There has been a lot of talk, to put it mildly, about Britain’s statues and slavery. But what about Britain’s statues and anti-slavery? It turns out, that, while statues of slavers are among the statues Britain shows off, statues of anti-slavery activists are, in curious contrast, some of the statues Britain hides. To take us into Black History Month in the UK, Dr Coleman asks what, exactly, in its anti-slavery statues, Britain is hiding.

About the speaker

Dr Nathaniel Adam Tobias C̶o̶l̶e̶m̶a̶n̶ is an independent scholar-activist, Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Warwick, and Public Engagement Co-ordinator for Citizens Researching Together at the University of Bristol. They are the incoming Project Director of 81 Acts of Exuberant Defiance. Born and based in Birmingham, they are writing a book about our collective memory of the colonial and anti-colonial arguments by which Birmingham built and attempted to abolish British Empire, called The House By the Rivers of Blood.

You can find out more about how they came to write this book on the Reluctant Sites of Memory blog, or listen to them talk about some of the book's themes in De Montford University's YouTube video, Scholar Activism in the UK – Questions of Ethics and Practice.

Monuments Research Season

Every Wednesday throughout September we will present new research around monuments in a variety of forms, ranging from pre-recorded lectures to podcasts and artists films.

Topics will include the relationship between monuments, gender and sexuality, the role of religion and politics, monuments and colonial memory, and artists’ responses to monumentality. All material will be available to access online on our website and YouTube channel.

Britain's #BLM Statue

Back To Plaque - Dr Nathaniel Adam Tobias C̶o̶l̶e̶m̶a̶n̶

Sculpture & Poetry Research Season

Six months of public and academic events online featuring world-leading voices, exploring the intersection between two of the world's oldest art forms. Hosted by the Henry Moore Institute in partnership with the University of Leeds and Corridor8.

Each event is an open conversation. So we can start those conversations with some shared understanding of how each speaker has explored the cross-overs between sculpture and poetry in relation to their event's topic, we ask them to suggest a recent project for preparatory watching/reading/listening.

https://www.henry-moore.org/whats-on/2021/09/15/sculpture-and-poetry-research-season-online-events

https://sculpture-poetry.net/

“all origins are lonely”

this earth brought into

The final episode in our podcast series Britain's #BLM Statue, Dr Nathaniel Adam Tobias Coleman presents their research into Britain’s statues and anti-slavery, as part of our Monuments Research Season.

Episode 3: Sturge Before Scarman

On 30 January 1981, ten months before the Scarman Report into the ‘Brixton Disorders’ was published, the Final Report of the Working Party into Community/Police Relations in Lambeth was published - and promoted at a press conference. By remembering neglected connections between 1981 and 1839, Dr Nathaniel Adam Tobias Coleman argues that the central claim, of that Final Report, was shared by Joseph Sturge, and was the reason Sturge's statue - Britain’s BLM Statue - was put up.

This final two part episode is dedicated, ‘To the siblinghood of my fellow Black Queer/Trans Men, like me living and thriving with HIV, in this, the 40th year of a pandemic that began in 1981. For more information about our siblinghood, visit the House of Rainbow; for more information on the pandemic we survived, listen to We Were Always Here.'

https://www.houseofrainbow.org/
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/introducing-we-were-always-here/id1587035513?i=1000536314166

Sturge Before Scarman Pt.1 - Peace And Police - Dr Nathaniel Adam Tobias C̶o̶l̶e̶m̶a̶n̶

Sturge Before Scarman Pt.2 - Britain Against Police - Dr Nathaniel Adam Tobias C̶o̶l̶e̶m̶a̶n̶

This is an audio description of Dark Water, Burning World: 152 Moons and Counting, an installation created between 2016 by Issam Kourbaj, a Syrian born artist.

Issam Kourbaj, Dark Water, Burning World 152 moons and counting… 2016

This is an audio description of the sculpture Standing Heech created by Parviz Tanavoli in 2007. It will take about 5 minutes to listen to.

Parviz Tanavoli, Standing Heech 2007

This is an audio description of the artwork Still Life with Dust created by Pavel Büchler in 2017. It will take about 4 minutes to listen to.

Pavel Büchler, Still Life with Dust 2017

This is an audio description of Szpagat, a bronze sculpture created by Slavs and Tatars in 2017. It will take about 5 minutes to listen to.

Slavs and Tatars, Szpagat 2017

Welcome to The Henry Moore Institute's Research Events Soundcloud. Henry Moore Institute is a centre for the study and enjoyment of sculpture in the city of Leeds, has a varied programme of exhibitions and events and provides an invaluable sculpture resource for researchers, students and artists. 

A registered charity, no. 271370, we award grants to arts organisations around the world, with a mission to bring great sculpture to as many people as possible.

Disclaimer: we do not respond to comments made on this account. If you would like to respond to any topics made on this platform, contact us at research@henry-moore.org - Thank you.

Issam Kourbaj, Dark Water, Burning World 152 moons and counting… 2016

Henry Moore Institute

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