NB – Tickets for all events can be obtained through this website’s Tickets page or on the door at the museum.
Exploring Gen Z Activism: Saturday September 12 2026 7pm – 9pm
Join us to hear from the two students who won the battle to change the name of their school, a full 130 years on from it being named after Edward Colston, a man who enslaved Africans. Colston Girls School was belatedly rebranded as Montpellier High almost 200 years beyond the date when slavery was abolished in the UK. A statue of Colston was toppled into the local river amid Black Lives Matter protests in Bristol, south West England, in 2020. However there remained resistance to changing the school title among some in the city. Join us for the inspiring behind the scenes account of how Sophia Bailey and Hemlata Pant led more than 100 students to success in a campaign shaped by the school’s Black students and allies, past and present. Also speaking and taking questions this evening will be ‘Lily’ from No New Workers and Generation 1.5, two youth climate group largely by created by and for under-18s that are applying pressure on sectors supporting fossil fuel economies such as the insurance industry. No New Workers is a campaign organised the Education Climate Coalition that is structured around building commitments among young people not to work for businesses complicit in global heating.
Speakers:
- Sophia Bailey and Hemlata Pant – Anti-racism ‘Countering Colston’ campaigners
- ‘Lily’ – Climate ‘No New Workers’ and ‘Generation 1.5’ campaigner
DIY social and environmental change in Hastings: Activist testimonies from the town’s leading agents of environmental and social change – Thursday September 17 2026 7pm – 9pm:
Two of Hastings’ most creative and committed activists will share eye-opening insights into their campaigning approaches towards causes of immense significance to the town – social housing, clean water and the climate and ecological crisis.
- Jane Ripley – Hastings Stand Up For Nature, Clean Water Action and Scientists for Survival
- Grace Lally – Housing Rebellion
Sunday October 4 2026 7pm – 9pm: Is there still space for resistance? Struggles, solidarity and solutions spanning Hong Kong, Russia, Sudan and the UK.
We are honoured to be joined by two of the most prominent activist leaders in Hong Kong’s ongoing fight to preserve constitutional rights and freedoms amid escalating repression imposed from Beijing. Finn Lau and Clara Cheung have both been exiled to the UK. Further speakers set to be confirmed shortly will providing perspectives on the challenge of fighting for human rights in Russia and Sudan. Completing our line-up will be the Liberty Investigates journalist Aaron Walawalkar. Liberty Investigates is the independent journalism arm of Liberty Human Rights, a UK NGO, and Aaron will share insights into the UK crackdown on protests at university campuses.
Speakers:
- Finn Lau – Hong Kong democratic rights and freedoms campaigner
- Clara Cheung – Hong Kong activist, artist and former pro-democracy district councillor
- Mazin Urso – Sudan peace, democracy and anti-corruption campaigner and film-maker
- Aaron Walawalkar – Liberty Investigates Journalist
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