attract so many tourists.
These episodes are obviously centred around very famous objects that are to be found in the British Museum today. However, obviously, museums all over Europe and the US are full of contested and controversial objects. We’re spoilt for choice with objects to talk about. How Did This Get Here? will also shine a light on the many lesser-known contested objects. Just because there’s not weekly Guardian articles about a particular objects, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth talking about!
"The restitution of those cultural assets that our research identifies as having been taken by force or obtained through inequitable transactions is a moral duty."
- Bénédicte Savoy, Art Historian
Target Audience
Primary demographic includes:
History and archaeology enthusiasts
Cultural heritage professionals and students
Museum-goers and international travelers
Podcast listeners interested in global issues and social justice
Educators and students in anthropology, museum studies, etc
Marketing Strategy
The podcast will be promoted through:
Social Media Campaign: Instagram reels / TikTok series highlighting contested artifacts including and beyond those featured in episodes. This is a topic that is ripe for virality.
Cultural Organizations: Collaborations with groups advocating for cultural heritage protection, and forward-thinking museums willing to engage with difficult histories
How Did This Get Here? invites listeners to move beyond simplistic narratives and engage with the nuanced historical, cultural, and moral dimensions of these debates.
At a time when museums worldwide are re-evaluating their collections and relationships with source communities, this podcast provides essential context for understanding the ongoing transformation of cultural institutions. Rather than offering easy answers, the podcast challenges listeners to consider what principles should guide the stewardship of cultural heritage in a post-colonial world, and whose voices should determine an artifact's fate.
Interested in ‘How Did This Get Here’?
If you would like to discuss potential collaborations or have any questions about the podcast, please contact Alex Fountain at hello@cinealex.co.uk.