MUSEUM OF SLAVERY & FREEDOM PROPOSAL

Deptford has a rich history tied to the royal naval dockyards, shipbuilding, and trade, but also to the triangular slave trade that fueled much of its wealth. Prominent figures like Evelyn, Pepys, and Drake all benefited from this trade, while the history of those enslaved has been overlooked.

Today, Deptford is a diverse, multicultural neighborhood, and the proposal to create a Museum of Slavery and Freedom on the site of the slave trade’s birthplace aims to acknowledge this dark chapter and foster reconciliation. Given Deptford’s welcoming stance toward migrants and refugees, incorporating migration into the museum’s theme could transform the area into an Inter-Cultural Node (ICN)—a space for cultural exchange and community integration.

This proposal considers the socio-economic, architectural, and urban context to create a thriving space that promotes social inclusion and shared cultural heritage. By connecting maps, statistics, and stakeholder input, the goal is to craft a design that fosters transformation and builds a more prosperous, interconnected community.