Race and culture in council area

2024447

17/04/2024

FOI

I am interested in how race is addressed in the council area, with particular regard to cultural activities and the built environment. For the last year up to date, but inclusive of information and documents from work which may have begun before this period and is still being pursued by the council. (For example, a project to identify monument may have begun in 2020, but the list compiled from this project may still be used by the council now) Please disregard requests to schools, galleries, museums libraries as appropriate - if the council does not control these 1 Could you please provide any list or review/research/report/survey of locations (streets/buildings/parks), or public art (such as statues), plaques, commemorations, graves, memorials that the council has produced in relation to slavery, colonialism, empire/British Empire, racism, white supremacy, Black Lives Matter, decolonising, racial justice. In question form: “What in the built environment has the organisation, or a group working on its behalf, identified as being linked to racism, slavery, colonialism: that is, contested history?”
2 Could you please provide details of what being done to highlight, reinterpret, redisplay, or rename aspects of the environment in the council area identifying in part 1 of this request In question form: “What work (such as adding interpretation, or information boards, or plaques close to contested monuments) has been undertaken by the council to address these legacies?
3 If applicable, can you please provide information on what is being done to address issues of slavery, colonialism, empire/British Empire, racism, white supremacy, Black Lives Matter, decolonising, racial justice in council museums/galleries? For example, what information boards have been added, what has been taken off display or put on display, what new plaques have been erected?
4 The same as for part 3, but can you provide information on how council libraries have addressed these issues For example, have any books been specifically banned or removed from the library? Has a system of trigger warnings been established for sensitive topics? Could you please provide details of any books which have been taken from public display and perhaps placed at the desk, or in a reserve stack, because they may be offensive or inappropriate ? (This can be broad, I do not need an full check of all items in the library; please do not get bogged won in this if it is likely to go over the limit)
5 Fr any council run or supported events in the area, how have these events been more inclusive or a greater focus on diversity? For example, Bonfire nights or Christmas lights events
6 For any schools affiliated with the council, could you provide details on how the curriculum has been diversified? Council provide any details or advice to school provided by the council on design the curriculum

SBC is aware that there are examples of such heritage within the Council area and continue to work to identify such examples. See the file attached to this email, though this has been an ad hoc compilation as various snippets seen in passing (in the expectation of such a question or request coming). Some of the buildings and monuments in the Scottish Borders still stand, but others pulled down. Links to the sites identified are given. Other monuments of ‘contested history’ and empire monuments about, such as for the Roman Empire, as well. Note unchanged from last year. [AKE, 22.04.2024] Historic Environment Scotland with who we operate the Historic Environment Record dropped ‘Anglo-Saxon’ for the periodization of sites or finds in favour of ‘Early Medieval’ as was noted last year. There has been work to promote Iron Age sites in the area more generally as examples of ‘contested history’, but as yet this not involved reinterpretation, redisplay or renaming work, since the end of January 2023. There has been the unveiling of a memorial plaque to Frederick Douglass in last year (February 2023) within the council area which was supported by a Hawick Common Good Fund grant. [AKE, 26.01.2022] Unaware of anything from the archaeological point of view by the council, with council collections that would be best for Live Borders to answer. No change since last year [AKE, 22.04.2024] The responsibility for managing the Council’s public libraries and leisure facilities was devolved to Live Borders in April 2016. Therefore we refer to section S17 of FOI(S)A 2002 and declare that information is not held. Live Borders can be contacted by emailing: (email supplied to requester) Unaware of anything from the archaeological point of view by the council, with library collections that would be best for Live Borders to answer. No change since last year [AKE, 22.04.2024] The responsibility for managing the Council’s public libraries and leisure facilities was devolved to Live Borders in April 2016. Therefore we refer to section S17 of FOI(S)A 2002 and declare that information is not held. Live Borders can be contacted by emailing: (email sent to requester) We can advise Scottish Borders Council delivered one event in 2023, this took place during the UCI Cycling World Championships in August. The event was a Fanzone space in Tweed Green called Riverside Rest offering a free programme of events and included a BSL interpreter to support Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, Hard of Hearing, and Late-Deafened. The site was accessible to all and offered a range of cycling related activities for all ages/genders and abilities to compliment the Cycling World Championships which took place across various venues in Scotland. UCI Cycling World Championships committed to equality, diversity and inclusion | UCI Scottish Borders council does not organise community events such as bonfire nights/Christmas lights etc. Scottish Borders Council supports local events through a grant funding scheme. Applications are assessed by an experienced panel, key criteria is taken into consideration and must be compliant with the councils policy on diversity and inclusion. Equality and diversity | Equality and diversity/Fairer Scotland Duty | Scottish Borders Council (scotborders.gov.uk) Equality and diversity | Equality and diversity/Fairer Scotland Duty | Scottish Borders Council (scotborders.gov.uk) As part of the council’s SBCLEARNS framework, schools are encouraged to ‘map the learner journey’ (see attached), considering a number of key themes including diversity. Schools are prompted to consider how their curriculum provides a ‘reflection of myself’ and a ‘window to see others’. At present, schools are then directed to guidance (see attached) created by the Northern Alliance Regional Improvement Collaborative. However, we have plans to create our own version of such guidance in due course.

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Race and culture in council area - Freedom of information requests