‘Let’s make Bristol and Bristol Beacon a place of welcome, warmth and inclusivity’

In the last few weeks, the court case and subsequent not guilty verdict for the Colston 4 for their part in toppling the statue of Edward Colston back in the summer of 2020 has resonated with people in Bristol and around the world.

As a music charity that spent the first 153 years of our life sharing a name with a slave-trader, we know all too well what it’s like to have that association with his name and bear the strong and polarised opinions around it.

In spite of having no Colston money behind our building or our music making, we have long been at the centre of the discussion in the city around the use of his name, and had audiences and performers tell us that they didn’t feel comfortable coming into the venue.

Those four individuals have had to shoulder the weight of an issue far greater than the actions they took on that particular summer’s day. I understand the need to not simply accept that we must be defined by past history.

They were not the first people to take action on the issue of Bristol’s difficult past and role in the transatlantic slave-trade, and they won’t be the last.

In April 2017, I stood on a stage and announced that, as the organisation responsible for running Colston Hall, Bristol Music Trust’s board of trustees backed by staff had unanimously agreed to change the name of the venue.

We were the first organisation in Bristol to confirm an intention to move away from an association with Edward Colston and, at that time, it is fair to say that we had quite a rough ride.

While some applauded, we were also accused of seeking to erase and censor history and told that it was wrong to use the morals of today to judge the actions of the past.

Since then, we have thankfully seen a greater understanding and shift in peoples’ views, with a much smaller number now throwing around soundbite accusations of ‘cancel culture’ and ‘wokeness’.

Had it not been for the outbreak of the pandemic, we would have been ready to announce our new name early in 2020, but Covid meant that we were forced to delay our plans.

Looking back, the tragedy of George Floyd’s death and the summer of Black Lives Matter protests that it sparked opened eyes and minds to the issue and created recognition that things needed to change.

We have long agreed with the view that doing nothing makes you complicit.

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Read more: Bristol Beacon redevelopment costs more than double to £107m

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The decision to change our name was not a political one. It was taken by an arts charity whose sole purpose is to bring unity and joy through the experience of live music.

Through our wonderful venue, which should be a place where everyone feels welcome; through our events programme that we run with partners across the city; through our music education programme that we deliver in almost every school in Bristol; and through our community work in care homes and community centres.

A recent lovely example was the live streaming of Sir Simon Rattle with the London Symphony Orchestra into care homes not just in Bristol, but nationwide, thanks to a developing partnership with Bristol Care Homes.

Before deciding on our new name of Bristol Beacon, which we announced in September 2020, we had a conversation with more than 4,000 people from right across the city, to ensure it came from the hearts and minds of the people that live, work and study here.

The name is important, but the most important thing is that it is a symbol of hope and community, and a reflection of the unique power music can have to break down barriers and create unity.

Recent commentators, journalists and politicians have said that the toppling of the statue and the trial of the Colston 4 have taken the spirit of Bristol around the world, and we say let’s make sure that the spirit people see is a place of welcome, warmth and inclusivity – just like our hopes for Bristol Beacon.

Louise Mitchell is the chief executive of Bristol Beacon

Main photo: Colin Moody

Read more: ‘The toppling of Colston has taken the spirit of Bristol around the world’

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