Many within the museum sector have noted a shift in the way colonial histories are being discussed. From the return of stolen artefacts to the questioning of white supremacist ideas in interpretation, there is a growing call for cultural institutions to be held to account for their role in perpetuating colonial narratives that marginalise indigenous communities and people of colour. As a white woman in the museum sector, I recognise that these conversations are only the beginning and that more needs to be done to fully dismantle the colonial legacies that have become ingrained within British culture and historiography.
I investigated this issue as part of my Master’s dissertation, in which I analysed the efforts of various heritage sites to expand upon the more challenging areas of their past. One of my case studies was Penrhyn Castle, a heritage site in North Wales that harbours deep connections with colonisation and the transatlantic slave trade. This castle was previously the property of the Pennant family, who had made their fortune from Jamaican sugar plantations that relied on the labour of enslaved Africans. When slavery was eventually abolished in the British colonies between 1833 and 1838, records show that the family received £14,683 (approximately £1.3 million today) in compensation for the freedom of 764 enslaved people. The castle, which was built primarily from the funds of these plantations, has come to embody the luxury enjoyed by a white British elite at the expense of the immense suffering endured by many thousands.
Staff at Penrhyn Castle aimed to confront these connections in their exhibition ‘What a World!’, which was created in partnership with local schoolchildren and academics led by the project ‘Colonial Countryside: National Trust Houses Reinterpreted’. This exhibition aims to unearth the material traces of slavery and colonisation at Penrhyn and confront the suffering that lay behind its grand exterior. Having had the pleasure of visiting the site for myself earlier this month, I was immediately struck by its stunning architecture that was clearly designed to impress its visitors. Just the grand staircase alone is estimated to have taken ten years to construct due to the intricacy of its masonry. ‘What a World’ encourages visitors to examine this beauty with a critical eye and question the sources of wealth used to fund such extravagance.
The exhibition is organised as a series of displays dotted throughout the castle, showcasing the poetry written by the schoolchildren in response to the material traces of Penrhyn’s slavery connections. One of the most sobering examples is a signed copy of Robert Norris’ A short account of the African slave trade, a book that argues against the abolition of the slave trade. Commenting on the transatlantic crossing that would lead to the deaths of many thousands of Africans, Norris makes the horrific statement, “the voyage from Africa to the West Indies was one of the happiest periods of [their] life”. The children use this exhibit to underline the power that white supremacy has over the understanding of slavery, justifying the exploitation of human beings as an economic necessity in the interests of those like the Pennant family. It is a painful but important reminder of the systemic racism that lies behind our national heritage and the devastating consequences that ignoring these legacies has on our society today.
These displays made for powerful and thoughtful moments, but there was also a notable hesitancy in the interpretation to fully confront the site’s colonial background. The information panels tend to refrain from explicitly detailing the historical context behind Penrhyn’s links to slavery and explaining the nuance effects that white supremacy and colonialism has on the UK today. While there are many dedicated volunteers on hand to fill in these gaps, it is worth remembering that not everyone is willing to engage and may easily overlook important details that highlight the relevancy of these discussions.
This hesitation is understandable, considering there was great uncertainty surrounding how visitors were going to respond. Many heritage sites have faced relentless attacks from the mainstream media that argue these decolonial initiatives to be part of a ‘woke’ ‘Marxist’ agenda. Professor Corinne Fowler, director of Colonial Countryside, faced particularly vitriolic attention from the press for her involvement in the project. This has created a wave of anxiety for many within the cultural sector who have since expressed caution at having to engage in conversations with people who may show resistance. As daunting as it may be, Corinne told me in a recent interview that these conversations are nevertheless essential if we are to stand strong against a vocal minority.
“… it is really important to show courage and make strong unequivocal statements about the work that you are doing when challenged […] just keep providing good quality, well-researched information and hold firm, be patient, be understanding, be gentle, don’t fight and just hold your ground.”
‘What a World’ at Penrhyn Castle makes a promising first step in highlighting the colonial narratives that lie behind British heritage. However, more needs to be done across cultural institutions to foster courageous and persistent questioning of accepted historical narratives, whose voices they privilege and whose they disregard. As I argue in my research, in the face of growing financial and political pressure, it is now more important than ever that the sector encourages critical thinking, creativity and daring in our bid for decolonisation.
Written by Kate Robertshaw
Twitter: @kate_emilyr