Royal Society for the Arts FELLOWSHIP EVENT
27 Mar 2023 | 05:45 PM – 08:00 PM
Nottingham Playhouse, Nottingham NG1 5AF
What does the art in our public places tell us about the stories we choose to remember and pass on? What (and whose) stories remain hidden; absent from public view?
As the city contemplates proposals for a new statue in the Broad Marsh area, join us for a stimulating evening of learning, conversation and connection.
Historically many of our statues have been erected by leading civic organisations, businesses and public subscription. They celebrate and commemorate events and people that have helped shape our cities and nations. But did you know only 5% of public statues in the UK represent women and even fewer women of colour? What does their absence signify?
At this event you will:
- Learn what Dr James Dawkins discovered about public statues and plaques in Nottingham.
- Hear the story of Rachel Carter’s sculpture, connecting local women textile workers with enslaved women working in the cotton fields of America and the Caribbean.
- Meet members of the Legacy Makers – the Black community group working to inform residents and visitors of the contribution of enslaved people to the prosperity of the textile industries in the East Midlands.
- Discover the opportunity to join with the National Justice Museum, the Museum of Making, independent philanthropists and interested citizens, to erect this nationally important statue in the heart of Nottingham.
- Grab a drink and network with others helping to shape the city, the region and the local and national stories we pass on.
This event is free and open to all, so please do share in your networks.
We hope you can join us!
How can I help?
We need further sponsorship from individuals, organisations and companies interested in helping our campaign.
Come along to our event: ‘Standing In This Place – Diversity in public art.’ and hear from:
Dr James Dawkins James will talk about his work on statues and plaques in one of our major cities, Nottingham. Doctor James Dawkins is a specialist in British Transatlantic Slavery. He is currently a Research Fellow at the University of Lancaster where he is developing a digital register of British slave-traders.
James worked at the University of Nottingham from 2019 to 2021 where he led several projects that examined the city’s connections to the transatlantic economy in enslaved African people. The most pertinent being his comprehensive review of statues and plaques across Nottingham that represent institutions and individuals linked to the slavery business.
Rachel Carter is a sculptor, she will explain the inspiration for the design of her statue, and the untold stories of these women – our hidden heroines.
“Many of my commissions are underpinned by my love of history and ancestry, and I feel honoured to be able to represent our shared and complex histories within sculpture. Looking at my own ancestry often provides inspiration for new work as I add to the long legacy of weavers, knotters and makers that stretch back over 350 years of the Midlands industrial past.”
Legacy Makers Members will be available for informal discussion during refreshments about their work on the contribution enslaved people have made to the prosperity of the textile industries in the East Midlands.
Legacy Makers was a HLF funded project by Bright Ideas Nottingham which encouraged local people to take part in a community history project exploring; what life was like for the residents of Darley Abbey in the nineteenth century, the village’s links to their enslaved African ancestors and connections to the wealth of Darley Abbey through the cotton trade.
This is a fantastic opportunity to meet individuals, organisations and companies who are supporting the campaign and you can help by volunteering your skills or by making a donation
If you are a company or organisation interested in sponsoring or partnering with us, as part of your corporate social responsibility plans, contact us below to find out more
Get tickets
Get your free tickets via Eventbrite at https://www.thersa.org/events/fellowship/2023/03/standing-in-this-place-diversity-and-public-art
Can’t attend but want to support us?
Get in touch with the sculptor, Rachel Carter at info@rachelcarter.co.uk
Support by donating via our Just Giving page www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/sitp
Posted on 06 March 2023
