News / Edward Colston
Colston statue to be put back on display in Bristol
Nearly two years after being removed from public view, the statue of Edward Colston is being put back on display.
The controversial statue was pulled down during a Black Lives Matter protest on June 7 2020 and dumped into Bristol harbour.
The historical moment formed part of a major global movement, and helped start a national discussion regarding monuments and their links to the transatlantic trade of enslaved people.
is needed now More than ever
After being retrieved from the water by Bristol City Council, the statue was put on temporary display in the M Shed in 2021, but was removed from public view in January 2022.
The statue will now go back on display following a survey which gained nearly 14,000 responses, with 80 per cent of people saying they wanted to see the statue on display in a museum.
The statue will now return to the M Shed and feature in a new exhibition based on protest and racial injustice.
Dr Shawn Sobers at the Colston statue display at the M Shed in 2021 – photo: Martin Booth
Announcing the news in a recent blog post, mayor Marvin Rees said: “If we want to be a city that is fully inclusive and fair to all, then race equality is a topic that needs to remain firmly on our agenda.”
“The vast majority (80 per cent) of Bristol residents who responded agreed that the best place for the statue in the future was in one of our museums.”
“Understanding our history remains as important as ever.”
The exhibition is expected to open in the People’s Gallery at the museum in March 2024 and other details on what will be included in the exhibition are yet to come.
A planning application has been also submitted for the statue to remain permanently at M Shed.
Main photo: Martin Booth
Read next:
- Colston statue should remain on display in. museum, commission finds
- Black Lives Matter sculpture removed from Colston’s plinth
- First look at Colston statue on display at M Shed
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