M Shed in Bristol is proud to announce the launch of GRIOT, a thought-provoking intervention in the Transatlantic Traffic of Enslaved Africans Gallery, developed by the ‘Rebel Curators’.
The display is opening on 25 March 2025 to align with the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.
Named after the West African storytellers who preserve oral traditions, GRIOT invites visitors to engage with narratives of enslaved individuals and their descendants. Featuring digital storytelling, poetry, art and contemporary reflections, GRIOT bridges past and present, challenging audiences to confront the enduring legacies of the transatlantic slave trade.
During Black History Month 2024, a collective of six Rebel Curators and three Rebel Creators were brought together by Julz Davis to reclaim the narrative of the transatlantic trade of enslaved Africans. Recognising the need for an Afro-centric and accessible approach, they co-created a new set of interventions to transform the gallery space, ensuring the histories of African and Caribbean people are told with depth, dignity, and authenticity.
GRIOT explores reparations, resistance, and resilience. It is a series of short films, poems, illustrations, soundtracks and reading lists.
Julz Davis, Disruptor-in-Chief at Curiosity UnLtd and creative practitioner on this project, said: “When I was invited to help transform this space, I instinctively knew that this story needed to be reframed and reclaimed through the perspectives of the descendants of those who survived the deplorable trade of selling humans for profit. Representing the three points of the triangular trade - Africa, the Caribbean, and Black British heritage - my fellow Rebel Curators and I co-created a series of interventions aimed at informing, inspiring, and encouraging deeper inquiry into the existing display. With an eye on the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the Slavery Act of 1833, we have firmly established a clear stance: nothing about us, without us, by us.”
Helen McConnell Simpson, Senior Curator of Social History at M shed, said: “GRIOT is more than a display - it is a dialogue between history and the present. We invite visitors to listen, learn, and reflect on how this history shapes our world today. GRIOT’s intervention in this gallery is the first step towards a much-needed transformation of the space that we hope will take place over the coming years. Black African and Caribbean communities must inform, shape, and play a key role in transforming this display.”
Philip Walker, Bristol City Council’s Head of Culture and Creative Industries, said: “The collections we hold for the people of Bristol, and the conversations we have with the city’s many communities, are at the heart of what we do here. We are guided by active engagement with local community groups, experts, and cultural practitioners, to interpret the city’s collections thoughtfully and authentically, ensuring that we share facts alongside voices and perspectives that make these stories truly meaningful. Our guiding principles are to take an anti-racist position, repair wrongs, encourage exploration and reflection, and inform an ongoing dialogue that helps us all discover more about the world, each other, and how we might live better together.”
This project has been made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to money raised by National Lottery players. The funding has enabled the Rebel Curators and Creators to develop a bold and inclusive vision for re-examining this crucial history.
It is hoped that visitors to the GRIOT display will engage with this conversation and reflect on the themes, fostering conversations that will help shape future gallery developments to tell a fuller history.
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