Frictions of space: the generative tensions of slavery and colonial heritage tourism

Tourism is a pervasive phenomenon as are the contemporary global dialogues about slavery and colonial heritage.

Globally, the tangible and intangible remnants of slavery and the colonial past generate tensions that can yield both productive and destructive outcomes. In such locations, visceral narratives and experiences that evoke these tensions are being crafted for visitors.

The FRICTIONS project will unravel how tourism transforms and narrates this heritage while navigating the ensuing contestations and tensions.

In our increasingly diverse society at risk of polarisation, the stories we tell about our history can directly address challenges such as racism, discrimination and inclusion. FRICTIONS develops an interdisciplinary theory of cultural memories linked to slavery and colonial heritage tourism.

The project employs an innovative and rigorous qualitative methodological research design to explore the tensions arising from slavery and colonial heritage tourism within three key geographical contexts: (a) Ghana-Suriname-Netherlands; (b) Angola-Brazil-Portugal and; (c) Namibia-Brazil-Germany.

FRICTIONS will map and examine: (1) to what extent and under which conditions sites of slavery and colonial heritage are transformed into tourism products, practices and performances; (2) the ways in which such transformations create frictions of space; and (3) how these frictions influence broader societal narratives concerning the collective heritage of slavery and colonial heritage.

FRICTIONS is an ambitious project combining insights from cultural geography, tourism studies and heritage and memory studies to advance conceptual knowledge that renders the transformative role of tourism into wider societal discussions of slavery and colonial heritage beyond specific places. Such insights inform ongoing societal debates on dealing with this shared heritage.

This is important and urgent for charting a path towards a truly inclusive and just global society.