Amy Shakespeare
International Repatriation Activist, Museum and Heritage Professional, and PhD Student
About
Amy is a museum and heritage professional and PhD Student based in Cornwall, England. She has worked in the museums and heritage sector in the UK for over a decade. She decided to pursue a PhD due to the museum sector’s lack of action in regards to repatriation and anticolonial practice, and she hopes her work will enable more European museums to undertake repatriation.
Her PhD research is funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and focuses on belongings that have returned from UK museums to Native Nations in what is now known as the USA and First Nations in what is now known as Canada. Her thesis explores how museums can create more anticolonial repatriation processes, the legacy of repatriation for museum practice, and how museums interpret repatriation for their visitors.
In Spring 2023, Amy undertook a Smithsonian Research Fellowship at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC. During her time there, she worked within the Repatriation Department, under the supervision of Jackie Swift, Repatriation Manager. It was during this Fellowship that the idea for Routes to Return was born. Amy and Jackie identified a need to raise awareness of what was happening in the European museum sector in regards to repatriation, to put information into the hands that could use it to secure the rightful return of ancestors and belongings. Amy also hopes to expand the website to include information for European museum professionals looking to undertake repatriation.
As many in the repatriation field believe, ‘it’s not a matter of if, but when’ – when most countries will jump into the 21st century to have their actions match their values when it comes to the respectful return of Indigenous Ancestors and belongings. In anticipation of the ‘when’, the first resource on this site intends to track the repatriation progress of European countries and museums, to provide a helpful lens of that effort to Indigenous Nations and communities. Amy hopes that the resource helps Indigenous Nations’ efforts to secure the return of ancestors and belongings by outlining the national laws, policies, cultural nuances, and histories that shape European approaches to this work.
She also hopes that it supports her European colleagues to share and collaborate – opening up new networks to support each other to undertake more of this work, something which was highlighted by those who contributed to this resource.
Amy would like to thank her European colleagues who supported her to gather this information, and a big thank you to Jackie Swift and the team at NMAI, where she completed the fellowship that inspired this first resource.
Since the launch of Routes to Return, it has expanded to include guidance for those in Europe seeking to return to Indigenous Nations in other parts of the world and a policy briefing urging the UK government to recognise and prioritise repatriation as a human rights issue. Amy has also co-founded the International Repatriation Network which aims to connect community members, practitioners, and academics globally to support the return of more Ancestors and belongings.
PUBLICATIONS
Amy Shakespeare, ‘UK Museums Aren’t Lagging Behind on Repatriation‘, Museums Journal, (2023)
Amy Shakespeare, ‘Navigating International Repatriation Requires a Collaborative Approach’, Journal on Indian Affairs, (2024)
IMPACT
Arts Professional, ‘Briefing Calls for Museums to be Given Repatriation Powers’, (2024)
The Times, ‘Website Helps Nations Seeking Artefacts Back’ (2023)
UK Parliament, House of Lords Debate ‘Sale and Display of Human Body Parts’ (2025)
Get in touch
Amy is always happy to help where she can with those looking to undertake repatriation work. She is also open to collaborate on projects that aim to make more international repatriation happen. Or just happy to chat! Use the contact page or find her on LinkedIn below to get in touch.
This site is entirely self-funded by Amy Shakespeare. She is looking for funding to develop Routes to Return further and undertake more work to enable international repatriation. If you know of any opportunities, please do reach out.
experience
Co-Founder (2025-Present)
International Repatriation Network
International Repatriation Specialist (2023-Present)
Association on American Indian Affairs
Committee Member (2023-Present)
British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles
Repatriation Officer, Committee Position (2023-Present)
Museum Ethnographers Group
Founder and Consultant (2023 – Present)
Routes to Return
Postgraduate Teaching Associate (2021 – 2024)
University of Exeter
ROSS Digital Heritage Consultant (2022 – 2024)
National Lottery Heritage Fund
Smithsonian Research Fellow (Spring 2023)
National Museum of the American Indian Repatriation Department
Research Assistant and Heritage Consultant (2021-2022)
University of Exeter
Communications and Interpretation Manager (2021-2022)
Royal Cornwall Museum
Innovation Manager (2020-2021)
Cornwall Museums Partnership
Project Manager (2019-2021)
Cornwall Museums Partnership
South West Rep (2019)
UK Museums Association
Trustee (2018-2020)
Kids in Museums
Marketing and Impact Officer (2018-2019)
Cornwall Museums Partnership
Senior Visitor Experience Officer (2015-2018)
National Trust
Communications Lead, Board Member (2015-2016)
South West Federation of Museums and Art Galleries
Visitor Services Officer (2015)
National Trust
EDUCATION
AHRC-Funded PhD Researcher (2020-Present)
University of Exeter and Bath Spa University
MA Heritage and Interpretation (2020)
University of Leicester, Distinction and Professor Susan Pearce Award
BA(Hons) History (2014)
University of Exeter
Routes to Return 