London, UK – The Sunderland Collection, a renowned collection of antique maps and atlases, is pleased to announce its upcoming day-long symposium, ‘Challenging Maps and Exploration – Cartographic Encounters with Empire, Indigeneity, and Contemporary Exploration’. The event will take place on October 30, 2025, in London and online and is free to attend for all.
In partnership with the Royal Geographical Society, the symposium will feature lively discussions on historical and contemporary issues surrounding maps and exploration. The event aims to shed light on critical and often overlooked topics, with experts sharing their perspectives on the decolonization of geography and the power of maps to empower disenfranchised Indigenous communities. Attendees will also hear from explorers on their use of maps in the field.
The day will consist of three panels, each featuring leading voices from a range of specialisms, followed by an audience Q&A. Panelists include historian Dr. Edward Armston-Sheret, Professor Sujit Sivasundaram, Dr. Katie Parker, Professor Michael Bravo, Dr. Rohini Rai, Dr. Sana Murrani, explorer and climate scientist Felicity Aston, adventurer and author Phoebe Smith, and explorer Tom Allen.
Helen Sunderland-Cohen, custodian of The Sunderland Collection and a Fellow of the RGS, expressed her excitement for the symposium, stating, “Creating opportunities for discussion, debate, and learning in the varied and wonderful world of cartography is central to our mission at The Sunderland Collection. We are thrilled to present this illustrious range of speakers to the widest possible audience, in person and online, free of charge.”
Dr. Katie Parker, cartographic collections manager of the Royal Geographical Society, added, “Maps tell stories, often stories of exploration. With this symposium, we hope to continue wider conversations about when, where, why, and by whom exploration happens, and the defining role maps have. It will be fascinating to see how we can build on the stories that the maps in the Society and Sunderland collections tell.”
The symposium, ‘Challenging Maps and Exploration – Cartographic Encounters with Empire, Indigeneity, and Contemporary Exploration,’ will take place from 9:30 am to 4 pm on October 30, 2025, at the Education Centre, Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR, and online at RGS.org. Tea, coffee, and lunch will be provided for in-person attendees. Registration is free and can be completed on the event website.
Those unable to attend in person can watch the panel discussions on The Sunderland Collection’s online home, oculi-mundi.com, after the event.
The Sunderland Collection is a unique curation of exquisite cartographic objects from the 13th to the early 19th centuries, featuring world and celestial maps, atlases, books of knowledge, and globes. Founded 40 years ago by Dr. Neil Sunderland, the collection is based in Switzerland and has been digitized in full, making it accessible for study or enjoyment at its online home, Oculi Mundi. The collection also actively champions heritage skills, craftsmanship, art, and the exploration of ideas through its busy programme of exhibition loans, free conferences, and The Sunderland Collection Art Programme.
Oculi Mundi, the online home of The Sunderland Collection, is a digital cultural heritage experience that aims to immerse curious minds into the world of antique maps and atlases. The platform celebrates human achievement, artistry, and imagination, and reaches for the future by embracing innovation, fostering scholarship, and enabling creativity.
The Royal Geographical Society, founded in 1830, is a learned society, professional body, and registered charity with over 14,000 members. The Society is dedicated to the advancement of geographical science and supports its mission by developing, supporting, and promoting geographical education, research, expeditions and fieldwork, and professional practice. The Society’s broad public and cultural engagement programme, alongside its Historical Collections of over two million items, support its aim to foster an understanding and informed enjoyment of the world we live in.
