Tea and sugar are the ‘spoils of empire’, Nottingham Castle curators say as part of ‘decolonisation’ drive
- Nottingham Castle faced accusations of racism an having a toxic atmosphere
- A staff member made allegations last year resulting in a wide-ranging probe
- Now, the castle has employed a curator to find links with colonisation project
Tea and sugar are the ‘spoils of empire’ as Nottingham Castle curators continue on a ‘decolonisation’ drive prompted by a long-running race row at the museum.
Curators at the museum and gallery have been looking into the castle’s history and its links with colonisation and slavery.
A new sign in the castle announces that the ‘English staples of tea are ‘spoils of empire’.
According to The Telegraph, the sign also uses a quote from Marxist historian Stuart Hall who said: ‘There is no understanding Englishness without understanding its imperial and colonial dimensions.’
Nottingham Castle, pictured, is seeking to over an insight into its colonial past by employing a new curator who will be able to go through the museum’s collection to highlight any exhibit with a colonial past
The castle, which is famous for its link to Robin Hood, also was involved in colonialism
Last year, the castle was accused of having a ‘toxic culture’ with staff complaining of incredibly low morale following the handling of an alleged racist incident.
As a response to the complaints, the castle has sought to recruit a curator whose job is to discover the ‘hidden histories’ of the museum’s collection relating to colonisation.
The new recruit is also tasked with ‘identify and invite guest curators from diverse backgrounds to bring new perspectives to our collections through a series of events and interventions.
Robert Poll from Save our Statues condemned the changes. He said: ‘Conveying accurate and relevant historical information is not the aim here. The only objective is virtue signalling – a desperate attempt to appear relevant and tap into the latest fashion for post-colonial guilt.
‘Visitors hoping to find information on Nottingham Castle should probably look elsewhere.’
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