Goldsmiths University opens public consultation on statues with links to slavery and colonialism

A university is asking residents whether they think it should take down four statues on a campus building that have links to colonialism.

Goldsmiths, University of London, based in New Cross, has launched a public consultation today on the future of statues of

• Sir Francis Drake,
• Cromwellian admiral Robert Blake,
• Lord Horatio Nelson,
• and an anonymous representative naval figure on the front of Deptford Town Hall.

The four figures either have links to Britain’s role in slavery or the colonial system that supported slavery.

Options include retaining the statues with further explanation, altering some or all of the statues, or removing some or all of the statues.

The consultation takes place as part of a national conversation about historical statues which Historic England recognise “have become symbols of injustice” and protests over statues representing figures with links to colonialism and slavery.

The consultation responds to one of the demands of GARA (Goldsmiths Anti-Racist Action), a Black + Person of Colour-led student protest group launched in 2019.

Opened in 1905 as a municipal building, Deptford Town Hall was acquired by Goldsmiths in 1998 and since then has been used as a space for teaching, administrative offices, and public events including exhibitions and concerts.

As a Grade II listed building any significant alterations to its façade, which faces onto the busy New Cross road, would need planning approval from Lewisham Council, who would notify Historic England.

Professor Frances Corner, Warden of Goldsmiths said: “Deptford Town Hall is a local landmark so it is only right that we ask local people what they think about the statues which embody the complex legacy of the area’s maritime heritage.

“We want those living in the area to engage openly and honestly with troubling aspects of the history these statues represent and tell us how they want these issues to be addressed.

“These statues were carved in 1905 to reflect the wishes of the local community then and it is vital that, a little over a century later, any decision on their future reflects the wishes of our local community now.”

The consultation is focussed on the views of Goldsmiths’ closest communities, but is also open to the wider public including those with an interest in the building or Deptford’s maritime heritage.

The consultation is open from September 1 to October 17. People submit their views on the statues online at explore.gold/statues or by filling in and returning a pre-paid postal survey sent to around 8,500 homes in the New Cross area.