Nelson Mandela Exhibition Opens at The Durham Museum March 5
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela: The Official Exhibition is the major new global touring exhibition that takes visitors on a personal journey through the life of the world’s most iconic freedom fighter and political leader. The Durham Museum is thrilled to welcome the exhibition to Omaha from March 5-July 3, 2022. Presented in association with Round Room Live, the exhibition is an immersive and interactive experience that features previously unseen film, photos and the display of over 150 historical artifacts and personal effects on loan from the Mandela family, museums and archives worldwide.
Nelson Mandela: The Official Exhibition is designed to educate, entertain and inspire using many personal belongings and objects never previously seen outside of South Africa. These items, including the suit worn for the opening of the South African parliament in 1996; a traditional head dress gifted to him by The King of Xhosa people, King Xolilzwe Sigcawu as he awarded Mandela the ancient tribal warrior honour of the Isithwalandwe Sesizwe, for the first time in two centuries; his presidential desk and chair and his much loved iconic beige trench coat, combine with immersive media presentations and scenic re-creations, to enable visitors to actively engage with and experience key moments in Nelson Mandela’s life.
Nelson Mandela: The Official Exhibition reveals his epic story in a series of experiential zones. It takes visitors on Mandela’s life journey, from his little-known beginnings in rural Mvezo, Transkei, through decades of turbulent struggle against the apartheid regime, to his eventual vindication and final years as South Africa’s first black president, ‘Father of South Africa’, and a globally loved and respected figure.
Lawyer. Revolutionary. Political prisoner. World leader. Elder statesman. Symbol of the struggle against oppression. Nelson Mandela has been all these things to so many people across the world in the past 50 years and five years after his passing, he continues to remain a human rights icon and to be seen globally as an advocate for change.
This exhibit is produced by Round Room Live in partnership with The Royal House of Mandela (RHoM) and RHoM Investments. Local support for the exhibit is provided by: Mutual of Omaha, Kiewit, Conagra Brands Foundation, Cox Communications, Howard & Rhonda Hawks, Union Pacific, Douglas County and The Durham Society. Media support is provided by KETV.
Mandela Exhibit Programming
Opening Day Activities
Performances at 10:30AM and 11:30AM
Visitors who join us on the opening day of the exhibition (Saturday, March 5), can enjoy performances by the Nelson Mandela Elementary School orchestra and the African Cultural Connection. Nelson Mandela Elementary will perform at 10:30AM followed by the African Cultural Connection at 11:30AM. Both performances will take place in the Suzanne and Walter Scott Great Hall and are included with museum admission.
Teacher Workshop
Tuesday, March 8, 4-6PM
Teachers are invited to a workshop for our spring exhibition Nelson Mandela: The Official Exhibition. This immersive show will be on display for the remainder of the school year, and guided tours are available for K-12 public and private schools at no cost thanks to our generous sponsors. Limited transportation funding is available for schools who qualify. Teachers attending this workshop will be treated to refreshments and a personal exhibit tour, plus learn a bit more about how to bring students to experience the exhibit. There is no cost to attend the workshop and refreshments are provided. Registration is required. Call 402-444-5027 or register online at DurhamMuseum.org
Community Free Day
Saturday, April 2, 10AM-4PM
The Durham Museum is proud to offer free admission on Saturday, April 2, 10AM-4PM, to invite the community to experience Nelson Mandela: The Official Exhibition. There is no fee for admission, but space is limited, and advanced registration is highly encouraged. Because capacity is limited, we ask that members and frequent visitors consider allowing those who may not otherwise be able to visit the museum to enjoy this opportunity. Register online at www.DurhamMuseum.org/Mandela.
Community Conversation Gallery
Our Community Conversation Gallery provides a space to allow visitors to engage with the Mandela exhibition while reflecting on its themes and connections to the present. To encourage contemplation, the room features public art produced during the 2020 protests against social injustice. Two large-scale boards feature quotes from Nina Simone and Martin Luther King, Jr. They join a pair of images, known as ‘Hope’, to connect stories of modern protest to those seen within the Mandela exhibition. Along with these pieces there are opportunities to participate in feedback and sit to discuss together the impacts of Mandela today.
Mandela Pledge – A Partnership with SHARE Omaha
Each year, in honor of Nelson Mandela International Day, people all over the world spend 67 minutes in service to their community by volunteering. This time represents the 67 years that Nelson Mandela spent fighting for social justice. The Durham Museum is partnering with SHARE Omaha to inspire the community to make Mandela Day every day using #MyMandela67 to promote volunteerism and giving back to the community.
Non-profit organizations can participate by providing a list of ways people in the community can support them in 67 minutes during the timeframe of March 5 – July 3, 2022. In addition to a variety of volunteer opportunities, 67 minutes could also be spent attending an event, or taking a tour. Examples could include reading to senior citizens, helping with homework at an afterschool program, cleaning up a park, or participating in your fundraising walk. For more information visit shareomaha.org.
About Round Room Live, an eOne company
Round Room Live is a producer and promoter of live entertainment, that specializes in transforming both new and iconic intellectual property into engaging and thrilling live events. Round Room creates unique live experiences tailored to the distinct brand identity of each property and produces the highest quality productions for audiences around the world.
Round Room’s Immersive and Entertainment Experiences division is currently touring: Jurassic World: The Exhibition, Mandela: The Official Exhibition and Tupac Shakur. Wake Me When I’m Free, which recently opened in Los Angeles in January 2022. Their current roster of touring theatrical shows includes: Baby Shark Live!, Blippi The Musical, Peppa Pig Live, and PJ Masks Live! Save the Day. In February 2018, Entertainment One (eOne) acquired a majority position in Round Room Live. eOne is now a division of Hasbro.
