From Bristol to Manchester: history and memory in our cities - LIVE STREAM

The tearing down of the statue of Edward Colston in June 2020 prompted national and international conversations about public memorials. Is it ok to remove statues in our public spaces? How do we decide? Who should be part of the conversation?

Hosted by David Olusoga, Professor of Public History at the University of Manchester, this event will explore events in Bristol since the removal of the Colston statue and the outcome of a recent Manchester City Council led consultation into statues and public memorials in the city.

We will address the role of policymaking in public art and how to create an inclusive approach to this hotly debated topic.

Panellists will include Ray Barnett, Head of Collections and Archives at Bristol Museums, Dr Sadia Habib of The University of Manchester, Dr Joanna Burch-Brown of The University of Bristol, and Rowan Hasan and Samiir Saunders of Manchester Museum’s Our Shared Cultural Heritage Young Collective.

The event will feature poetry readings from Samihah Mudabbir and Amina Beg, also of the Our Shared Cultural Heritage Young Collective.

This event will be held in person and livestreamed. If you would like to attend in person, please visit the in-person event booking page.

Event partners:

Creative Manchester

Centre on the Dynamics of Ethnicity

Manchester Histories

Race, Roots and Resistance Collective

Our Shared Cultural Heritage Young Collective