Description
In celebration of 120 years of the Rhodes Scholarship, and to mark our reopening after a major refurbishment, we’ve installed exhibitions by leading artists at Rhodes House. ‘The World Reimagined’, ‘I Am Because We Are’ and ‘Living with the Legacy of Cecil John Rhodes’ have been created to stimulate thinking and debate, to encourage us to reflect on the Rhodes Scholarship, a complex and difficult past, a vibrant present and a future full of hope.
On 12 August we will also be joined by Jali Fily, who is a virtuoso kora player. He hails from Ziguinchor in the beautiful lush region of Casamance, Southern Senegal. Fily is a Mandinkan griot. The Mandinka, a social group of approximately four million, live in and around Senegal, Mali and the Gambia. The griots are professional hereditary musicians who once advised and entertained the emperors and kings of Mali. These oral historians have for over four thousand years handed down the knowledge, culture and history of the Mande people. Fily aims to bring peace through his music.
EXPLORE ‘THE WORLD REIMAGINED’ IN RHODES HOUSE GARDENS
‘The World Reimagined’ is a ground-breaking exhibition that invites all of us to explore how we understand our shared past and present – in particular the UK’s relationship with the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans – so that we can all play a role in creating a future where racial justice is a reality.
18 unique, large Globe sculptures present a Journey of Discovery, exploring themes ranging from ‘Mother Africa’ to ‘Still We Rise’ and ‘Expanding Soul’ with an enormous range of interpretations, creative styles and storytelling.
‘Step into History’ Tour of ‘The World Reimagined’ by Historian in Residence 
Discover our shared past and present with our historian in residence – Fiona Compton, the founder of Know Your Caribbean, an online community of 237k followers exploring Caribbean history. An incredible storyteller, Fiona will bring to life the history that sits behind each of these artworks – and how it connects to our present and future.
EXPLORE THE NEW RHODES HOUSE AND TWO FEATURE EXHIBITIONS
Inside the new Rhodes House, you can explore ‘I Am Because We Are’ – an exhibition of new works created by acclaimed artist Nicola Green in collaboration with ten Scholars and Fellows from the global Rhodes Trust community.
‘Living with the Legacy of Cecil John Rhodes’ – a photographic exhibition by Professor Shadreck Chirikure that reflects on the question of how we think about the legacy of Cecil Rhodes.
Tour of ‘I Am Because We Are’ and ‘Living with the Legacy of Cecil John Rhodes’
Join Lizzie Collins, Art Consultant to The Rhodes Trust and founder of Atelier Zuleika, and Audra Noble, Research Assistant to Nicola Green for a curated tour of ‘The World Reimagined’ and ‘I Am Because We Are’. At the end of each tour there will be time to visit the exhibition of photographs by Professor Shadreck Chirikure ‘Living with the Legacy of Cecil John Rhodes’.
There’ll be further open days across the summer, so stay tuned!