A therapist was brought in by Edinburgh's Museum of Childhood over fears that discussing "life in Britain" would be too traumatic for members of staff and minority groups.
The hiring of the therapist came as part of a £250,000 UK-wide research project designed to explore “experiences of race, empire and migration” in museum collections.
It is alleged that the counsellor, which cost £1,800, was needed to offer support to 40 people from the Edinburgh Caribbean Association who were “exploring childhood experiences and issues of race”.
The themes were considered so upsetting at the Museum of Edinburgh that one participant claimed support was necessary because Britain was “a society that still operates on racism and colourism”.
It is alleged that the counsellor cost £1,800
Wiki commons
The therapist planned four “optional poetry therapy sessions” for staff and members of the group as well as “discussion sessions” to create a “safe space”.
Six other projects funded as part of the campaign, which have since been backed with a further £150,000 in taxpayers’ money, included researching people other than David Livingstone at the David Livingstone Birthplace Museum in Blantyre.
Despite being an influential abolitionist who was seen as helping to end the slave trade, Livingstone has recently been criticised for having worked as a child in a mill which used cotton from the West Indies to finance his university education.
The project at the museum dedicated to Livingstone hoped to “shift the narrative” away from “the man himself” and instead explore how “African peoples and countries” that he visited were “impacted by European exploration and colonialism”.
The report found that “community participants” should be “recognised as experts whose expertise is privileged".
The project was designed to fund “community-led collections-based research” with ethnic minority groups to “explore experiences of empire, migration and life in Britain”.
A total of seven museums participated in the scheme and recruited community members for projects.
Group tasks included creating a Spotify playlist, setting up a temporary exhibition about Caribbean life in Edinburgh and led “new acquisitions of dolls, books, artwork and magazines representing diversity in Britain.”
The therapist planned four 'optional poetry therapy sessions' for staff and members of the group as well as 'discussion sessions'
Wiki Commons
A spokesperson for Edinburgh Council said: "As the project explored links between Britain and the Caribbean.
"It involved discussions about slavery, colonialism, racism and colourism.
“The exhibition was included in the report as an example of best practice of creating safe spaces when working with groups affected by racism and showing duty of care to participants when discussing these issues.”
