Black Lives Matter: Colston Hall renamed in Bristol over links to slavery
Bristol's association with the slave trade has come under intense scrutiny in the last few months.
Wednesday 23 September 2020 20:09, UK
A concert hall named after 17th century slave trader Edward Colston has been renamed Bristol Beacon.
The venue was one of several places in Bristol named after Colston, who donated money he made from the transatlantic slave trade to charitable causes in the city.
The city's association with the slave trade has come under intense scrutiny in the last few months following Black Lives Matter protests over the killing of George Floyd.
BLM protesters in Bristol toppled a statue of Colston in June, throwing it into a harbour.
Three years ago, the Bristol Music Trust, which runs the hall, decided the name would be changed in 2020 as part of a £49m refurbishment.
Renaming the venue was described as "very controversial" by Louise Mitchell, chief executive of the Bristol Music Trust.
"There was a perception that we were trying to erase history," she told Sky News.
She said that since the decision was first made in 2017, there has been a "much more sophisticated level of debate" about it in Bristol, and a "greater willingness" from all communities to listen to other points of view.
Responding to criticism that it took three years to rename the venue, she said: "It took time. We wanted to listen, we wanted to reflect."
The trust said it held more than 4,000 conversations with people about the name change.
Ms Mitchell said Colston Hall was "woven into the fabric" of Bristol society and that some people thought the trust was not valuing the building's history.
Some bands, including Massive Attack, have refused to play at the venue because of its name.
Councillor Craig Cheney, deputy mayor of Bristol City Council, welcomed the new name, saying he was "really excited" about it.
The council has set up a "We are Bristol" commission of historians and other experts to consider the city's past and make recommendations.
Cllr Cheney told Sky News that while he does not know what the commission will decide, he believes venues and streets named after Edward Colston should be renamed.
He said street names, building names and statues in the city "memorialise" the slave trader.
"Memorialising someone who was the head of an organisation responsible for the shipment of 84,000 slaves - and the potential death of 20,000 or so on the way - is not something that we should be doing," he said.
:: Subscribe to the Daily podcast on , , ,
Other institutions in Bristol are reviewing their ties to Colston in the wake of this summer's protests.
Colston's School, which was founded by the trader in 1710, is also considering a name change.