Live On Stage

Thursday February 2 2023, 6:30pm GMT

Faces of Britain – Missing Portraits and the Gaps in British History

Art &
Culture

‘Although there is nothing we can do to change Harewood’s history and the source of the wealth that built it, we can be more open and inclusive in discussing it and therefore better able to represent the world we live in now.’ – David Lascelles, Earl of Harewood

Intelligence Squared and Harewood House have partnered for this event to explore the power of portraiture in representing Britain’s complex history.

The event coincides with the recent launch of Missing Portraits, a new series commissioned by the Earl and Countess of Harewood David Lascelles and Diane Howse which will become part of the permanent collection at Harewood House. The series depicts people of Afro-Caribbean heritage with a connection to Harewood, the inaugural portrait being of Arthur France, founder of the Leeds West Indian Carnival.

The series is part of an effort to better reflect the history of Harewood, which was built on the vast fortune made by Henry Lascelles through the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Harewood acknowledges the troubled roots of its wealth, and seeks to address the historic lack of diversity within its vast art collection. This situation is not unique to Harewood, which since 1986 has been an educational charity. Whether it’s in the school curriculum or the collections of museums and galleries, the diversity and complexity of Britain’s colonial history is not fully reflected in our understanding of the past.

Panellists Dr Nicholas Cullinan, Director of the National Portrait Gallery, journalist Moya Lothian-McLean, artist Thomas J Price, and the Earl of Harewood David Lascelles, will explore questions such as: ‘Why does portraiture matter?’, ‘What are the challenges in unearthing stories that have been buried for so long?’, and ‘How do we move beyond token representation to something more meaningful?’. The event will be chaired by author Yassmin Abdel-Magied.

Join us for what will be a reflective and challenging conversation in the striking surroundings of Harewood’s Gallery.

A link to the zoom broadcast for this event will be emailed to all ticket bookers 24 hours before it is due to begin

Speakers

Dr Nicholas Cullinan

Director of the National Portrait Gallery

Dr. Nicholas Cullinan took up his position as the Director of the National Portrait Gallery in spring 2015 and is currently overseeing the largest transformation of the Gallery since its building opened in 1896. Prior to this, he was Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and from 2007 to 2013, Nicholas was Curator of International Modern Art at Tate Modern, where, in 2014, he co-curated an exhibition of Henri Matisse's cut-outs with Sir Nicholas Serota, which remains the most popular exhibition in Tate’s history. Nicholas received his BA, MA and PhD in art history from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London and in 2006–7 he held the Hilla Rebay International Fellowship at the Guggenheim museums in Bilbao, New York and Venice.

Moya Lothian-McLean

Contributing Editor at Novara Media

Moya Lothian-McLean is a journalist who writes about politics, past and present. She is currently Contributing Editor at Novara Media and presents Broccoli Content's Human Resources, a podcast exploring the truth of Britain's slaving past.

Thomas J Price

Artist

Thomas J Price has rapidly become one of the most important British contemporary sculptors of his generation, subverting stereotypical representations of figures we value in society and traditional power structures. After studying at Chelsea College of Art and the Royal College of Art, Price began further interrogating the language of monumentalism to question the status inherent in public sculptures. His work has been exhibited globally and in 2022 he was commissioned by Hackney Council to create a permanent public sculpture in commemoration of the Windrush generation.

David Lascelles, Earl of Harewood

8th Earl of Harewood and film producer

David Lascelles, the 8th Earl of Harewood, has worked as a film producer for more than 20 years across documentaries and dramas for both film and television. David is patron of the Yorkshire Film Archive, Leeds West Indian Centre and Yorkshire County Cricket Club among others and in 2019 became Honorary President of Leeds United. He was chairman of Harewood House Trust for many years. In 2007 he produced the late Geraldine Connor’s theatrical spectacular, Carnival Messiah as part of the commemoration of the Abolition of the Slave Trade in the British Empire. Since Geraldine’s death in 2011 he has helped establish a foundation in her name, to encourage young people from a range of backgrounds with a talent in the performing arts.

Chair

Yassmin Abdel-Magied

Writer and broadcaster

Broadcaster, writer and social advocate. She is author of several books including You Must Be Layla and the acclaimed essay collection Talking About A Revolution.

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Thursday February 2 2023, 6:30pm GMT

Faces of Britain – Missing Portraits and the Gaps in British History

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