Rise Up: Resistance, Revolution, Abolition 21 February – 1 June 2025
Drawing on new research, Rise Up tells the multifaceted story of the fight to end transatlantic slavery, its aftermath and ongoing legacies. Focussing on the period from 1750 to 1850, it is told through the stories of individuals and communities from across the Caribbean, Europe and the Americas through an interrogation of historic objects and artworks, in conversation with works by contemporary artists.
It highlights the often-forgotten roles played by Black Georgians and Victorians in the British abolition story and in British cultural life, with a focus on Francis Williams, Ignatius Sancho, Olaudah Equiano (aka Gustavus Vassa), Ukawsaw Gronniosaw, Ottobah Cugoano, George Bridgtower, Bill Richmond, Alexander Crummell and Ira Aldridge: all momentum-builders for change and several of whom have untold connections to the University of Cambridge. The vital roles of countless women as resistance leaders, revolutionaries and abolitionists across the Caribbean, Europe and the Americas are commemorated and celebrated including Nanny of the Maroons, Phillis Wheatley, Sanite Bélair, Marie Jeanne Lamartiniére, Mary Prince and Zilpha Elaw.
Over 100 carefully selected historic and contemporary artworks, objects, printed books and manuscripts on loan from Montreal, Ottawa, Puerto Rico, France, and the USA, alongside the University of Cambridge collections, public and private collections in the UK, are brought together to shed new light on the Age of Abolition and the ongoing legacies of enslavement. Despite the passing of almost two centuries since Britain outlawed slavery, for peoples of the global majority the struggles for autonomy, equality and social justice continue today.
The Makers of Ancient Egypt * 3 October – 25 January 2026
From the gold mask of Tutankhamun to the bust of Nefertiti, ancient Egyptians produced objects that remain iconic today.
Spanning broadly the pharaonic era from around 3100 – 30 BCE, The Makers of Ancient Egypt*, is the first exhibition to consider ancient Egypt through the lens of its craftspeople. From spectacular decorated coffins and rarely exhibited Books of the Dead to exquisite jewellery and ceramics, this major exhibition reveals untold stories of the makers, technology and techniques behind these extraordinary objects.
It will combine exciting new discoveries from the Fitzwilliam’s own collection with star loans – from The Louvre, Paris and the Egyptian Museum in Berlin, some never seen before in the UK – to shed new light on how the ancient Egyptians lived, worked and worshipped.
For more than forty years, the Fitzwilliam Museum has been at the forefront of research into how Egyptian artefacts were made and this exhibition will reveal how makers of objects from the domestic to the divine were creating and combining materials, often working at the very edges of technical capabilities.
Though we rarely know their names, innovative interpretation and immersive displays will encourage visitors to meet the people behind these objects, to learn how others in Egyptian society viewed them and how they viewed themselves.
*The Makers of Ancient Egypt Title TBC
Luke Syson, the Fitzwilliam Museum Director and Marlay Curator, said: “These exhibitions confront enduring issues from the past that remain powerfully present in our lives today. Their presentation at the Fitzwilliam will be innovative and exciting, connecting the historic with the contemporary. The exhibitions will compellingly showcase the academic rigour of research at the University of Cambridge with spectacular design to advance cultural knowledge, debate and create space to invite fresh perspectives that challenge and expand how we see the world.”