Francesca Collins, Sector response grows louder following far-right violence, Museums Journal, 13 August 2024
Statements and programmes include commitments to support individuals and organisations.
The cultural sector has continued to respond to the scenes of far-right violence that broke out across the UK last week.
Many organisations have released statements, with some outlining the practical ways in which they are supporting their communities.
Watershed cinema and arts venue in Bristol has offered its space for community group organising and given Rest as Repair days to impacted staff. It is also organising a fundraiser for charity Hope not hate. Meanwhile, Manchester Jewish Museum has reminded visitors that it is one of Greater Manchester’s hate crime reporting centres, and that it is “always there to listen and help”.
Hannah Crowdy, head of curatorial at National Museums NI, shared an update from Ulster Museum on X, where visitors are responding to the outbreaks of rioting in Belfast:
Speaking out
The Museum of Homelessness referenced its past research into the weaponisation of housing and the homelessness crisis by the far-right, posting in a thread on X: “This current outbreak of racist violence is abhorrent. It hasn’t happened in a vacuum though, and much more work is needed to fight the weaponisation of homelessness and poverty. We will stand actively against it today and in the future.”
In light of the attacks on refugees and asylum seekers, the Migration Museum said in a post on LinkedIn: “As an organisation that explores how the movement of people to and from the UK across the ages has shaped who we are as individuals, families, communities, and as nations, we are deeply committed to standing up against division and hatred.
“Violence directed towards people seeking sanctuary, people of colour, Muslims and others, shows that there is so much work to be done to contribute to a society that feels more connected rather than more divided.”
Also on LinkedIn, Sara Wajid, co-CEO of Birmingham Museums Trust, started a thread to share examples of impactful anti-racism work in museums.
In a carousel post on Instagram, the Crab Museum in Margate notes that two of its three board directors grew up Asian in the town in the context of “National Front marches and racist graffiti”, and outlines the team’s thoughts on the riots as part of a “long-standing racist tradition”.
The post goes on to say: “Today, we’d just like to remind anyone listening that there is no one way to be British. You can be Asian and British (like us), Muslim and British, black or brown or mixed race or literally any other combination you can think of. You don’t have to be born here and you definitely don’t have to be white. […]
“If studying crabs tells us anything, it is that Earth’s history is one of upheaval and constant change. It is adaptable creatures that survive, and organisms that cooperate and make alliances with each other often do much better than predators.”
Other statements
- Battersea Arts Centre
- Beamish Museum, County Durham
- The Black British Museum Project (Museum X)
- Brunel’s SS Great Britain, Bristol
- FACT Liverpool
- MK Gallery, Milton Keynes
- National Justice Museum, Nottingham
- National Museums Liverpool
- Seven Stories, Newcastle
- Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums
- Wiener Holocaust Library, London
Sector support
In a statement published today, the Museums Association said we should “be clear in calling out and rejecting racism in every form and ensuring it has no place in a civilised society”. It also outlined suggestions for how museums may begin to help their communities following the violence, and included links to both its own and external resources.
Arts Council England chief executive Darren Henley has written to funded organisations and projects with “a message of solidarity and support”, outlining the arts council’s commitment to standing with its Black, Asian, and ethnically diverse colleagues. The statement goes on to include guidance on managing disruptions, operational decisions, support for projects and people, and flexibility regarding deadlines and planned events.
Lucy Casot, CEO of Museums Galleries Scotland, said in a statement: “Museums can offer safe places for people to come together to understand what has happened and to rebuild. We can also lend our voices to reject racism in every form and work to ensure it has no place in our society.”
Prospect union, which represents many heritage workers across the sector, says that members directly affected by the events in their jobs have their “full support as they do these challenging roles”. It also urges all employers to consider the surge in xenophobia and put in place all measures necessary to reassure their workforces.
Similarly, the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), which represents public sector workers in museums and heritage, said: “PCS is here to support any member affected by these incidents. We urge members to speak to their reps and regional officers who are on hand to offer support.”
The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) reports that it is providing advice and support to members on responding to the racial attacks.
Looking forward: celebrating shared culture
On 17-18 August, the Scottish Crannog Centre will host its annual Rise and Shine festival.
The centre is an open-air museum on Loch Tay which celebrates life in Scotland 2,500 years ago, allowing visitors to experience a taste of life during the Iron Age.
Following the 2021 fire which destroyed the site’s Crannog, the centre partnered with Alison Phipps, the Unesco chair for refugee integration through languages and the arts (RILA) at the University of Glasgow, reflecting on shared experiences of losing heritage and relocating.
In celebration of the new Crannog, which opened earlier this year, the partnership of the centre, RILA and the Maryhill Integration Network is hosting an event that embraces and reflects on the richness of Scottish culture and cultures from around the world.
During the two-day festival, visitors can experience performances by Soloway Ukrainian choir, a variety of art workshops, storytelling sessions, Eritrean coffee ceremonies, Azerbaijani tea ceremonies, and a wide range of hands-on crafts and Crannog activities.
Hyab Yohannes, a survivor of torture and trafficking and a researcher of restorative integration for refugee communities, said of the centre: “This is the first time I have been in a place that is not trying to colonise me.”
