Marvel fans in mid-Suffolk can enjoy seeing costumes from a world-famous film franchise at an exhibition being hosted by a leading museum.
Three original Marvel Studios' Black Panther costumes are on display at the Food Museum in Stowmarket as a part of the ongoing Power of Stories tour.
The exhibition opened just before the release of the new movie trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which is set for release in November 2022.
The spectacular costumes from the cultural phenomenon, T’Challa, Shuri and Okoye, are set across two rooms in the museum’s Abbot’s Hall.
Jenny Cousins, director of the Food Museum, said: "We’re delighted to be part of the tour of Power of Stories, giving more people the opportunity to see the costumes and be inspired to tell and share their own stories.
“It’s important that our whole community can see themselves represented at the museum and can take part in shaping their own narrative."
The Oscar-winning costumes, worn by Chadwick Boseman, Danai Gurira and Letitia Wright are complemented by a display of local stories sourced from the African Caribbean community.
The Power of Stories exhibition was prepared in collaboration with members of Suffolk’s Black community.
Elma Glasgow, founder and co-director of Aspire Black Suffolk, said: “It’s amazing how the Black Panther costumes continue to inspire local people and visitors alike.
“They also act as a platform for improving representation of the African Caribbean community. Since the original Power of Stories exhibition won the prestigious Museums and Heritage award in May, we’ve noticed a renewed energy around the tour."
The Food Museum is the third leg of the Power of Stories’ tour of museums across Suffolk.
The exhibition first opened at Ipswich’s Christchurch Mansion, where it broke footfall records and attracted the Ipswich Museum's most ever diverse audience.
The Colchester + Ipswich Museum exhibition was crowned Temporary Exhibition of the Year at the 2022 Museum and Heritage Awards, widely regarded as the ‘Oscars of the museums' world’.
Jayne Austin, the Suffolk County Council’s museum development and partnership manager, said “It’s brilliant that people across Suffolk have the chance to see the Black Panther costumes in different museum settings this year.
“To have the opportunity to discover the stories of so many local Black heroes as well makes each incarnation of the exhibition really special.”
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