What has the project achieved?
This project created space for curiosity and conversation about an element of Scotland’s past - David Hume and his footnote - and how it influences our lives today.
We walked in the footsteps of David Hume to think about the world he lived in. We worked with young people in schools, hosted plays and much more. We are now sharing a unique collection of resources - from stand up comedy to deep dive documentaries to encourage others to think deeply about racism, the economy and our shared and complex legacies.
Below are just some of the things we have achieved so far:
Debuted performances of The Footnote and Cypher to audiences of over 150 people in collaboration with Theatre of the Oppressed Scotland
Developed and conducted walking tours of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile in collaboration with Lisa Williams
Supported young people at the Royal High School and St Thomas of Aquin’s in Hip-Hop Education with Khaleda Noon
Conducted a Scotland-wide survey of over 2000 people on attitudes to David Hume, the Scottish Enlightenment and learning from the past
Hosted a conference with Professor Tommy Curry, Irene Mosota, Alex Renton and Bruce Fummey looking at the Story So Far - recognising this is a conversation that will continue after the project ends as new information about our past emerges
Supported access for small groups to view original Hume manuscripts, including the different versions of the ootnote, at the National Library of Scotland
Created and shared new resources, including a two part documentary - David Who?: Re-examining the Legacy of Scotland’s Greatest Philosopher
Liaised with academics on Black Enlightenment thinkers, with a focus on figures including Ignatius Sancho, Francis Williams, and Olaudah Equiano.
Throughout the project, we have also gathered feedback from young people, tour guests, audience members and others. All responses were anonymised. Participants ranged in age from pre-teens to over 80s, with 56% of respondents coming from outside of Edinburgh and Lothian. Here is some of what they told us:
100% of theatre respondents said they would take action as a result of seeing the performance. This includes speaking to friends, family or work colleagues and undertaking additional research to find out more.
94% of tour respondents said they had left knowing more about David Hume and Edinburgh’s Black history
100% of event respondents said they would speak to others, visit a library or do further research on the topic
90% of event respondents said they thought that learning about the life, times and legacy of David Hume is useful
In terms of increasing knowledge, on a five point scale people’s average knowledge of the life, times and legacy of David Hume increased from 2.25 to 3.5 following a two hour tour and discussion.
Feedback in people’s own words
“It’s rare to be invited to think deeply about a subject, I usually go to conferences where top lines and exec summaries are shared as a way to make information sharing easier. So it was refreshing and stimulating to be asked to do some work as an attendee”
“Superb event on many levels, great scene-setting, choice of speakers, activities, format, intergenerational buzz- brilliant! Expertly chaired too. If only there were more events like it”
“I thought the event was a really powerful demonstration of how to bring together people to talk about societal issues in a meaningful, engaging way. It’s one of the best events linked to equality, equity and diversity that I’ve ever been to and I’ve been talking about it and thinking about it since.”
“I felt so privileged to have been at the performance and to hear people talk clearly and openly about the racism they have experienced. As a white person, I don’t usually hear these stories and it was sobering. Like most people, I wonder about my history and identity, but reflected after the performance that others have a more complex set of reflections and that I have a very privileged set of circumstances to contend with. Thank you very much for the chance to learn.”
“I found the tour and the discussion which followed thought provoking and stimulating. It has certainly given me some additional perspective on some of the familiar buildings included on the tour stops. It was also very interesting to hear reflections on how colonialism, race, and power interacted with the Enlightenment more widely, given its role in shaping both Edinburgh and the nation more widely.”
“I feel like I have been let in on the family secrets - it’s a privilege to know this story.”
“I always found subjects like history, philosophy, and that kind of thing, quite interesting. I always thought I wanted to go into depth more, and learning about David Hume has really inspired me to learn about it further.”
“Learning hip-hop education helped me definitely feel more confident in my own intelligence. Especially the way I’ve been putting words together I didn’t think I had the ability to do it. I’ve definitely shocked myself in my experience.”
