St. Bride’s is now the third church to participate in the Diocese of Liverpool’s Slavery Truth Project, an initiative that unveils the horrors of Liverpool’s slaving past as well as the hope for repentance and repair.
St. Brides are in their fourth week of the project. In their latest two sessions they explored the material ties of their church to African chattel slavery through engaging with artefacts and monuments. Working with the Diocese Racial Justice Team, the group have delved deeper than ever before into their historical connections to the trade, conducting research and mapping the stories of those involved. The group unearthed that one of their trustees was Ambrose Lace II, one of the most prolific slave traders in Liverpool during the 18th Century. The group found that the legacy of slavery is woven into the fabric of the church building. On one of the walls is displayed a memorial plaque to Henry Moore, co-founder of Henry Moore & Co who owned 7 slave plantations in Barbados and Tobago.
Through reckoning with their past, the group have begun to consider how performance, poetry, lament, and song may help them to create an artistic response that catalyses a commitment to racial justice and non-repetition.
As the group move into the second portion of the project, they have begun work with Mooncup Theatre, a local theatre collective. Together with Mooncup, the group has begun to consider their creative response to St. Bride’s connection to the enslavement of Africans. A participant in the project said:
‘’It’s been deeply moving to undertake the Slavery Truth Project. The sharing, research and conversations have been so rich and I’m very glad we are undertaking this project.”
Look out for further updates on St. Bride’s journey through the Slavery Truth Project and for details about their creative performance which will take place in October 2025.
Want to get involved? If your church is interested in taking part in the Slavery Truth Project, you can contact the Diocese of Liverpool’s Racial Justice Team: Racial.justice@liverpool.anglican.org
