LBS Workshops 2015

LBS workshops, September - November 2015

A number of all-day workshops took place in the latter part of 2015. Each event included a presentation from LBS about our latest research, contributions from local historians and break-out groups for more informal discussion.

Exeter: Saturday 14th November at the Exeter Community Centre Trust, 17 St David’s Hill, EX4 3RG

This workshop explored the relationship between Devon & Cornwall and slave-ownership and highlighted new research that can be used to explore: the local links between Devon & Cornwall and the business of slavery from the early development of local slave-ownership; the impact that enslavement and slave-ownership in the British Caribbean had on the local and regional economy, society, culture and politics in the 18th and 19th centuries; and some of the legacies of slave-ownership in Devon, Cornwall and beyond today. Organised jointly by the staff of the Legacies of British Slave-ownership project at University College London and by the Exeter Group of local, community and family historians, the workshop presented new research on local slave-owners and their legacies in Devon & Cornwall and beyond, and provided a forum for open discussion among all participants about the present state of knowledge and future direction of research.

Speakers included Dr Nick Draper, Rachel Lang, Dr Kristy Warren and James Dawkins from UCL, and Gillian Allen, Peter Wingfield-Digby, Lucy MacKeith, Joanna Traynor and other members of the Exeter Group.

There was a small exhibition of the legacies of British slave-ownership including information about Devon and the South West. The 2006 exhibition based on the Gale Morant Archive at the University of Exeter 'Whose history is it?' was also on display.

For papers and materials presented to the workshop click here.

Manchester: Saturday 24th October at the Central Library, St Peters Square, M2 5PD

This free workshop explored the legacies of British slave-ownership in the north of England. It showcased exciting new research that can be used to explore the local links between the north of England and the business of slavery. Featuring talks by artists, academics and independent historians it considered the different ways in which slavery has impacted on the social, cultural and economic landscape of the north of England.

Artist Lubaina Himid presented some of her artwork entitled ‘Cotton.Com’ formerly displayed at the Whitworth Gallery for the Cotton: Global Threads exhibition (2012).
This workshop was organised by the Legacies of British Slave-ownership project at University College London in partnership with the Institute for Black Atlantic Research at the University of Central Lancashire, the University of Leeds and the University of Manchester.

Nottingham: Saturday 19th September at the New Arts Exchange, 39 Gregory Boulevard, NG7 6BE

This workshop investigated the impact of slavery and slave-ownership in the Midlands and the surrounding area. It involved sharing new research that can be used to explore the local links between the Midlands and the business of slavery, as well as thinking about the ways that we might use the legacies of slavery and antislavery for contemporary activism, including in the movement to end modern global slavery. Organised by the staff from the Legacies of British Slave-ownership project at University College London, the workshop included contributions from the Slave Trade Legacies Volunteering group, Suzanne Seymour (University of Nottingham) and the Anti-Slavery Usable Past project (University of Nottingham).

A small exhibition examining some of the men and women of the Midlands who had links with slavery and abolition will accompanied the workshop.

For the programme click here.

Glasgow: Saturday 12th September at The Lighthouse, 11 Mitchell Lane, G1 3NU
This workshop explored the relationship between Scotland, slavery and slave-ownership.

It highlighted new research that can be used to explore the local links between Scotland and the business of slavery and the impact which enslavement and slave-ownership in the British Caribbean had on the economy, society, culture and politics of Scotland in the 18th and 19th centuries. Organised by the staff from the Legacies of British Slave-ownership project at University College London and the project on Runaway Slaves in Britain: Bondage, Freedom and Race in the Eighteenth Century at the University of Glasgow, the workshop presented material from researchers on Scottish slave-owners, runaway slaves, and the teaching of slavery in schools.

Speakers included Prof. Catherine Hall (UCL), Prof. Simon Newman (University of Glasgow) and Prof. Sir Tom Devine (University of Edinburgh) and open discussion among all participants.

For the programme click here.