The Bristol music venue has changed its name.
Formerly named after the slave trader Edward Colston, the team behind the venue has now renamed it as Bristol Beacon. A new logo will be made over the next few months, and it’ll be created in partnership with young, local creatives.
A statement, posted to the venue’s website before the name change, reads: “We know that our current name, that of the slave trader Edward Colston, means that not everyone has felt welcome or that they belong in their city’s concert hall. And if we can’t share the joy of live music with everyone, something must change.”
“Our organisation was founded long after Colston’s death, and has no direct connection to him, financial or otherwise. We can no longer be a monument to someone who played such a prominent role in the slave trade.”
In 2017, a petition that called for the venue to remove its association with Edward Colston gathered momentum. In response, the team behind the venue agreed to rename it.
Since, the team has spoken to over 4,000 people across the city about the new name. In November 2018, they circulated an online public survey.
