Connecting with Cumbria’s colonial past: enduring legacies and shared futures

A one-day history conference and workshop exploring different dimensions of Cumbria’s Black history. Organised through the Cumberland and Westmorland Archaeological and Antiquarian Society, the event will explore how Cumbria has been shaped by its colonial connections — and how the legacies of these interconnected histories continue to influence the present day.
🎤 Keynote speaker: Professor Corinne Fowler, whose work has helped shape how the idea of the “colonial countryside” is understood and reinterpreted today.
Across the day, we’ll explore:
- Research into the links between famous Cumbrian industries and the transatlantic slave trade
- The lives of Black people in 19th-century Cumbria, explored through archives and reinterpreted through art
- How Cumbrian museums are working with communities in Africa to address the return of objects to their countries of origin
- The enduring legacies of Cumbria’s colonial connections and what these histories mean for our shared future
Book here: https://cumbriapast.com/cgi-bin/cumbriapast/cp_main.pl?action=cp_listevents&item=1558#top
💷 Tickets are £35, including lunch.
There are also 12 free tickets available for young people under 30 and people from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic backgrounds
Email organiser Joe Rigby on [email protected] with any questions, or to reserve one of 12 free places