Event overview
Join free poetry, photography and campaign workshops, and a round table debate at the Albany Arts Centre, probing the history, meanings and future of statues of Empire.
Join a day of creative workshops and a round table to probe the history of Imperial statues in Britain, including those on the front of Deptford Town Hall of Sir Francis Drake, Horatio Nelson and Robert Blake, and be part of the discussion about the connections between those commemorated and the rise of slavery and the British capitalist empire.
How did they come to be memorialised and why? How do statues of figures connected to the slave trade and British colonisation symbolise British history and culture? Are they part of ‘invented traditions’ of national belonging based on racial domination? What does it mean about our present society that so many of them remain in place, uncontested? Why don’t local residents have a more democratic say about our symbolic urban landscape? What can we do about it?
Come and join the debate about the future of such statues. Should they remain, or are there more creative and inspiring ways to re-imagine our multiracial history and culture? Join one of our creative workshops on poetry, photography or campaign building. Make sure you book a free ticket for the round table and for your workshop of choice.
Speakers include Rhian Graham (of the Colston 4), Helen Paul (of Museum of Slavery and Freedom), Marcella Pizzaro (Chilean journalist and anti-racist activist), Fiona Quadri (artist), Dean Ryan (of Stand Up To Racism and the Geffrye Must Fall campaign).
Poetry workshop led by poet Miss Yankee and photography workshop by Paul Halliday (photographer, film-maker and urban ethnographer), Campaign workshop by Stand Up to Racism.
This event is open to all and is free. But please book on the Albany What's On page to secure your place (first come first serve) https://www.thealbany.org.uk/shows/what-are-statues-for-part-of-the-being-human-festival/
Follow the link to book your preferred workshop too.
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Nov 2023 |
12:30pm - 5:00pm The Albany Arts centre is fully accessible and there will be a 30 minute intermission between the round table debate and workshops, where guests can visit our book stall and the cafe. |
Accessibility
If you are attending an event and need the College to help with any mobility requirements you may have, please contact the event organiser in advance to ensure we can accommodate your needs.
