Marian works across the spheres of historic research and heritage interpretation, and has developed an international reputation for her heritage consultancy work. Her particular areas of expertise relate to Black History in Wales, the histories and legacies of transatlantic slavery (especially as they relate to the presentation of heritage sites) and the history of the Penrhyn estate. She has managed an impressive portfolio of local, national and international grant-funded projects and initiatives, including recent projects and sector development initiatives for the Welsh Government focusing on inclusivity, diversity and colonial connections.
She was a member of the Welsh Government’s task and finish group for The Slave Trade and the British Empire: An Audit of Commemoration in Wales and part of the working group for Black History in the new curriculum for Wales in 2021. She was a contributor to the influential Interim Report on the Connections between Colonialism and Properties now in the Care of the National Trust and a project historian for the University of Leicester’s Colonial Countrysideproject.
For many years Marian worked as Learning and Communications Manager for the National Trust. She serves on the board of Race Council Cymru, for whom he also acts as Head of Heritage, is an Executive Board Member of Llafur: The Welsh People’s History Society, and member of the Museum Association’s Decolonisation Skills Steering Group.
Marian has been a keen supporter of ISWE since our establishment, works closely with Bangor University Archives and Special Collections and regularly contributes special lectures and sessions towards different modules across the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. She was Heritage Officer for our Tu Hwnt i’r Chwarel project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and facilitated a visit of the Jamaican High Commissioner to Bangor University Archives and Penrhyn Castle in 2018.
Marian’s research expertise and approach (public history, collaborative, collections-based and international) makes her an essential part of the ISWE team. She is currently preparing a book based on the Jamaica Papers in the Penrhyn estate archive.