Money to address slavery and colonialism in museums could be wasted, MSPs warned

Money to address the role of slavery and colonialism in Scottish museums could be “wasted” unless more permanent funding is provided, MSPs have heard.

Holyrood’s Culture Committee also discussed whether work to reinterpret imperial legacies in museum collections amounts to political activism which seeks to “re-educate” visitors.

Members of the Empire, Slavery and Scotland’s Museums Steering Group spoke to the committee on Thursday, following the Government’s support for their recommendation of a “dedicated space” on the issue.

However they highlighted only £100,000 has been given to the group for the work from ministers, despite their report calling for £5 million in funding.

The steering group has also called for looted or unethically acquired items in museum collections to be returned more easily.

Jatin Haria, chair of the steering group, said: “Parliament unanimously passed a motion saying there should be a dedicated space, that doesn’t make a dedicated space happen.

“We could waste that £100,000 if we don’t continue funding something, because it will just be wasted if whatever we do comes to an end in a year’s time.

“Not just the money, but all of our time and effort would have been totally wasted and expectations would have been built up.”

Zandra Yeaman is the Hunterian Museum’s “curator of discomfort” and a member of the steering group.

She said museums are often an example of a “colonial project” and highlighted the institution’s recent work to return certain items in its collections – such as a specimen of a giant galliwasp lizard which has been transferred from the University of Glasgow to Jamaica.Other examples include a memorial totem pole which was returned to the Nisga’a Nation in Canada from the National Museum of Scotland after almost a century.

Ms Yeaman said each object should be considered on its own merit and museums should not “scramble around saying ‘can you take stuff back?'”.

Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr said he had been to the Kelvingrove Museum’s recent City of Empire display in Glasgow and – saying he felt it portrayed a “single directional narrative”.

He asked the panel if some of the work going on in museums amounts to political activism to “re-educate” visitors, and that he should not be labelled a “racist or fascist” for questioning this.

Sheila Asante, delivering change programme manager at Museums Galleries Scotland, denied this was the case and said the displays are about getting people to “ask questions”.

Ms Yeaman said: “It’s about being enabled to have these conversations in such a way where those accusations are not on the table.”