‘The COVID-19’ collection will be a collection of 19 objects that tell us what life was like during the lockdowns of 2020, 2021, and subsequent ‘traffic light’ era. Like a pandemic-themed time capsule, objects selected for the COVID-19 collection will allow future Te Manawa visitors to understand how the daily lives of people in Manawatū were affected by the global onset of disease.

You can help us build this collection from scratch by offering your own COVID-19 related objects for donation. Your object can be from any time period, by any maker, purchased in Palmy or ordered online, so long as it tells a special story about your experience during the pandemic.

Simply complete an application form, being sure to tell us the full ‘story’ behind your object. Each submission will be reviewed by our Collections team and 19 objects will be chosen to enter the Te Manawa collection as a piece of our region’s history.