What is the purpose of the Community Advisory Panel?
The Community Advisory Panel provides an important opportunity for a range of community groups to represent their members in the development of Beckford’s Museum and Tower. The focus of this group is to be a critical friend to the Tower and to input into the development of new narratives about William Beckford and the Tower.
The new interpretation for Beckford’s Tower will invite visitors to take in the view from all perspectives. Sensitive themes and issues will be openly discussed in the interpretation and these are being shared in the group meetings. These include the Tower’s connections with colonialism, and the wealth that the transatlantic slave trade brought to the Beckford family, plus William Beckford’s sexuality and isolation.
Our hope is that the community groups who are part of the Community Advisory Panel feel their views are properly represented in the interpretation and that Beckford’s Tower is a place their members would like to visit.