Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Brighton Council Cancels New Union Flag Exhibition at Jubilee Library

City leaders cite fears that flag imagery could be misread by visitors, risking the library's role as a neutral safe space.

Overview

  • The weeklong display set for 1–7 December featuring the New Union Flag and other reimagined flags at Jubilee Library has been called off by Brighton and Hove City Council.
  • Council leader Bella Sankey said some visitors might misinterpret national-flag imagery as the library's or council's own statement, noting the service's Library of Sanctuary status.
  • Artist Dr Gil Mualem-Doron and organisers from Stand Up To Racism condemned the decision as censorship and said it was a flat cancellation without offers to adjust the show.
  • Mualem-Doron said staff warned the work could be taken out of context and might even put visitors and their belongings at risk, which he argues is unfounded given trouble-free exhibitions elsewhere.
  • The project has a long exhibition history at major UK venues and was previously shown at Jubilee Library in 2018, with related works later commissioned for bus stops across Brighton and Hove.