Descendants and Paxton House were delighted to be awarded Creative Project of the Year for the Parallel Lives, Worlds Apart project at the Young Ealing Foundation Awards this year.

Parallel Lives, Worlds Apart was a profoundly moving and brilliant partnership project with Descendants who co-curated multiple exhibitions, events, and a workshop programme that enabled children aged 4-16 to learn about transatlantic slavery and the impact it had upon the people of Africa, the Caribbean, and the connections with past owners of Paxton House in the 18^thand 19^th centuries. We are very proud of the link we have established with Descendants,  the African Caribbean group based in Ealing in London with whom we have enjoyed a continuing cultural exchange. Chantel Noel of Descendants feels that the children of Descendants found the project an enlightening and, for some, a life changing experience. For Paxton House, the project has significantly enriched our understanding of Paxton House’s history and its relevance in the modern world. The project was funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund, Museums Galleries Scotland and The Textile Society. It has been recognised by both the Museums Association and Museums Galleries Scotland as an example of best practice and was shortlisted for the Museums Change Lives – Decolonising the Museum Award.

The Young Ealing Foundation Awards are about celebrating the unsung heroes of Ealing borough.  The YEF Awards are co-produced with Ealing Young Champions, a group of local young people in Ealing who want to influence local decision making and ensure the voices of young people in Ealing are heard.

Descendants and Paxton House are looking to the future now and building upon what we have achieved to expand access to the outcomes of the project. The exhibitions Caribbean Connections, Slavery and Paxton House and Parallel Lives, Worlds Apart will be open to visitors in 2024.’ The ‘Sugar and Slavery’ trail is available online.

Chantel Noel came to Paxton House recently and, in a ceremony, presented the beautiful glass trophy to project leader and Paxton House curator, Dr Fiona Salvesen Murrell; Trustee, John Home Robertson; and Chair of Trustees, Dr Louise Jackson. John initiated the long-standing partnership with Descendants in 2007. The award is on display in the ‘Caribbean Connections, Slavery and Paxton House’ exhibition.

Descendants have close connections to the Caribbean island of Grenada where the second, third and fourth owners of Paxton owned Waltham estate (1764-1848) which produced sugar, cocoa, and coffee using enslaved African and Caribbean people. You can read more about this history here.