What I Can Offer You:
A New Start…
Are you new to decolonising your institution? Decolonial work can be overwhelming, especially when you aren’t sure where to begin. Tell me about your situation and I can break the process down into manageable steps, catered to your unique circumstances.
… Fresh Eyes…
Has your decolonial journey already begun? I can give you honest and productive feedback from a new perspective, as well as direction for your next steps.
… Bridge-Building…
Is there a specific Community you are trying to connect with? I have put in the work to forge positive relationships with a wide network of heritage professionals and traditional custodians from a variety of backgrounds. I can help you to facilitate respectful, trauma-informed and equitable engagements with these Communities.
… and Beyond
There are no “stupid questions” – everyone is learning and decolonisation is an ongoing process. I would love to hear from you to discuss your diverse needs, no matter what stage you are at or where you are in the world.
Kavita Peterson
Decolonial Consultant
I am an Australian multilingual translator and heritage professional of Fiji-Indian/white-settler descent with a special passion for decolonial and queering approaches to museum interpretation and heritage. I am a strong supporter of decoloniality, anti-racism, intersectional feminism, and change through education and creative critical pedagogy.
My research interests span issues of memory and post-memory, reparative justice and reinterpreting existing collections through a decolonial and queering lens. I am also highly interested in colonial mythmaking and fantasy, and how these can be productively incorporated into our national histories in service of decolonising Western minds.
Hailing from Naarm (Melbourne), Australia, I have until recently been residing in Berlin conducting research on the representation and interpretation of German colonialism in German national history museums. I am currently conducting research as part of an Australian Research Council funded project on the representation of Global Majority objects at Australia’s intercolonial and international exhibitions.
I am available for independent decolonial consultancy. Learn more about my services, and don’t hesitate to contact me with any enquiries.
Projects and News
I am active in both the research and practice of decolonial museum work and how to transcend continuing legacies of violence in our cultural institutions.
Global engagements and publications have underscored my work to unentangle our colonial inheritances and tease out the key role that our museums can play in facilitating reparative justice. I truly believe in the power of the museum to lead public discussion about these issues, in meaningful collaboration with Community groups.
Decolonial Research Vlog
It is very important to me to continually reflect on what I learn and how I grow on my own decolonial journey.
My decolonial research vlog serves as a way for me to track my own thought processes as I engage in my research. It is also a means for me to deconstruct and critique the museums that I encounter on my various travels. Maybe your museum is on there already!
Besides “free-form” vlog posts, I also upload more structured presentations and video essays about my research to the same channel.
Ready to engage meaningfully?
Let’s embark on your decolonial journey together! Don’t hesitate get in touch today and let me know your situation. Nothing is impossible, least of all decolonial futures.
Testimonials
Coming soon!
This web site is still under construction, including gathering testimonials from happy clients!
Jane Doe
Please bear with me as I engage with past collaborators to gather feedback for this section.
Christina Doe
I look forward to sharing testimonials relating to my past work soon!