Interview with Dr Eva Namusoke

I am Senior Curator for African Collections Futures at The Fitzwilliam Museum for the University of Cambridge. I research and work with African and African related materials, and specialise in moving the research produced by institutions like the University of Cambridge into the public realm and how this is engaged with by the public.

Why did you move to Eddington?

I’ve been here since August 2023, so two years and a bit, after I was offered my job with the University. I was a PhD student in Cambridge a few years ago, and was moving back from Uganda for my research and curation job and needed a place to live. I heard about Eddington as part of a recruitment pack and applied.

What was your experience of moving to Eddington?

Housing was actually my biggest worry – I moved back to this country by myself, and looking in Cambridge was my first experience of just how bad the market can be. It was terrifying! It was so much money for short term lets and I also had the worries of being an international tenant. I applied for Eddington – being accepted meant I could be properly excited about this great new job.

You mentioned that you lived in central Cambridge as a PhD student – what have been the differences now you are a researcher living in Cambridge?

My place in Eddington doesn’t feel like a student flat – it feels like a real, grown-up neighbourhood. When I was a student in Cambridge, I was surrounded by students, and now it’s great to be in a place that has differing ages. There are children and young families around, young working professionals – the demographic is broad and although it feels familiar, it’s a progression from my life ten years ago.

How do you move around, to and from Eddington? What does your routine look like?

I’m a bus girly! Cycling has been my annual goal since I moved here but I mostly take the bus to and from work. 90% of the time I take the U bus, sometimes the Park and Ride. Luckily my commute is pretty much door to door, because the U stops at the Fitzwilliam Museum where I work. The bus isn’t quite as predictable as it could be, but it is so useful. I am trying to get more comfortable cycling, and it’s great to live in a neighbourhood that is built to be cycle friendly.

How do you feel about the open space or greenery in Eddington?

I like a neighbourhood to feel like there are people living in it and doing things in an unstructured way. On a nice summer’s day, the square is full of children and families, and it feels really natural. It feels like a community – you feel like you’re part of something. I recently took a picnic to the water tower and it was lovely – it’s close enough to home that if you forget a fork you can cycle back, but it feels like you’re connected to nature. I’m trying to get back into running, and having the walking routes is great.

How long do you see yourself in Eddington?

I’d like to stay the full five years, as long as I can. This apartment is the first time that I’ve been able to decorate a place, a living room myself. I feel like I’ve been able to build a little home for myself. My house is full of patterns and print and textures and plants! It’s really nice to be able to entertain and have people round – it feels like a small thing, but it’s so important.