By Georgiana Scott, Deputy Editor
The lettering ‘Colston Hall’ has been taken down from the walls of Bristol’s famous music venue.
Colston Hall pledged to change their name three years ago, after deciding they no longer wanted to be associated with 17thcentury slave-trader Edward Colston.
Today we took down the Colston Hall lettering from outside of the building. This is just one step on our road to announcing a new name for the venue in Autumn 2020.
— Colston Hall (@Colston_Hall) June 15, 2020
This is a symbolic moment & a public demonstration of the commitment we made 3 years ago to change our name. (1/5) pic.twitter.com/YuBJiOmA8W
The divisive name was originally given to mark the 150th anniversary of Colston’s death. However, none of his money was used to fund the building.
Bristol Music Trust who run the venue said 'we cannot continue to be a monument to his memory' and described the removal of Colston's name as a 'symbolic moment'.
They said in a statement: 'The current name does not reflect our values as a progressive, forward-thinking and open arts organisation.'
The owners decided to action the removal of the signage following the toppling and dumping of Colston’s statue in Bristol’s harbour during the Black Lives Matter demonstrations on Sunday 7 June.
A spokesperson for Colston Hall said: 'We are currently working on a new name that will reflect the unity and joy that experiencing live music together brings.'
They added: 'We have no wish to forget the past, but when we reopen our redeveloped building as one of the best arts and educational venues in the country, it must be as a place that is welcoming to everyone.'
Colston Hall's new name will be released in Autumn 2020 - a decision the owners say a total of 4000 people have been consulted on.
They said they would like the new name to be 'representative of the city, a beacon of its values of hope, diversity and inclusion.'
Featured Image: Bristol 24/7 / Martin Booth
What would you like the new name to be? Let us know in the comments!
