Uncovering connections between science and slavery in Liverpool

Run time: 
  • Tour 1: 14.00 – 15.30
  • Tour 2 (Accessible): 14.10 – 15.20
Tour 2 will be a more relaxed version of Tour 1. The route covered will be slightly shorter and followed at a slower pace. It will also avoid stops that do not have step-free access. We will provide more details over the next couple months, but you can email us at [email protected] if you have any questions.

Join researchers from the School of Biosciences (University of Liverpool) for a tour through Liverpool’s streets and investigate some of the hidden histories of slavery in the city. 

Blending a walk with a workshop, during this 90-minute ‘walkshop’ you’ll explore how slavery was used to fund Liverpool’s growth and establish it as a place of science and learning. 
We’ll talk about some of the scientific figures and institutions that benefitted from slavery and spread pseudoscientific myths about Black people. And we’ll discuss how these legacies shape persistent health disparities for Black communities today. 
The walk will take you to the Liverpool Royal Institution on Colquitt Street, which was originally built for the slave trader Thomas Parr, and take in other landmarks including the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, the Athenaeum and the Liverpool Royal Infirmary.
Please note that this event will involve discussions of enslavement, medical exploitation, and the legacy for Black people's health.
As this event is an outdoors walking tour, please wear comfortable footwear and clothes appropriate for the day's weather conditions.
For access information and directions to this venue, and all British Science Festival venues, please click this link https://britishsciencefestival.org/british-science-festival-2025-venues

13 September 2025 - 14:00
The Black-E