Bosses at Whitehaven’s Rum Story will look at how the attraction can better tell the history of the town and its historic links to the slave trade.
Thanks to cash from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, it is embarking on a 12-month project, The Rum Story Reimagined and its owners, Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners, will work with Cumbrian charity Anti Racist Cumbria.
It has been awarded £249,431 for the project by the fund.
The Rum Story, on Lowther Street, tells the history of the Jefferson’s family business which involved rum, shipping and the trading and enslavement of African people.
The history of the Jefferson family sits alongside a wider history of Whitehaven as a town with an established shipbuilding past. This was able to happen due to wealth generated from local mining which was invested into the docks during the 1700s.
Whitehaven was one of the most important ports in the country, and this allowed some people in Whitehaven, such as the Jeffersons, to generate wealth through their involvement in the trading of enslaved African people.
The aim is to tell its history in a truly representative way that is relevant to a wider, modern audience.
It said: “An important part of history is re-engaging with it so we can ensure that parts of the history which have been erased in the past are heard and included. This is especially true for the history of the transatlantic trade of enslaved African people and Britain’s role in it.
“This can be a challenging and triggering history to confront, but by doing so The Rum Story can make a real difference and bring change to its local communities, to Cumbria, and beyond.”
A key part of this project will be connecting with Whitehaven’s communities to reveal, and re-engage with this history together, it said and added: “Our first step is to talk with local communities and wider stakeholders.
“This will then inform our next steps. It’s a ‘reimagining’ so that could be anything from changing some artefacts to becoming an official museum. The main thing is to tell an authentic story that our community can be proud of.”
Over the next 12 months, there will be several opportunities for people in Whitehaven to take part, the harbour commissioners said.
To find out more, visit www.rumstory.co.uk/about/rum-story-re-imagined.
