REVEALED: What the Colston statue looks like a year after protesters dumped in harbour

The Colston statue goes on display at M Shed from Friday 4th June


Almost a year to the day since Edward Colston’s statue was thrown in Bristol Harbour by Black Lives Matter protesters, The Bristol Tab can reveal what the statue looks like now ahead of its public unveiling at M Shed museum tomorrow.

The exhibition, which is a joint project between the Bristol History Commission and M Shed, hopes to spark a conversation around Colston’s legacy and the legacy of other prominent slavers.

The exhibit includes a timeline and history of the statue, while also recognising its controversial past even before it was torn down.

Colston’s statue and the Black Lives Matter protests made international headlines last year and sparked a fierce national debate about the role of statues in commemorating past figures.

The statue, which has been subject to decades of debate in Bristol, represents both a slaver and a man who donated large sums of money to institutions around Bristol.

It was severely damaged during the protest, and will still feature the graffiti that was spray-painted on nearly a year ago.

The History Commission and M Shed decided that despite some objections, the statue should be presented like it was when it came out of the water, graffiti included.

Jon Finch, the Head of Culture and Creative Industries at Bristol City Council told The Bristol Tab: “I think for us, the most important thing is letting people feedback, whatever their thoughts are.

“There are such a broad range of emotions across people’s responses, that we need to understand that and have that conversation.

“In many ways that conversation is as important as the conclusions.

“It’s crucial that we have a breadth of people living and working in the city, engaging in this process, so that we understand, because, as we’ve mentioned, there is such a breadth of view”.

Credit: Bristol City Council

The exhibition will also include a selection of placards from the protest, which were collected and preserved alongside the statue.

You can book your free tickets to see the exhibit at M Shed here.

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• Exclusive: We spoke to the man who pulled down the Colston statue in Bristol