Bristol's Colston Hall to change its name

Bristol's Colston Hall to change its name

Posted on: 26 Apr 2017

The concert hall, named after Edward Colston, is to change its name after protest from the people of Bristol due to his associations with the slave trade.

Colston Hall

It has been announced that Colston Hall will no longer be known as such, and will emerge from the renovations, taking place at the end of this year, with a different name.

 

The decision has been made in the wake of fresh protests against the slave trade associations with the name, the manner of which have troubled Colston Hall in recent decades - among others, local trip hop legends Massive Attack infamously refused to play at the venue for these reasons.

 

Louise Mitchell, the chief executive of Bristol Music Trust – the charity that runs Colston Hall – said, “For us it feels like the beginning of a new dawn. We are doing this now because it is the right thing to do. It’s not about commerce. It’s about doing the right thing.

 

“We want the hall to be a place open to all. That’s why we’re working so hard to champion accessibility for performers and audiences, as well as those who will be able to participate in music education and enterprise, and reviewing the name has always been part of our plan.”

 

While the next name of the hall is uncertain, what clear is that when it reopens in 2020, following refurbishment, it will not bear that of Edward Colston.

 

For the latest listings at Colston Hall, visit their website. For more information, check them out on Facebook.


Article by:

Sam Mason-Jones

An ardent Geordie minus the accent, Sam seemingly strove to get as far away from the Toon as possible, as soon as university beckoned. Three undergraduate years at UoB were more than ample time for Bristol (as it inevitably does) to get under his skin, and so here he remains: reporting, as Assistant Editor, on the cultural happenings which so infatuated him with the city. Catch him at sam@365bristol.com.