Cartwright Hall in Bradford, UK, is hosting a South Asian-themed exhibition titled (Un)Layering, co-curated by Walia and Salima Hashmi. The show has drawn new, diverse audiences to the museum, with a 40% increase in visitors compared to the previous year, driven by the exhibition's cultural resonance and community outreach efforts.
This exhibition matters because it demonstrates how culturally specific programming can successfully engage underrepresented local communities, particularly South Asian residents who had previously not visited the museum. By converting local interest into museum attendance, Cartwright Hall is addressing long-standing barriers to access and broadening its audience base, offering a model for other institutions seeking to diversify their visitors.