Protest display at M Shed to feature toppled Colston statue

Next month M Shed will extend its display about the history of protest in Bristol, with the permanent inclusion of the statue of slave trader Edward Colston, which was pulled down during a Black Lives Matter march in 2020.

The statue will go on display within a glass case from 15 March 2024 – as in the temporary display in 2021, which was visited by 100,000 people.

The inclusion of the Colston statue in M Shed's protest display comes after extensive community consultation and engagement by the We Are Bristol History Commission, where around 80 per cent of Bristol residents who took part agreed that the best place for it was in one of the city’s museums. Since then, Bristol City Council's planning committee has approved listed building consent for the statue to go on display at M Shed.

The display will provide information and interpretation alongside the statue, emphasising its place in Bristol's complex history, within the museum’s Bristol People gallery. It will allow space for dialogue and reflection on the city's past, with a focus on racial justice and activism.

Marvin Rees, the Mayor of Bristol, said: "We have followed the findings of the We Are Bristol History Commission, carrying on from the city-wide conversation about what to do with the Colston statue. There were 14,000 responses to the survey, which returned a clear consensus for the statue to be preserved in its current state and exhibited in one of our Bristol museums, drawing on the principles of the temporary M Shed display in 2021. The resulting display at M Shed will present the history of Colston and the statue in a nuanced, contextualised, and engaging way, which is important for Bristol’s communities to explore our city’s history and what it means for us today.”

A selection of placards left at the empty plinth after the Black Lives Matter march on 7 June 2020 will be displayed around the statue. A timeline, allowing visitors to contribute their own events on the themes of racism, the Colston statue, politics, and culture, will be featured along with an interactive screen.

The addition of the Colston statue offers a unique opportunity to continue the ongoing conversation surrounding historical monuments. It will join displays on the Bristol Bus Boycott, the abolition of slavery, the suffragettes, and scrapping section 28.

The Bristol Legacy Foundation will now follow on from the work of the We Are Bristol History Commission to support the understanding Bristol’s history, fostering dialogue, and creating a legacy for future generations.

Councillor Asher Craig, Deputy Mayor of Bristol and Chair of the Bristol Legacy Foundation, said: “This display aligns with our vision of creating a safe space for dialogue and understanding around Bristol’s heritage. Working alongside Bristol's African Heritage community, we've strived to amplify less-heard voices, recognising that the fight against racism goes beyond symbolic gestures. Our goal is to encourage open dialogue, acknowledging the struggles with racism and embracing the complexities of our collective history. Bristol's legacy is a work in progress, and this extended display is a testament to a shared commitment to understand, learn, and evolve."

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