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  • Last updated: October 9th 2024
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MSPs attend MGS event on legacies of empire and slavery

Groups of adults stand at a line of tables and engage in discussion. The tables are covered in pamphlets and booklets.

On Tuesday 8th October 2024, politicians, museum sector workers, and anti-racism activists were among guests who attended a Parliamentary Reception which highlighted the work of museums and galleries to start addressing legacies of empire and slavery.

The event, which was organised by MGS, shared how the museum sector is starting on a journey to tackle inequalities and remove barriers to systemically excluded groups and audiences. It also acknowledged the significant work which remains to be done to achieve structural change across the sector.

This message was reinforced in speeches by the reception’s sponsor, Foysol Choudhury MSP; Angus Robertson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture; Delivering Change Programme Manager Sheila Asante; and Empire, Slavery & Scotland’s Museums Steering Group member Churnjeet Mahn.

Robertson commented: “Scotland’s museums and galleries should be safe spaces that represent all our communities and should reflect our nation’s past… It’s by collectively challenging privilege that we will enact change. Constructive challenge is incredibly valuable as we seek to understand how we can implement effective change going forward.”

Stallholders at the reception – including the Museums Association, Reveal and Connect project partners, the Empire, Slavery & Scotland’s Museums Steering Group, and representatives of the Delivering Change Museum Transformers programme – shared their decolonisation and anti-oppression work with attendees. Members of the new Repatriation & Restitution working group, established by MGS, were also present to highlight their advice and support for the museum sector.

We wish to thank Foysol Choudhury MSP for sponsoring this event, and extend our gratitude to the event’s speakers and attendees for working to create more equitable museums and galleries.

For more details on the Parliamentary Reception, read this blog article by Senior Advocacy and Public Affairs Manager Jason Rose.

An adult with medium tone skin, short brown hair, and a brown suit engages in conversation with an adult with light skin, medium-length brown hair, and a dark blue patterned shirt.
Blog post
MSPs hear how museums have begun to address Scotland’s legacy of empire and slavery
Senior Advocacy and Public Affairs Manager Jason Rose reflects on the key themes explored at a recent Parliamentary Reception hosted by MGS, from embedding anti-oppression and decolonising education to the creation of a new repatriation working group.
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Resources to support museums on repatriation, restitution, and a list of requests for return made to Scottish museums and galleries. 
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