The celebration of Scottish and African culture is open to all and is completely free of charge.

On Saturday 16 June, at 3pm, ACTS (Action of churches together in Scotland) will hold the Scottish National Ecumenical Service to commemorate the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act 1807. There will be performances from the Hamilton Citadel Salvation Army Band and the Glasgow Gospel Choir. The afternoons events will begin at 12.30pm with the Scottish Churches Racial Justice Conference.

From 1.30pm there will be a series of short talks about Scotland and the slave trade and the NTS museum will open to all free of charge. The service will be attended by Church leaders from the main Christian denominations, and by many political figures. Seats for the service are free and are on a first come, first served basis.

On Sunday the 17 June, from 1pm to 5pm, DLC will host a Community Open Day where there will be a series of performances and displays. The event has been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. There’ll be music and drama and storytelling workshops. There will also be a display about Scotland and the slave trade which will examine connections with some properties in the care of NTS. (Throughout the year this display will travel to Pollok House and Greenbank Garden in Glasgow, Culzean Castle and Country Park in Ayrshire and Brodick Castle, Gardens and Country Park on the Isle of Arran.)

Karen Carruthers, Property Manager at the David Livingstone Centre comments: “David Livingstone dedicated much of his life to campaign against slavery, so it’s fitting that the commemorations take place here – where Livingstone was born. Livingstone's campaigns against slavery in the 1850s remind us that the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act was a significant step in the long process of outlawing slavery ”