New Billy Gérard Frank Exhibition at Paxton House Confronts Scotland’s Role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade Through Art, Community, and Education

New Billy Gérard Frank Exhibition at Paxton House Confronts Scotland’s Role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade Through Art, Community, and Education
3rd May – 31st October 2025|Paxton House, Berwickshire
Paxton House proudly announces its major 2025 exhibition, Palimpsest, by renowned Grenadian-born, New York-based multimedia artist and filmmaker Billy Gérard Frank.
This powerful exhibition explores the deep, complex ties between Grenada, Scotland, and England, and the legacies of the transatlantic slave trade. Drawing on Frank’s acclaimed Venice Biennale project (Palimpsest: Tales Spun From Sea And Memories) and new works developed in collaboration with Glasgow Print Studio, the exhibition reimagines hidden narratives, amplifying voices long overlooked.
“It is truly an honor to have my work exhibited at Paxton House, a site deeply intertwined with the histories of Grenada, Ottobah Cugoano, and my own ancestral ties to Scotland,” says Billy Gérard Frank. “At the heart of this exhibition is education—an opportunity to engage communities, particularly young people, in critically examining these entangled histories. Through this exhibition, I hope to foster reflection, dialogue, and the empowerment of new generations to reclaim and reimagine their histories.”
Paxton House’s exhibition is part of a wider programme featuring panels, talks, and a cross-cultural educational initiative Bridging Borders, uniting young people from Grenada, Scotland, and England. The programme is delivered in partnership with Descendants Children’s Charity, Grenadian Partners and the Edinburgh Caribbean Association, and will culminate in film screenings and community-led creative works exploring the themes of the exhibition, developed by each group in the run up to the launch.
This exhibition builds on the work of Paxton House’s 2022 project Parallel Lives, Worlds Apart, continuing the Trust’s commitment to uncovering and addressing the house’s historical ties to the transatlantic slave trade.
Curator Dr Fiona Salvesen Murrell said:
“Through ongoing collaborations with artists, scholars, and community groups, The Paxton Trust seeks to deepen public understanding of how these histories shaped the house, the collections, the region, and wider society—acknowledging the lasting impact of these legacies today.”
Lisa Williams, founder of the Edinburgh Caribbean Association, comments:
‘This project means a great deal to the families in our group; it is a rare opportunity to contribute to the public understanding of Scotland’s colonial heritage through Caribbean perspectives. It serves as a catalyst for important conversations within and outwith our families, helping us connect more deeply with both Scottish and Caribbean heritage.’
Members of the Edinburgh Caribbean Association, commented:
‘As someone of Grenadian heritage, this means so much to me. I can’t wait to get involved.’
‘It’s a fascinating project, and so happy to be invited to be part of it.’
Margaret Noel of the Descendants Children’s Charity echoes the project’s significance:
‘Many of our children and their families are of Grenadian descent and this project has enabled us to jointly explore the historical connections between Paxton House and its collections, people born along the banks of the Tweed and beyond in Scotland, slavery, and the legacy it has left. Being able to work alongside Paxton and for our children to have an engagement programme which leads to contributing creative work into the internationally renowned Billy Gérard Frank’s exhibition will be a great step in healing the past as a fuller history and new stories will be being told.’
This exhibition and engagement activity has been funded by Destination Tweed, Henfrey Charitable Trust, Hugh Fraser Foundation, Museums Galleries Scotland, Simpson’s Malt and private donors and charitable trusts.

NOTES TO EDITORS
Press Preview & Launch Event:
Friday 2nd May 2025, 10am-12pm
Interviews, artist talks, and performances scheduled. Programme to follow.
For press enquiries, interview enquiries and to RSVP to the press preview, please contact:
Sallie Bale, Monument Marketing
Email: sallie@monumentmarketing.co.uk
Phone: 07791 572 461
Imagery & additional links
Press pack with hi-res imagery: https://bit.ly/paxton-house-2025
Film trailer: https://vimeo.com/701225234
Palimpsest: Tales Spun From Sea And Memories by Billy Gérard Frank premiered at The 59th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia in the Grenada National Pavilion.
Events at Paxton related to the exhibition, including talks with the artist, can be seen here: https://paxton-house.eventbrite.com/

About artist Billy Gérard Frank
Billy Gérard Frank is a Grenadian-born, New York-based multimedia artist and filmmaker whose work explores race, memory, global politics, post-colonial legacies, and queer decoloniality. He represented Grenada at both the 58th and 59th Venice Biennales, and his work has been exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum, the Butler Institute of American Art, and screened at Berlinale and Sundance film festivals.
Frank’s research-led practice creates counter-histories, challenging conventional narratives and amplifying marginalised voices. He is co-founder of the Nova Frontier Film Festival & Lab, a lecturer at Yale’s David Geffen School of Drama, and has taught at NYU and the School of Visual Arts. His work is held in major collections and has been supported by the Ford Foundation, Creative Capital, and Terra Foundation, among others.
Website: https://www.billygerardfrank.com/
About curator Dr Fiona Salvesen Murrell
Dr Fiona Salvesen Murrell is an experienced art historian, curator, and researcher. She has curated and designed numerous exhibitions, led three major gallery refurbishments, and worked extensively with community groups and partner organisations. Fiona developed the award-shortlisted ‘Parallel Lives, Worlds Apart’ project at Paxton House, exploring the site’s colonial ties.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionasalvesenmurrell/
Paxton House & its connection to Grenada
As with many British stately homes of this era and beyond, Paxton House is deeply connected to the transatlantic slave trade. In the 18th century, members of the Home family, who built and owned Paxton House, managed plantations in Grenada where hundreds of enslaved Africans laboured. Ninian Home, Paxton’s second owner, owned Waltham plantation and shares in Paraclete plantation, and was closely linked to Alexander Campbell, who brought abolitionist Ottobah Cugoano to Britain—visiting Paxton House in 1772. Profits from enslaved labour helped shape Paxton House’s legacy, leaving lasting ties to Grenada’s colonial past.
Website: https://paxtonhouse.co.uk/discover/history/caribbean-connect...
About Descendants Children’s Charity
Descendants is a UK-based intergenerational community group founded in 1993, dedicated to celebrating and promoting the rich cultural heritage of African and Caribbean communities. Through creative projects, education, and heritage work, Descendants empowers young people and families to explore their shared histories, challenge historical omissions, and amplify underrepresented voices. The group has led award-nominated initiatives, including the 2022 ‘Parallel Lives, Worlds Apart’ project at Paxton House, fostering greater understanding of Britain’s colonial legacies and their contemporary impact.
Website: www.descendants.org.uk
About Edinburgh Caribbean Association
The Edinburgh Caribbean Association promotes Caribbean culture in Scotland, explores our shared heritage and provides community for all those who love the Caribbean.
Website: https://caribscot.org/
Grenadian Partners
Bonaire Primary School next to Waltham Estate, has been supported by writer and historian Dr. Angus Martin, and journalist and activist Zoe Smith.

Funding Partners
Museums Galleries Scotland is the National Development Body for the Scottish museums sector. We support 419 museums and galleries, through strategic investment, advice, advocacy, skills development and other means. As an independent charity we receive core funding from the Scottish Government, which also provides funding to be distributed via grants directly to the museums and galleries.

Website: museumsgalleriesscotland.org.uk
About Destination Tweed
Supported by Destination Tweed’s Community Grants Scheme, which is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Destination Tweed is a unique source-to-sea river revitalisation project centred on the creation of a 113-mile River Tweed Trail. The Trail will connect communities and attractions along the route, improve the landscape and river habitat and provide a unique experience for locals and visitors alike.
Destination Tweed incorporates a wide range of cultural, river and landscape enhancement projects including the Community Grants Scheme, which supports projects on the themes of Nature, History and Stories and is available to projects within 2km of the river. Destination Tweed is a multi-partner collaboration led by Tweed Forum with over 30 funders; the Community Grants Scheme is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Website: destinationtweed.org