A new public artwork for Gladstone Park commissioned by Brent Council in partnership with Lin Kam Art will be unveiled this October to coincide with Black History Month.
The artwork breaks new ground in the conversation over public spaces with links to the transatlantic slave trade.
The Anchor, The Drum, The Ship (2022) installation brings together a variety of plant species, native to Britain, the Mediterranean and Africa planted across three shapes: the Akan symbol for a Double Drum, a ship, and an anchor to evoke themes of Black migration, belonging, communication, music and collective renewal.
Local people are invited to attend an unveiling event to see the artwork for the first time from 12-1.30pm on 14 October at Gladstone Park. The artwork can be found opposite the pond, near the site of Dollis Hill House. There is no need to book.
This is the first time in the UK’s history that a public artwork of this kind has been used to acknowledge the contested history of a green space.
Gladstone Park was named after former British Prime Minister William Gladstone whose family owned plantations in the Caribbean and received the largest compensation payments made by the Slave Compensation Commission.
The Gladstone family name was identified for review as part of the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm, launched in 2020 to review statues, streets names and landmarks to help people have a better understanding of London’s diverse histories.
Brent is one of the most diverse areas in the UK, with the seventh biggest Black community in London.
