Bristol's Colston Hall music venue commits to name change by autumn 2020 after anti-racism protests

Announcement comes after a statue of 17th-century slave trader Edward Colston was rolled into the harbour by protesters

Bristol Music Trust has confirmed it will change the name of its flagship music venue, Colston Hall, by autumn 2020.

The concert hall was named after Edward Colston, the 17th-century slave trader whose statue was pulled down by protesters during last weekend’s Black Lives Matter demonstration.

The trust has said the current name will be removed from the outside of the building until a new name is agreed, “as a demonstration of our commitment”.

Plans have been in place to change the building’s name since 2017, with spring 2020 as the original target date for re-naming. Back in 2017, chief executive Louise Mitchell dubbed Colston’s name “a toxic brand”.

The venue was constructed in 1867, 146 years after Colston’s death.

The venue is currently closed for a multi-million pound redevelopment. In a statement, the trust said: “The current name does not reflect our values as a progressive, forward-thinking and open arts organisation.

“We want it to be representative of the city, a beacon of its values of hope, diversity and inclusion.”

Colston’s company transported more than 100,000 slaves from west Africa to the Caribbean and American continent between 1672 and 1689; more than 20,000 died during the journeys, as a result of unhygienic conditions, malnourishment and dysentery.