Lancashire Museums

The Project
Lancaster was the country’s fourth largest slaving port at the height of the trade in the 18th century. Around 200 journeys of Lancaster slavers carried almost 25,000 Africans to the West Indies and America to be sold as slaves. For more than three years the Museum Service has been working with a range of partners to raise awareness of this largely hidden history. Abolished? is our latest project to explore the issues.

The Exhibitions
Contemporary artists Lubaina Himid and Sue Flowers will be producing art installations at the Judges’ Lodgings and Lancaster Maritime Museum . These installations will be the artists’ responses to Lancaster’s involvement in the slave trade and the legacy that has left in the city.

Schools Involvement
As part of the project we will be working with six local secondary schools to produce work for an exhibition within the Maritime Museum next summer.

Events
To keep up to date with events linked to Abolished? - and the Bicentenary of the Act of Abolition - around Lancashire, look on our events page

Our slavery projects
This is not Lancashire Museums’ first project looking at issues around Lancaster’s involvement in the Slave Trade. We have been working in partnership for a number of years now. To find more information about the projects leading up to Abolished? please see: Archives to Airwaves | Town Trail | STAMP

Have your say
Do you think Lancashire should be actively recognizing its role in the Slave Trade? Do you think we should be doing more? Do you have a comment about the art piece Captured Africans recently unveiled on the Lancaster Quayside? Either way, we would like to hear from you. Please email us at abolished?@mus.lancscc.gov.uk.