A year in numbers
2021-2022 at the University of Cambridge Museums & Botanic Garden
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The University of Cambridge Museums work to deepen understanding of our world, inspire new thinking, and address local and global challenges.
Explore our 2021-22 in numbers.
695,539
visitors across 9 sites
3,290,000+ unique views online
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![View of a gallery wall. Historic black-and-white photographs are linked by a red design. In the centre a video screen plays a film.](./assets/rte9reK6WY/re-entanglements-2021-06-16_007-josh-murfitt-4096x2732.jpeg)
![Two photographs of a woman with facial palsy hang on the wall above two classical plaster casts](./assets/khwqPBqIGt/moca-a-face-in-time-credit-susanne-turner-4096x2731.jpeg)
![Six tiny gold objects sit on a black background](./assets/ObQeRhJi8C/gotgs2-4096x3072.jpeg)
![sculpture of three rows of porcelain birds, laid out like specimens with their wings folded together and tags on their legs](./assets/bKpSsdiaSk/breaking-ponit-900x533.jpeg)
![View of a wooden display cabinet in the museum containing fragments of the fossil and photographs of the scientists who discovered it. A wall hanging on the wall and floor gives a sense of the huge size of the millipede](./assets/ZTznF0gt1r/millipede-2976x3968.jpeg)
![A photograph of Dame Magadalene Odundo in front of four large ceramic vases](./assets/7TVOwEkC43/odundo-750x564.webp)
![Ai Weiwei stands in the middle of a gallery at Kettle's Yard. with display cases exhibiting sculptures and prints along the back wall](./assets/feh4MM12OA/kettle-s-yard-ai-weiwei-credit-helen-dickman-4096x2731.jpeg)
![View through a bright green tunnel into the Fitzwilliam Museum's Gallery 3, where a David Hockney painting of a man sitting opposite a vase of tulips is exhibited](./assets/NVtfQ1RG6b/he-c-martin-bond-4096x2732.jpeg)
![View of a gallery wall. Historic black-and-white photographs are linked by a red design. In the centre a video screen plays a film.](./assets/rte9reK6WY/re-entanglements-2021-06-16_007-josh-murfitt-4096x2732.jpeg)
[Re:] Entanglements, Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology. “[The exhibition was] moving, visceral, heartening.” - Visitor; "“Moving, creative, and thought provoking, it raises difficult and unsettling questions around Britain’s colonisation of West Africa.” - Peer reviewer
[Re:] Entanglements, Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology. “[The exhibition was] moving, visceral, heartening.” - Visitor; "“Moving, creative, and thought provoking, it raises difficult and unsettling questions around Britain’s colonisation of West Africa.” - Peer reviewer
![Six tiny gold objects sit on a black background](./assets/ObQeRhJi8C/gotgs2-4096x3072.jpeg)
Gold of the Great Steppe, The Fitzwilliam Museum. Visitors told us: “I was enthralled. I enjoyed it so much I went twice.” “It was wonderful to learn about people form an age and part of the world I knew nothing about.”
Gold of the Great Steppe, The Fitzwilliam Museum. Visitors told us: “I was enthralled. I enjoyed it so much I went twice.” “It was wonderful to learn about people form an age and part of the world I knew nothing about.”
![A photograph of Dame Magadalene Odundo in front of four large ceramic vases](./assets/7TVOwEkC43/odundo-750x564.webp)
Magdalene Odundo in Cambridge, The Fitzwilliam Museum. Visitors told us: “I found her work and her inspiration fascinating and wonderful.” “Brilliant Magdalene Odundo exhibition which then led us to explore more of the ceramic displays. Loved it all.”
Magdalene Odundo in Cambridge, The Fitzwilliam Museum. Visitors told us: “I found her work and her inspiration fascinating and wonderful.” “Brilliant Magdalene Odundo exhibition which then led us to explore more of the ceramic displays. Loved it all.”
![Ai Weiwei stands in the middle of a gallery at Kettle's Yard. with display cases exhibiting sculptures and prints along the back wall](./assets/feh4MM12OA/kettle-s-yard-ai-weiwei-credit-helen-dickman-4096x2731.jpeg)
Ai Weiwei: The Liberty of Doubt at Kettle's Yard. Visitors told us: “It will leave a lasting impression on me.” “Well put together, thought provoking, and well worth our trip to Cambridge”
Ai Weiwei: The Liberty of Doubt at Kettle's Yard. Visitors told us: “It will leave a lasting impression on me.” “Well put together, thought provoking, and well worth our trip to Cambridge”
![View through a bright green tunnel into the Fitzwilliam Museum's Gallery 3, where a David Hockney painting of a man sitting opposite a vase of tulips is exhibited](./assets/NVtfQ1RG6b/he-c-martin-bond-4096x2732.jpeg)
Hockney's Eye, The Fitzwilliam Museum. ***** “Makes Constable look like a wet hanky.” – Jonathan Jones, The Guardian.
Hockney's Eye, The Fitzwilliam Museum. ***** “Makes Constable look like a wet hanky.” – Jonathan Jones, The Guardian.
3 major challenges facing the world today
This year saw the launch of Collections-Connections-Communities. This interdisciplinary strategic research initiative brings together experts and practitioners from across the University's collections and research community to tackle three of the key themes of our time:
Society and Identity, addressing political extremism, racism and inequality
Health and Wellbeing, improving physical, mental and emotional health
Environment and Sustainability, addressing biodiversity loss and unsustainable living.
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Object loans
We loan museum objects to partners across the world, supporting for community access, exhibitions and research.
The Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology and the Sedgwick Museum continued with major stores moves projects this year, making their collections more accessible to communities and researchers.
The teams have been improving the documentation and packaging of the objects in store. Follow their progress on our Collections in Action blog.
Sector Support
There are 163 Accredited museums in the East of England, with the highest proportion of "micro-museums" (receiving fewer than 10,000 visitors a year) in the country (51%).
We play a national and regional sector support role, working closely with SHARE Museums East, our regional museums development provider.
We are enormously grateful to all our staff, volunteers, partners and funders who enabled us to continue to deliver our mission this year.
You can find out more about all of our work on our Collections in Action blog.
The University of Cambridge Museums are:
Museum of Zoology
Whipple Museum of the History of Science
Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences
The Polar Museum
Kettle's Yard
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Museum of Classical Archaeology
Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
together with
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