Alumni Project | Dolls of Good Hope

Team

Blessings Walawala and Martha Kapalamula (Malawi), Chantal Umuhoza (Rwanda), Jamie Dau and Julie Rüter (Germany), Livingstone Muchefa (Zimbabwe), Lydia Nafula (Kenya), Nermine Moustafa (Egypt), Nampa Asino (Namibia), Samuel Nobah (Ghana), Shadia Abdelwahab (Sudan), Tshidy Ngoma (Botswana), and Zainab Shallangwa (Nigeria).

Objective and description

During the MuseumsLab 2022 project session in Cape Town the team came up with a Project on the Dolls of Good Hope. The project was symbolic as it covered a topic that cuts across the countries represented in the group. The countries represented included those from all the 4 regions of the Africa continent (West, East, North and South). Germany was also present giving the team a trans-continental perspective. In addition, there was the angle of colonialism as the overarching theme. TheMuseumsLab and the partner institutions were instrumental in the project they brought the different participants together and provided the forum, facilities and technical support that enabled the team to come up with the ideas for the project.

In many cultures' dolls play a significant role in cultural traditions. Every doll has a unique appearance that reflects the rich history of the community. While dolls are often seen as toys, they are also objects used in rituals and for teaching about a community’s way of life. African dolls, for instance, are as unique as the communities’ that they originate from and are handmade with techniques that have been passed down for generations. The general topic linking all the dolls covered by the countries represented was colonization, as the African child had been brainwashed to accept and adore ‘white figure’ dolls, which is the most common doll on the African continent; imbuing in them inferiority complex right from childhood. The dolls were then further classified according to their use. This included: Dolls for Fertility, those that served as Remembrance of the Colonial Past and Religious dolls.

To decolonise the African child on the usage of ‘white figure’ dolls while equally appreciating the ‘black figure’ dolls. To further the exchange of ideas and expertise between the MuseumsLab 2022 Alumni, 2023 participants and partner institutions. To provide knowledge and information to a broad range of audiences both local and international on a topic that at a glance may be overlooked but has a deep connect to the peoples and cultures across the African continent and beyond. To encourage further networking among the Alumni of the MuseumsLab. To build capacity and share skills among the Alumni.

Implementation

The Dolls of Good Hope exhibition showcases the uniqueness of the culture associated with dolls. For many people, dolls are thought of as toys but they also have many ritual roles in communities across the African continent and the world at large.

The exhibition covers dolls from the four regions of Africa: West represented by Ghana, North represented by Egypt and Sudan, East represented by Kenya and southern Africa represented by Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia. Germany represented the European continent.

Several groups received guided tours of the exhibition. The tours were initiated during the exhibition launch where the Chief guest and the 2023 MLab fellows were guided through the exhibition. An educational programme for children aged between 8 and 13 years was offered on 15 and 16 November 2023. The programme involved a guided tour of the Dolls of Good Hope exhibition as well as hands-on activities such as doll making and fashioning African dolly wear.

The exhibition was initially meant to run for two months but secured an extension for another two months and ran to the end of January 2024.

This project was funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the Goethe-Institut.