Exhibition exploring the legacy of empire opens at Summerlee Museum

An exhibition exploring the legacies of empire in Scotland through the experiences of local community groups is opening at Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire this weekend (Saturday 3 October 2026).

Commissioned by Historic Environment Scotland (HES), the ‘Traces of Empire’ exhibition invites viewers to consider how together, as a global community affected by present day inequities, conflict and other legacies of empire, we can create peace and healing through small-scale actions and awareness.

In 2024, HES released the Surveying and Analysing Connections Between Properties in Care and the British Empire, c.1600-1997 report, which found that 126 of the 336 properties in its care have connections to the British Empire. The ‘Traces of Empire’ exhibition was developed as part of a response to the report, exploring these connections through a range of perspectives and encouraging visitors to reflect on their legacies today.

The exhibition was created in partnership with 34 co-curators from four grassroots communities across Scotland and led by people from or with connections to countries shaped by colonial histories. The collaboration process between HES and the co-curators involved constant mutual learning and the co-creation of transformative spaces for dialogue and support.

'Traces of Empire' consists of artworks, storytelling and poetry created by the co-curators, reflecting on the impact of the British Empire across generations of their families and its continuing influence on their lives today. By expressing their thoughts and emotions through art, the co-curators have created opportunities for deeper understanding among exhibition visitors, while supporting their own personal journeys of reflection and healing.

Bushra Iqbal, Chair of North Lanarkshire Muslim Women and Family Alliance, said:

The words of Allama Muhammad Iqbal, the influential poet and philosopher whose message awakened and inspired his people, continue to resonate across generations:

افراد کے ہاتھوں میں ہے اقوام کی تقدیر

ہر فرد ہے ملت کے مقدر کا ستارہ

“The destiny of nations rests in the hands of individuals; every person is a star in the destiny of their community.”

Through Traces of Empire, our women have brought previously unheard experiences into the light. By sharing reflections on cotton, education, self-sufficiency and Partition, we are not simply looking back at history, we are reclaiming our voices and encouraging a new generation to build a future founded on truth, dignity, understanding and healing.”

Claire Whitbread, Exhibitions Manager at Historic Environment Scotland, said:

“The Traces of Empire exhibition has been a remarkably compelling project to work on, and HES is very grateful to the co-curators for their open and powerful work that will now be on display throughout the exhibition.

“Creating an exhibition about the legacy of empire was challenging but important, and required mutual decision making on how to meaningfully approach the work. Through free and truthful communication, we hope to have created an exhibition that moves towards necessary disruption and collective healing.”

‘Traces of Empire’ will be open to view at Summerlee Museum from Saturday 3 October 2026 to Sunday 1 November 2026. The exhibition is free and no booking is required.

We're the lead body for Scotland’s historic environment, a charity dedicated to the advancement of heritage, culture, education and environmental protection. We are at the forefront of researching and understanding the historic environment and addressing the impacts of climate change on its future. Across Scotland, we investigate and record architectural and archaeological sites and landscapes and care for more than 300 properties of national importance. HES is also working with sector partners to deliver Scotland's strategy for the historic environment, Our Past, Our Future.

Historic Scotland, trove.scot, The National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP), The Engine Shed, Stirling Castle, and Edinburgh Castle are sub-brands of HES.

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