Tamara Newton is a scholar and museum practitioner dedicated to decolonial subjects. She is undertaking her PhD at the University of Birmingham, supported by the Haywood Scholarship and the WM & BW Lloyd Charity. Her research investigates and compares distinct approaches to the repatriation of Indigenous belongings from museums, with an emphasis on how heritage institutions can prioritise care for Indigenous communities, their belongings, and facilitate decolonisation and revitalisation through repatriation processes. With a background in art history, fine art, gender and sexuality studies, and British colonial history, she aims to critically analyse colonial legacies in innovative and provocative ways. Her work seeks to contribute to institutional change within museums, address the underrepresentation of Indigenous perspectives and self-determination, and develop practical frameworks to guide repatriation efforts. Tamara is part of the ERC Repatriates research project cohort. Based between England and Portugal, she also engages in critical analysis of colonial legacies in Portugal. The article, “Contemplating Colonial Echoes: Visitor Perspectives in a Portuguese Museum,” was published in Exhibition journal Spring 2026 edition, and “From Artefacts to Blackface: The Ongoing Influence of Colonialism in Portuguese Culture,” received the 2025 DC Watt Prize from the Transatlantic Studies Association for best conference paper by an early-career scholar.
