The Empire Cafe

The Empire Café is an exploration of Scotland’s relationship with the North Atlantic slave trade through coffee, sugar, tea, cotton, music, visual art, academic lectures, poetry, debate, workshops, historical walks, film and literature. The café will be based in the Briggait (home of the Merchant’s Steeple) in Glasgow’s Merchant City from 24th July - 1st August 2014

Contributors to the programme include poets Jackie KayMillicent GrahamAlan Riach and Fred D’Aguiar; authors Andrea StuartJames Robertson and Chris Dolan, internationally acclaimed artist Graham Fagan, Hip Hop band Stanley OddThe Big Big Sing and Dr Richard Benjamin of the Liverpool Slavery Museum, plus many more.

The Empire Café has commissioned poems from eminent Scottish and Caribbean poets on Scotland and the North Atlantic slave trade which will be published in a print anthology which will be available free of charge. Poets contributing to the anthology include Kei MillerJohn BurnsideVicki Fever,Dorothea SmarttAonghas MacNeacail and others

The Empire Café will serve dishes developed through a series of experimental origin outreach sessions using some of the empire’s most familiar products and ingredients as inspiration. Café operator McCune SmithBakery 47 andDear Green Coffee will all join this exploration.

The Empire Cafe is founded by co-directors Jude Barber of Collective Architecture and author Louise Welsh. ‘Merchant City Voices’, their collaborative series of sounds works exploring Glasgow’s relationship with the North Atlantic slave trade won a 2013 Scottish Design Award.

Upcoming (0)

Sorry, there are no upcoming events

Past (33)

Who owns the Clyde? primary image

Who owns the Clyde?

Fri, Jun 16, 3:00 PM

Free

Empire II – Scotland the Brand. primary image

Empire II – Scotland the Brand.

Sun, Jul 30, 3:00 PM

Free

Scotland – Colonisers or Colonised? primary image

Scotland – Colonisers or Colonised?

Fri, Aug 1, 7:00 PM

Free

The Empire Cafe:  Conversation and Poetry with Sasenarine Persaud primary image

The Empire Cafe: Conversation and Poetry with Sasenarine Persaud

Fri, Aug 1, 5:00 PM

Free

The Empire Cafe: 14-18 NOW WORKSHOP 'Letter to an Unknown Soldier' primary image

The Empire Cafe: 14-18 NOW WORKSHOP 'Letter to an Unknown Soldier'

Fri, Aug 1, 2:00 PM

Free

Poetry Café primary image

Poetry Café

Fri, Aug 1, 2:00 PM

Free

Sugar in the Blood, Fury in the Soul (a BSL interpreted event) primary image

Sugar in the Blood, Fury in the Soul (a BSL interpreted event)

Thu, Jul 31, 7:00 PM

Free

The Empire Cafe:  Conversation and Poetry with Dub poet Randy McLaren primary image

The Empire Cafe: Conversation and Poetry with Dub poet Randy McLaren

Thu, Jul 31, 5:00 PM

Free

Barbado’ed: Scotland’s Sugar Slaves - documentary screening primary image

Barbado’ed: Scotland’s Sugar Slaves - documentary screening

Thu, Jul 31, 2:00 PM

Free

WORKSHOP - Paul Robeson primary image

WORKSHOP - Paul Robeson

Thu, Jul 31, 2:00 PM

Check ticket price on event

Land and Empire: The Legal Geography of Colonialism. primary image

Land and Empire: The Legal Geography of Colonialism.

Wed, Jul 30, 7:00 PM

Free

Royal Commission for Ancient and Historical Monuments at the Empire Café primary image

Royal Commission for Ancient and Historical Monuments at the Empire Café

Wed, Jul 30, 2:00 PM

Free

Who owns the Clyde? primary image

Who owns the Clyde?

Fri, Jun 16, 3:00 PM

Free

Empire II – Scotland the Brand. primary image

Empire II – Scotland the Brand.

Sun, Jul 30, 3:00 PM

Free

Scotland – Colonisers or Colonised? primary image

Scotland – Colonisers or Colonised?

Fri, Aug 1, 7:00 PM

Free

The Empire Cafe:  Conversation and Poetry with Sasenarine Persaud primary image

The Empire Cafe: Conversation and Poetry with Sasenarine Persaud

Fri, Aug 1, 5:00 PM

Free

The Empire Cafe: 14-18 NOW WORKSHOP 'Letter to an Unknown Soldier' primary image

The Empire Cafe: 14-18 NOW WORKSHOP 'Letter to an Unknown Soldier'

Fri, Aug 1, 2:00 PM

Free

Poetry Café primary image

Poetry Café

Fri, Aug 1, 2:00 PM

Free

Sugar in the Blood, Fury in the Soul (a BSL interpreted event) primary image

Sugar in the Blood, Fury in the Soul (a BSL interpreted event)

Thu, Jul 31, 7:00 PM

Free

The Empire Cafe:  Conversation and Poetry with Dub poet Randy McLaren primary image

The Empire Cafe: Conversation and Poetry with Dub poet Randy McLaren

Thu, Jul 31, 5:00 PM

Free

Barbado’ed: Scotland’s Sugar Slaves - documentary screening primary image

Barbado’ed: Scotland’s Sugar Slaves - documentary screening

Thu, Jul 31, 2:00 PM

Free

WORKSHOP - Paul Robeson primary image

WORKSHOP - Paul Robeson

Thu, Jul 31, 2:00 PM

Check ticket price on event

Land and Empire: The Legal Geography of Colonialism. primary image

Land and Empire: The Legal Geography of Colonialism.

Wed, Jul 30, 7:00 PM

Free

Royal Commission for Ancient and Historical Monuments at the Empire Café primary image

Royal Commission for Ancient and Historical Monuments at the Empire Café

Wed, Jul 30, 2:00 PM

Free

The Empire Café is an exploration of Scotland’s relationship with the North Atlantic slave trade through coffee, sugar, tea, cotton, music, visual art, academic lectures, poetry, debate, workshops, historical walks, film and literature. The café will be based in the Briggait (home of the Merchant’s Steeple) in Glasgow’s Merchant City from 24th July - 1st August 2014

Contributors to the programme include poets Jackie KayMillicent GrahamAlan Riach and Fred D’Aguiar; authors Andrea StuartJames Robertson and Chris Dolan, internationally acclaimed artist Graham Fagan, Hip Hop band Stanley OddThe Big Big Sing and Dr Richard Benjamin of the Liverpool Slavery Museum, plus many more.

The Empire Café has commissioned poems from eminent Scottish and Caribbean poets on Scotland and the North Atlantic slave trade which will be published in a print anthology which will be available free of charge. Poets contributing to the anthology include Kei MillerJohn BurnsideVicki Fever,Dorothea SmarttAonghas MacNeacail and others

The Empire Café will serve dishes developed through a series of experimental origin outreach sessions using some of the empire’s most familiar products and ingredients as inspiration. Café operator McCune SmithBakery 47 andDear Green Coffee will all join this exploration.

The Empire Cafe is founded by co-directors Jude Barber of Collective Architecture and author Louise Welsh. ‘Merchant City Voices’, their collaborative series of sounds works exploring Glasgow’s relationship with the North Atlantic slave trade won a 2013 Scottish Design Award.

Events

Sorry, there are no upcoming events
Who owns the Clyde? primary image

Who owns the Clyde?

Fri, Jun 16, 3:00 PM

Free

Empire II – Scotland the Brand. primary image

Empire II – Scotland the Brand.

Sun, Jul 30, 3:00 PM

Free

Scotland – Colonisers or Colonised? primary image

Scotland – Colonisers or Colonised?

Fri, Aug 1, 7:00 PM

Free

The Empire Cafe:  Conversation and Poetry with Sasenarine Persaud primary image

The Empire Cafe: Conversation and Poetry with Sasenarine Persaud

Fri, Aug 1, 5:00 PM

Free

The Empire Cafe: 14-18 NOW WORKSHOP 'Letter to an Unknown Soldier' primary image

The Empire Cafe: 14-18 NOW WORKSHOP 'Letter to an Unknown Soldier'

Fri, Aug 1, 2:00 PM

Free

Poetry Café primary image

Poetry Café

Fri, Aug 1, 2:00 PM

Free

Sugar in the Blood, Fury in the Soul (a BSL interpreted event) primary image

Sugar in the Blood, Fury in the Soul (a BSL interpreted event)

Thu, Jul 31, 7:00 PM

Free

The Empire Cafe:  Conversation and Poetry with Dub poet Randy McLaren primary image

The Empire Cafe: Conversation and Poetry with Dub poet Randy McLaren

Thu, Jul 31, 5:00 PM

Free

Barbado’ed: Scotland’s Sugar Slaves - documentary screening primary image

Barbado’ed: Scotland’s Sugar Slaves - documentary screening

Thu, Jul 31, 2:00 PM

Free

WORKSHOP - Paul Robeson primary image

WORKSHOP - Paul Robeson

Thu, Jul 31, 2:00 PM

Check ticket price on event

Land and Empire: The Legal Geography of Colonialism. primary image

Land and Empire: The Legal Geography of Colonialism.

Wed, Jul 30, 7:00 PM

Free

Royal Commission for Ancient and Historical Monuments at the Empire Café primary image

Royal Commission for Ancient and Historical Monuments at the Empire Café

Wed, Jul 30, 2:00 PM

Free

Who owns the Clyde? primary image

Who owns the Clyde?

Fri, Jun 16, 3:00 PM

Free

Empire II – Scotland the Brand. primary image

Empire II – Scotland the Brand.

Sun, Jul 30, 3:00 PM

Free

Scotland – Colonisers or Colonised? primary image

Scotland – Colonisers or Colonised?

Fri, Aug 1, 7:00 PM

Free

The Empire Cafe:  Conversation and Poetry with Sasenarine Persaud primary image

The Empire Cafe: Conversation and Poetry with Sasenarine Persaud

Fri, Aug 1, 5:00 PM

Free

The Empire Cafe: 14-18 NOW WORKSHOP 'Letter to an Unknown Soldier' primary image

The Empire Cafe: 14-18 NOW WORKSHOP 'Letter to an Unknown Soldier'

Fri, Aug 1, 2:00 PM

Free

Poetry Café primary image

Poetry Café

Fri, Aug 1, 2:00 PM

Free

Sugar in the Blood, Fury in the Soul (a BSL interpreted event) primary image

Sugar in the Blood, Fury in the Soul (a BSL interpreted event)

Thu, Jul 31, 7:00 PM

Free

The Empire Cafe:  Conversation and Poetry with Dub poet Randy McLaren primary image

The Empire Cafe: Conversation and Poetry with Dub poet Randy McLaren

Thu, Jul 31, 5:00 PM

Free

Barbado’ed: Scotland’s Sugar Slaves - documentary screening primary image

Barbado’ed: Scotland’s Sugar Slaves - documentary screening

Thu, Jul 31, 2:00 PM

Free

WORKSHOP - Paul Robeson primary image

WORKSHOP - Paul Robeson

Thu, Jul 31, 2:00 PM

Check ticket price on event

Land and Empire: The Legal Geography of Colonialism. primary image

Land and Empire: The Legal Geography of Colonialism.

Wed, Jul 30, 7:00 PM

Free

Royal Commission for Ancient and Historical Monuments at the Empire Café primary image

Royal Commission for Ancient and Historical Monuments at the Empire Café

Wed, Jul 30, 2:00 PM

Free