Derby Museum exhibition to explore legacy of Partition

A touring exhibition exploring the aftermath of the 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan is due to arrive at a Derby museum.

Project Dastaan will run at at Derby Museum and Art Gallery until Sunday.

The project includes a virtual reality film, inspired by real-life accounts from both sides of the border.

It also looks at ideas around postcolonial identity, forced migration and the effects of colonisation.

The exhibition will use a virtual reality docu-drama Child of Empire to illustrate stories of Partition, inspired by real-life accounts from both sides of the border.

A three-part animated series, Lost Migrations, will also be screened.

Sparsh Ahuja, founder and CEO of Project Dastaan said Partition remained a "deeply personal experience" for her two grandfathers, who inspired the virtual reality Child of Empire film.

"By highlighting the similarities of migration journeys on either side of the border, Child of Empire is a reminder that it is ordinary people that suffer the most when nationalisms are created and torn apart by political elites," she said.

Tony Butler, executive director of Derby Museums, said: "For the last five years Derby Museums has been working with the city's diaspora communities, especially those of Pakistani and Indian heritage, to explore the legacy of empire through its world cultures collections.

"We are delighted to be hosting Project Dastaan as it will encourage the people of Derby to understand the legacy and human stories of Partition."

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