It’s officially been 100 days since I started as The Rum Story Re-Imagined Project Manager! What an amazing, important project this is and what a fantastic, engaged response we’ve had from people who’ve heard about it already – willingly giving their time to help begin to shape it, and caring enough to ask the big questions and pose thoughtful challenges.
There’s going to be a lot to fit into phase 1 of this year-long project, but the ideas and recommendations that are already starting to form around it are brilliant – practical, thoughtful, constructively critical, hopeful, and creative. It’s an honour to be leading this.
So, what’s been happening?
In February, the teams from Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners and Anti Racist Cumbria came together for a productive project planning day.
BBC Radio Cumbria, Look North and other press outlets helped share the news about the project, which generated a big response. Lots of people got in touch to get involved, and the comments about the project have given us a real insight into the range of feelings, concerns and questions people have.
Over 100 people have connected with us and shared ideas into the project already – through meetings, visits, emails and conversations at events. This project is bursting with practical and creative ideas already! People from Whitehaven and across the UK have already fed in – people with expertise on the transatlantic trade and trafficking of enslaved African people, and also those with expertise in accessibility, research, marketing, heritage, tourism, young people, anti-racism, business, Cumbria, history, and the arts! Themes are starting to emerge from these conversations – to shape the project and start forming possible recommendations.
We’re planning to create two advisory groups, made up of local people, from all walks of life, with a diverse range of skills and expertise to support the project. We’re preparing briefs for critical friends to support us on things like re-interpretation, research and creative responses, and will be sharing these over the next few months.
I’m learning so much, and I highly-recommend Anti Racist Cumbria’s So you want to be anti-racist? training, which I’m doing, to anyone wanting to learn more about anti-racism.
Over the next few months, we’ll tell you about how you can get more involved – whether that be by simply learning more about the project, or sharing your views and ideas, or giving your time to volunteer or work on it. There will be engagement and consultation events, surveys, workshops and community conversations that we will invite local people, community groups and businesses to take part in. Watch this space! We are particularly interested in hearing from people who wouldn’t usually take part in something like this or visit a museum or a place like The Rum Story.
If you’d like to find out more about the project visit our Rum Story Re-Imagined page. You can also get in touch with me to share ideas and ask any questions – katy.haigh@rumstory.co.uk.
Katy Haigh, The Rum Story Re-Imagined Project Manager, March 2025
