Bristol’s Colston Hall, which was named after 17th-century merchant Edward Colston, has been renamed Bristol Beacon due to the figure’s links to the slave trade.
The 2,075-capacity venue, which is close to the statue that was pulled down and thrown in the local harbour during the Black Lives Matter protest earlier this year, removed the lettering in June after announcing it would change its name almost three years ago.
Bristol Music Trust, which runs the venue, said it hoped the renaming would be “a fresh start for the organisation and its place in the city”.
The new name has been chosen to describe a focal point, a gathering place and a source of inspiration.
At a renaming event earlier today (Wednesday), Louise Mitchell, the chief executive of the Bristol Music Trust, said the renaming process had been a “rough ride” at times, with some people claiming the venue was seeking to “erase and censor” history. However, she added it would be “a symbol of hope and community”.
The renaming consultation process took the form of surveys, interviews, focus groups and community events, and more than 4,000 people contributed their thoughts.
Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees said: “In this naming process we have the renewal of the soul of the building. It is such a powerful building at the centre of our city.” He said some people would be dismayed at the new name but insisted the process had been “inclusive, just and fair”.
The trust said the venue was built 150 years after Colston’s death in 1721 with no financial investment or direct link to the man or his wealth. Colston was a leading figure in the Royal African Company, which traded in gold, silver, ivory and slaves, with about 80,000 men, women and children transported from Africa to the Americas from 1680 to 1692.
Nick Eagleton, of the branding agency Saboteur, which led the public engagement exercise, said: “We had to plunge into the heart and soul of Bristol and we did that with a huge collaborative group that spanned the whole community, from schoolchildren to the mayor. It was a joy, because Bristolians don’t hold back – if they’ve got something to say, they say it.”
The venue has hosted music from the likes of Emeli Sandé, Robert Plant and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, as well as comedy from Harry Hill, Jimmy Carr, Ricky Gervais and Billy Connolly.
Image: Bristol Music Trust
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