Dr Jéssica Hipolito
Stuart Hall Foundation Fellow, September 2025 - June 2026
Jéssica Hipolito is a museologist, educator, and researcher from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with a PhD in Social Memory. Her work focuses on Black narratives in cultural heritage spaces and on anti-racist strategies within memory institutions to promote social equity. Jessica’s research addresses the underrepresentation of Black communities in museums and exhibitions, advancing anti-racist practices through innovative educational and cultural work. She is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at IASH, University of Edinburgh, supported by the Stuart Hall Foundation Fellowship, exploring restitution and reparation processes for colonial collections in Brazil, Portugal, and the United Kingdom.
Project title: Colonial Collections, Repatriation, and Restitution: Processes and Strategies for Reparation in the Black Atlantic
This project investigates strategies of restitution and reparation for colonial collections in museums in Brazil, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. These efforts go beyond financial or material compensation, aiming to restore human dignity, reconnect communities with their histories, and challenge colonial narratives embedded within museums and collections. The research also maps antiracist curatorial practices that reinterpret these collections, fostering inclusion through decolonial and counter-colonial approaches.