Decolonising Academia in Wales: SugarLands Film Screening at Cardiff, Wales – March 8, 2024 – On March 8th, Cardiff University’s School of Social Sciences will host a screening of “SugarLands,” a 45-minute film commissioned by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) in 2022. Produced by Vincentian filmmaker Akley Olton, the film delves into the modern-day legacies of a sugar plantation on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, once owned by Thomas Phillips, a significant benefactor of St David’s College, Lampeter, during the early nineteenth century. Phillips’ involvement in enslavement and the plantation economy is central to the narrative.
The collaboration between Andy Bevan, Lecturer in International Development and Global Politics at UWTSD, and colleagues in St. Vincent since November 2020 led to the conceptualization and creation of “Sugar Lands.” Andy Bevan has been invited to contribute to a series of anti-racism events at Cardiff University’s School of Social Sciences, centered around film.
Organized by the Decolonising Social Sciences teaching team and the School of Social Sciences’ Anti Racism and Race Equality Committee, a series of screenings in Cardiff aims to promote critical dialogue on decolonising academia. Dr Esther Muddiman, a member of the organizing committee, highlighted the importance of these sessions, noting the participation of 25 students enrolled in the ‘decolonising social sciences’ module and the broader engagement through the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Decolonial Network.
The screening on March 8th will be followed by a Question and Answer session facilitated by Andy Bevan, exploring the intersection of film and research in this project. Additionally, Akley Olton will contribute a recorded message online.
This initiative aligns with Cardiff University’s efforts to lead decolonisation initiatives in Wales, collaborating with Bangor and Aberystwyth Universities. UWTSD’s collaborative work with Akley Olton and Dr Adrian Fraser, former head of the University of the West Indies Campus on St Vincent, serves as a notable example within this ongoing joint programme of activity and research.
