Creative Scotland Crowdmatch has provided £4,824 of match funding
Breaking The Silence of The British Slave Trade
Glasgow, Glasgow City, United Kingdom
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Aim
An immersive theatre production at Govanhill Festival, bringing Scotland's abolitionist history to life through testimony and song.
Help Bring Breaking The Silence to Glasgow
Breaking The Silence is an immersive theatre and public history project that brings to life the grassroots movement that challenged the transatlantic slave trade.
Using verbatim testimony, song and audience interaction, the performance cuts across the familiar parliamentary narratives to explore the stories of campaigners, communities and formerly enslaved people whose actions helped change history. From the testimony of Olaudah Equiano and the legal struggles of Joseph Knight to the work of Scottish abolitionists such as William Dickson and James Ramsay, the project reveals how ordinary people organised collectively to challenge one of history's greatest injustices.
Since 2019, different versions of the production have been performed in Liverpool, Manchester, Lancaster, Bristol, Cambridgeshire and other locations across England for community audiences and school groups. This summer, we are delighted to bring a new Scotland-focused version of the project to Govanhill Festival on 5 and 6 August, where it will be performed in the chapel at Govanhill Parish Church.
For us, Glasgow is a particularly important place to stage this work. The city's wealth and development were closely connected to the transatlantic slave trade, yet it was also home to individuals and movements that challenged slavery and campaigned for abolition. We believe theatre can create a unique space for communities to engage with this history, reflect on its legacy and consider what it means for us today.
The performance lasts approximately 90 minutes and is followed by a Q&A with the cast, including cultural historian and theatre maker Holly Maples, who initiated and directed the project in collaboration with slave trade historian, Inge Dornan.
Our Vision
Our ambition extends beyond these performances. We aim to develop a wider Scottish tour, bringing the project to communities with historic links to slavery, abolition and social justice movements, helping more people engage with this often overlooked history.
We want to create opportunities for audiences across Scotland to encounter this grassroots history in an accessible, engaging and thought-provoking way, while encouraging conversations about its relevance to the present day.
Why We Need Your Support
As an independent theatre project, we rely on the support of audiences, community organisations and individual donors to make our work possible.
We are raising £10,000 to cover performer fees, rehearsal costs, costumes, travel and venue expenses. A significant proportion of the budget is dedicated to ensuring all artists are paid at Equity minimum rates for their work.
Project costs:
• Performer fees (6 performers, 2 weeks rehearsal and performance): £6,600
• Rehearsal space hire: £525
• Costumes and props: £1,500
• Travel and transport: £1,200
• Venue hire: £175
Every contribution will help us bring Breaking The Silence to Govanhill Festival and lay the foundations for a future Scottish tour.
Meet the Team
Breaking The Silence is delivered by a core team of six performers and creatives and has been active in various forms since 2021.
The project was initiated and directed by historian and playwright Holly Maples. Through extensive historical research and creative development, Holly has led the project since its inception, bringing the stories of abolitionists, campaigners and formerly enslaved people to audiences across England.
Stuart Curlett is an actor, musician and trade union activist based in Glasgow. As Musical Director of the project, Stuart has helped shape the production's musical elements and has led efforts to bring this new Scotland-focused version of Breaking The Silence to Govanhill Festival and Scottish audiences.
Together with the wider cast and creative team, Holly and Stuart are committed to creating work that makes history accessible, encourages dialogue and connects past struggles for justice with the challenges of today.
Help us bring Breaking the Silence to Glasgow
By supporting this campaign, you'll be helping us share stories of resistance, solidarity and collective action with new audiences in Scotland.
Whether you can contribute £10, £50 or £500, every donation will make a difference. If you're unable to donate, sharing this page with others is also hugely helpful.
Thank you! We are hugely looking forward to welcoming audiences to Govanhill Parish Church this August.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 4th August 2026 at 6:00pm