Scottish Government launches independent group on museum collections, colonialism and slavery 2 Sep 2020

The Scottish Government has announced that it will sponsor an independent expert group to explore how Scotland’s existing and future museum collections can better represent the country’s colonial and slavery history. The group will be independently chaired and diverse in membership. Meanwhile Museums Galleries Scotland will co-ordinate a national consultation in collaboration with Glasgow Life to establish public and expert perspectives. There will also be research into the existing work in this area across Scottish museums. Lucy Casot, CEO of Museums Galleries Scotland said: “the Black Lives Matter movement has highlighted the critical need to understand and act on the racial injustice and colonialism that is still prevalent today. Museums are integral parts of communities as spaces to reflect and ask questions. Through revisiting and expanding the stories and histories they tell museums can play a key role in helping us all to have a better understanding of our past.”