Standing in this place: diversity and public art

Royal Society for the Arts FELLOWSHIP EVENT

27 Mar 2023 5:45 PM - 8:00 PM 

What does the art in our public places tell us about the stories we choose to remember and pass on? What (and whose) stories remain hidden; absent from public view?

As the city contemplates proposals for a new statue in the Broad Marsh area, join us for a stimulating evening of learning, conversation and connection.

Historically many of our statues have been erected by leading civic organisations, businesses and public subscription. They celebrate and commemorate events and people that have helped shape our cities and nations. But did you know only 5% of public statues in the UK represent women and even fewer women of colour? What does their absence signify?

At this event you will:

• Learn what Dr James Dawkins discovered about public statues and plaques in Nottingham.

• Hear the story of Rachel Carter’s sculpture, connecting local women textile workers with enslaved women working in the cotton fields of America and the Caribbean.

• Meet members of the Legacy Makers – the Black community group working to inform residents and visitors of the contribution of enslaved people to the prosperity of the textile industries in the East Midlands.

• Discover the opportunity to join with the National Justice Museum, the Museum of Making, independent philanthropists and interested citizens, to erect this nationally important statue in the heart of Nottingham.

• Grab a drink and network with others helping to shape the city, the region and the local and national stories we pass on.