Cuerpos del Tiempo (Bodies of Time) is a new collaborative project in partnership with Luma Creations, the leading Latin American Cultural organisation in the north of England, and is funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund. This initiative will engage Latin American communities across the North West of England to help reshape the interpretation of the museum’s Latin American collections for display in 2025-2026.
The project will feature a redisplay of the Amoxtli Tezcatlipoca (ah-MOSHT-lee tes-kaht-lee-POH-kah), meaning “The Book of the Smoking Mirror” in Nahuatl (M12014), a rare pre-colonial Mexican manuscript, in the World Cultures Gallery at World Museum. As one of fewer than 15 surviving codices from this period, this fragile artefact stands as a powerful symbol of cultural endurance and indigenous heritage. The codex will be on display in late 2025.
This launch event will present a series of talks, dance & live music performances, craft workshops and a chance to speak to the curators of the Global Collections as well as the Luma Creations team. These will include:
– Presentation of the project by Meghan Backhouse, Lead Curator of Global Cultures at World Museum Liverpool and Francisco Carrasco FRSA, CEO & Creative Director of Luma Creations.
– Caporales dance performance by Luma Dance Troupe
– Talk on the Amoxtli Tezcatlipoca by Jose Sherwood Gonzales PhD Candidate Manchester Met University
– Music Performance by Luma Trio
– Talk on Indigenous Cultures of South America by Dr Beatriz Marin Aguilera, Derby Fellow of History at University of Liverpool
– Cumbia dance performance by Luma Dance Troupe
– Music Performance by Luma Trio
– Craft workshops throughout the afternoon.