M Shed to host free virtual talk on media representation of the St Pauls riots

M Shed to host free virtual talk on media representation of the St Pauls riots

Posted on: 09 Oct 2020

Join historian Roger Ball as he dissects the accounts of a pivotal moment in Bristol's history.

 

The M Shed have opened registrations for a free talk on the events and aftermath of the 1980s St Pauls riots, set to take place via Zoom on Thursday 15 October.

 

Hosted by local historian and Research Fellow at the UWE Bristol Regional History Centre, Roger Ball, The St Paul’s Riots: From ‘mindless mob’ to ‘conscious crowd' will re-examine the event and outline how racialised reporting affected the public's understanding at the time.

 

Using a combination of written, visual and oral sources, Ball will explore how outdated media representation of the 'crowd' was challenged in the aftermath of the riots by groundbreaking social-psychological research based on the concept of social identity.

 

 

The violent disturbance in the St Pauls area of Bristol on 2 April 1980 is widely regarded as the event that heralded more than a decade of unrest in English cities.

 

Not only is it an important piece of British history, it's central to the modern history of Bristol, having forced issues of institutional and popular racism into the media spotlight.

 

A large section of the media at the time described the actions of a 'mob' of 'immigrants' and 'black youths', who were 'going wild' in the 'chaos' of a 'riot'.

 

It wasn't until the years following the riots that researchers in Bristol put together a now-seminal piece of work exploring the impact of such racially-charged language on the broader public and their perception of what was happening.

 

The St Paul’s Riots: From ‘mindless mob’ to ‘conscious crowd' will be held over Zoom from 18:00-19:00 on Thursday 15 October. Tickets are free, however the M Shed would be grateful if those watching from home would consider making a donation.

 

The organisers ask that participants allow extra time before the start of the talk to make sure connections are stable and everything is working OK. Video connection can be turned on or off, but participants' audio will be muted throughout.

 

Bookings are open now and can be made here. For more information on the talk, or to find out what else is coming up at the M Shed in 2020, head to their website.

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Article by:

Matt Robson

 

Editor - 365Bristol.com & LOUD Magazine
 

Matt is a Journalism graduate and writer, passionate about supporting Bristol music, art and independent business. Get in touch via email at matt@365bristol.com.