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Behind the Scenes: Gus Casely-Hayford

Gus Casely-Hayford

BBC Radio 4 - Behind the Scenes, Gus Casely-Hayford

Gus Casely-Hayford's first year at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art.

British Art Historian Gus Casely-Hayford has been appointed director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. We follow his action-packed first year in office.

In February 2018, British Art Historian and broadcast Dr Gus Casely-Hayford started his dream job as Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. 

Located in Washington DC, on the National Mall, it’s home to one of the world's finest collections African art, both ancient and modern.

The challenges are huge, and it’s all going marvellously well - until political events threaten to derail their upcoming exhibition and ability to fundraise. So the race is on to make up for lost time.

We follow Gus’s action-packed first year in office. He has ambitious plans for the museum - remodelling its physical spaces, increasing its digital reach and education programs. But he’s also striving to broker new partnerships with US and African institutions, creating a more equitable and collaborative museum sector. We follow Gus to Yale University which has been leading the way for higher education with their Africa Initiative. 

Narrated by Noma Dumezweni
Produced by Victoria Ferran
A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4

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