The toppling of the statue of Edward Colston into the Avon River in Bristol in June 2020 by Black Lives Matter protestors is symptomatic of a growing dissatisfaction with the presentation of history in public spaces. The same phenomenon can also be exemplified by the renaming of the Witte de With Centre for Contemporary Art in Rotterdam into Kunstinstituut Melly or the Leopold Must Fall movement in Belgium. Within these societies, we are increasingly unified in our belief that these elements of our history, such as the Transatlantic slave-trade, are no longer attuned with current values and that it is time to reflect on how their legacies are woven into the very fabric of our towns and cities. Although we lack any consensus regarding how to redress these legacies – as the subsequent debate over Colston’s statue indicates – we also largely acknowledge that these histories should not be forgotten or erased. What then, do we do with these “unwanted histories”?

This concern engrosses politicians, policy-makers, cultural heritage specialists, historians, artists, community groups and the public alike. To date, much scholarship and public discourse has focused on why these histories are unwanted. However, there is far less reflection on what can and should be done with these unwanted histories. In short, what do we do once we’ve toppled statues? Do we leave Colston in his watery grave? Moreover, as the heritage sector faces increasing financial strains, how do we negotiate the difficult balance between ethics and practicality? Recent responses to these questions have included relocating contested objects to museums and providing new accompanying materials; replacing or adorning them with plaques; putting them in storage; or producing new accompanying artwork. All, however, have faced significant criticism.

This one-day international, inter-sectoral online conference will consequently explore how unwanted histories have been treated to date – both successfully and unsuccessfully – through individual case-studies, as well as theoretical methodologies and proposals for future projects, platforms, and digital media. Bringing together professionals from cultural heritage, policy making, academic disciplines and beyond, the conference will interrogate the current state of the field with the ambition to help shape future thinking on the reassessment of unwanted histories.