A Farewell on the Waterfront

On a cold, gray afternoon in early January 2025, Liverpool’s historic waterfront was quieter than usual. There was a sense of anticipation, but also of reflection—a gathering of people who understood the weight of history and the importance of remembering. This wasn’t just any museum closing its doors for renovations. The International Slavery Museum, a place where stories of pain, resilience, and hope have been told for nearly two decades, was marking its closure with a libation ceremony—an act steeped in tradition, symbolism, and deep communal meaning.

The Heartbeat of a City: Why This Museum Matters

Liverpool’s past is inseparable from the Atlantic’s tides. The city’s docks, once bustling with ships, were central to the transatlantic slave trade. The International Slavery Museum stands as both a memorial and a challenge—a reminder of the city’s role in that dark chapter, and an invitation to confront the legacies that linger today. For many, the museum is more than a collection of artifacts; it’s a place where the past breathes, where stories are not just told but felt.

The decision to close the museum for major redevelopment wasn’t taken lightly. The Liverpool museum closure in January 2025 came with a promise: that the International Slavery Museum would return in 2028, renewed and expanded, ready to continue its mission.

The Libation Ceremony: A Moment of Remembrance

Gathering for a Purpose

On the day of the International Slavery Museum closure, staff, visitors, and community elders gathered in the galleries one last time before the doors shut. The air was thick with emotion—gratitude for what the museum had achieved, and hope for what it would become. At the center of the ceremony was the libation, an ancient ritual practiced across Africa and the African diaspora, involving the pouring of liquid as an offering to ancestors and in memory of those lost.

Community elders and spiritual leaders led the gathering, their voices weaving together blessings in multiple languages—a nod to the global reach and impact of the transatlantic slave trade. There was a collective silence, a moment to honor the millions who suffered and the resilience of those who survived. It was a simple act, but its meaning was profound: a bridge between the past and the future, between memory and action.

Michelle Charters, the head of the International Slavery Museum, spoke with quiet conviction. “A libation, steeped in symbolism and meaning, is a fitting way to mark this point for the International Slavery Museum. This simple but meaningful act will give visitors a last chance to say goodbye to the galleries for a short while, thank all of those who have supported our work and got us this far, and most importantly, find a moment of connection, remembrance and respect to the ancestors whose story we tell”.

The Journey to This Moment

From Gallery to Global Beacon

The International Slavery Museum’s story began in the shadow of the Merseyside Maritime Museum, where a small gallery first explored Liverpool’s role in the slave trade. Over time, interest grew, and so did the ambition to create a space dedicated solely to the history and legacies of slavery. The museum opened its doors in 2007, on the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition—a date chosen with intention and reverence.

Since then, the museum has welcomed millions, offering not just history lessons but opportunities for dialogue, healing, and activism. Its exhibitions have ranged from the brutal realities of the Middle Passage to the creative resilience of the African diaspora. The museum has also become a focal point for the Slavery remembrance ceremony in the UK, drawing people from all walks of life to honor the past and confront the present.

Michelle Charters and a New Chapter

When Michelle Charters took the helm as the first Black woman to lead the museum, it felt like a turning point. Liverpool-born and deeply rooted in the city’s activist community, Charters brought a vision for transformation. She saw the Liverpool slavery museum redevelopment not just as a building project, but as a chance to reimagine what a museum could be—a place for learning, for reckoning, and for hope.

Guiding the International Slavery Museum through its £28 million transformation, Charters has emphasized the importance of community involvement and restorative justice. Her leadership has helped shape the redevelopment’s focus on co-production with local groups, ensuring that the museum’s future is built with, not just for, the people it serves.

The Redevelopment: Looking to 2028

A Vision for the Future

The Liverpool waterfront museum redevelopment is ambitious. When the International Slavery Museum reopens in 2028, it will have a new, more prominent entrance in the Martin Luther King Building, Liverpool—a Grade I listed landmark that itself carries layers of history. An iron and glass bridge will link the new entrance to the museum’s galleries, offering views over the Royal Albert Dock and symbolizing a connection between past and present.

The redesign aims to create spaces that are welcoming, engaging, and honest about the complexities of Britain’s maritime history and its entanglement with the transatlantic slave trade. Artistic collaborations with community groups will be at the heart of the new museum, with exhibits that reflect not just historical facts, but lived experiences and ongoing struggles for justice.

What Will Change?

• Expanded galleries: More room for stories, voices, and artifacts that have yet to be shared.
• Community spaces: Areas designed for dialogue, reflection, and education.
• A new identity: The museum will stand more visibly on the waterfront, a beacon for those seeking to understand and challenge the legacies of slavery.
• Restorative justice focus: The redevelopment will address not only history, but its impact on the present, inviting visitors to consider their own roles in shaping a more just future.

The Role of Memorials: Remembering and Reclaiming

The Power of Ritual

The libation ceremony in Liverpool wasn’t just a goodbye; it was a call to remember and to act. Rituals like these are vital, especially in a country where the scars of the transatlantic slave trade are often hidden or denied. They offer a way to connect with ancestors, to acknowledge pain, and to find strength in community.

Across the UK, the movement to establish more visible Transatlantic slave trade memorials is growing. London, for example, is set to unveil its first major memorial to victims of the slave trade at West India Quay—a space designed for reflection, education, and dialogue. These memorials, like the International Slavery Museum, challenge us to confront uncomfortable truths and to honor those who endured unimaginable suffering.

Annual Remembrance

Each year, Liverpool’s Slavery Remembrance Day brings together people from across the city and beyond. The walk through the port’s landmarks, the moments of silence, the shared stories—all are acts of collective memory. They remind us that the work of remembrance is never finished, and that museums like this one are essential to that ongoing process.

The Community’s Response

Loss and Anticipation

The closure of the International Slavery Museum left a noticeable void on the Liverpool waterfront. For locals and visitors alike, the museum had become a touchstone—a place to bring children, to learn, to mourn, and to celebrate resilience. Many expressed sadness at its temporary closure, but also excitement about what’s to come.

During the closure, the museum’s learning teams have continued their work off-site, bringing school sessions and pop-up exhibitions to community spaces around the city. The Archives Centre has reopened in a temporary location, ensuring that research and education can continue even as the museum itself undergoes its transformation.

The Importance of Place

There’s something powerful about the museum’s location on the Liverpool waterfront. The docks, once a hub of commerce built on the backs of enslaved people, now serve as a place of reckoning and remembrance. The International Slavery Museum closure is a pause, not an end—a chance to reflect on what the museum has achieved and to dream about what it might become.

The Long View: Why We Remember

Museums as Agents of Change

The International Slavery Museum has always been more than a repository of artifacts. It’s a living institution, one that challenges visitors to confront the past and to consider their own responsibilities in the present. Its closure for redevelopment is a reminder that history is not static—it evolves, and so must the spaces where we engage with it.

When the International Slavery Museum reopens in 2028, it will do so with a renewed sense of purpose. It will stand as a testament to the power of memory, the necessity of dialogue, and the unbreakable strength of community.

A Personal Reflection

I think about the first time I walked through those galleries, the quiet that settled over me as I read the names, saw the faces, listened to the stories. I remember feeling both shame and pride—shame at what had been done, pride in the resilience of those who survived and fought for freedom. That’s what the museum gives us: not just facts, but feelings. Not just history, but humanity.

Closing Thoughts: The Work Continues

As Liverpool’s International Slavery Museum closes its doors for now, the work of remembrance, education, and justice goes on. The libation ceremony was a fitting farewell—an act of honor, of hope, and of commitment to a future where the stories of the past are not forgotten, but serve as guides for what comes next.

The Liverpool slavery museum redevelopment is about more than bricks and mortar. It’s about building a space where truth can be told, where healing can begin, and where the next generation can find both warning and inspiration. When the doors open again in 2028, the museum will be ready to welcome the world, changed, but more necessary than ever.