The fallen statue of slave trader Edward Colston is among the items on display at M Shed’s newly extended exhibition about the history of protest in Bristol.
Black Lives Matter marches in June 2020 saw protestors pull down the statue and throw it into the floating harbour. It was then temporarily housed at M Shed whilst a survey asked the city what should happen next to the statue.
Alumni and staff from UWE Bristol were at the centre of these debates and decision-making processes; being represented on both the We Are Bristol History Commission – responsible for the public consultation, and the working group at M Shed – which fed into the development of the protest exhibition, including the display of the statue.
Professor Shawn Sobers, Associate Professor Estella Tincknell, Dr Roger Griffith MBE, Dr Edson Burton MBE (PhD, 2005), and Olumide Osinoiki (BA(Hons) Photography, 2020) all played an important role in co-curating this important exhibition.
They shared their views on this work and the crucial conversations it explores about racial injustice in Bristol and more widely.
Why was the We Are Bristol History Commission survey important?
“Given the controversial status of the statue… it was vital that the History Commission listened to Bristol voices from across the whole city concerning its future.” – Associate Professor Estella Tincknell
“Local experts were consulted, not just decision-makers with power over the narrative. That level of equity is truly valuable. Not just for us, but for the next generation who will view the past in a more informed manner.” – Olumide Osinoiki
“The survey and the temporary display of the statue were starting points for further conversation, for figuring out how to heal the fractured divides in the city and how to deal with the city’s past involvement in the transatlantic trafficking of African people.” – Professor Shawn Sobers
“The survey made it possible to say we had a mandate from all walks of life, which broadly supported the statue coming down or at least being consigned to ‘archival’ history. We could proceed safe in the knowledge that the statue would not become a fault line in the city’s cohesion.” – Dr Edson Burton
How do you feel about having played a pivotal part in the co-curation of the Edward Colston statue in M Shed?
“I feel ambivalent about having played a central role in the whole thing. My ambivalence stems from my feelings about having to have these conversations in the first place.
The summer of 2020 was such an emotional and exhausting time. We were in the middle of the coronavirus lockdown and faced with the brutal murder of George Floyd, which sparked the Black Lives Matter protests, that resulted in the statue being toppled.
I am glad I was asked and proud of what we collectively achieved, but it is a difficult thing to celebrate and be happy about. I live with the complexities of the conversation every single day.” – Professor Shawn Sobers
“I am particularly proud of being part of a process where the city’s institutions rose to the challenge of working together for the health of the city for now and for the future.” – Dr Edson Burton MBE
“It really was an honour and a privilege to be involved. Rising Arts Agency is all about empowering young leaders and I’m glad they presented me with the opportunity to have my say.” – Olumide Osinoiki
What have you learnt through the process?
“I was pleased to witness the care and attention of both the History Commission and the M Shed team. Everyone took on the task seriously, thoughtfully, carefully, professionally.” – Professor Shawn Sobers
“Our reaction to educating others through an accurate representation of history is still often based in our own egotistical instincts and bias.” – Olumide Osinoiki
“I felt heartened by my fellow Commissioners’ care for the city. I was also highly impressed by the work of our heritage teams who managed the data collection and helped us to analyse the data which informed our conversations.” – Dr Edson Burton MBE
What do you hope the exhibition achieves?
“I hope it is the start of a conversation, not the end, about the transatlantic slave trade, about Empire and about what it means to be British. We need to move away from smooth juvenile narratives of a united past.” – Dr Edson Burton MBE
“Humility. My hope is that instead of ego, this exhibition would be met with the necessary humility to learn.” – Olumide Osinoiki
“I hope the exhibition acts as a monument, not to Colston, but to the contested history the statue represents, including the complex histories of Bristol and its citizens, and the events that brought it down.” – Associate Professor Estella Tincknell
“I hope it provides an educational entry point for all and adds to the untold story about where and how Colston got his money and what can happen next.” – Dr Roger Griffith MBE
“The anti-racism struggle and the fight for equality and justice were never about statues, it was about housing, education, criminal justice and structural inequalities.
My hope for the exhibition is that it keeps that wider context and conversation alive. It is an important part of our collective history we all need to learn from.” – Professor Shawn Sobers
What are your dreams for Bristol’s future?
“I hope that we deepen the conversation beyond toppling and renaming. The structural inequalities of race and to an extent class that we see today are legacies of the transatlantic slave trade.” – Dr Edson Burton MBE
“More young leaders. More sustainable ways to better understand and look after each other. Just like this commission has provided!” – Olumide Osinoiki
“A more equal, less segregated city in which inequalities of wealth, health, social capital and cultural capital are significantly diminished.” – Associate Professor Estella Tincknell
“That our shared history is properly taught in schools, colleges and universities.” – Dr Roger Griffith MBE
“I came to first work and live in Bristol in 1995, and we were having the same conversations back then, and I know it of course pre-dated my arrival. I hope in 30 years’ time, the conversations we will be having will be very different.” – Professor Shawn Sobers
Find out more
- Read more about the new display at M Shed.
Here are some suggested starting points if you’re interested in finding out more about efforts in Bristol to engage with the history and legacy of the city’s involvement in the transatlantic traffic of enslaved Africans:
- Bristol Legacy Foundation, working to create sites of commemoration and a story-house to explore the history and legacies of the transatlantic traffic in enslaved Africans.
- Black South West Network, a leading Black-led racial justice organisation working to drive racial equity through a meaningful community led approach.
- Colston’s Last Journey, a work of sound art by a Bristol poet, writer and located audio designer Ralph Hoyte.
With thanks to:
Dr Edson Burton MBE, Doctor of Philosophy – History, Church, Race and Social Inclusion, 2005.
Dr Roger Griffith MBE, Diversity ＆ Community Projects, Honorary Doctor of Art, 2022.
Professor Shawn Sobers, Cultural Interdisciplinary Practice, PhD Art Media Design, 2010.
Olumide Osinoiki, BA(Hons) Photography, 2020.
Associate Professor Estella Tincknell, Film and Culture.
Main image reference: the above contributors, starting from top left.
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