Mandela8 and Liverpool’s Mandela Story

Liverpool charity Mandela8 is showcasing its pioneering work with an exhibition at St George’s Hall this October. Opens 1st October until 31st October, 2026 Monday to Saturday 10am – 4pm The exhibition will highlight Mandela8’s work in collaboration with L8 communities and in partnership with funders and organisations over the last ten years. Mandela8’s work over the past decade has seen the charity campaign against racism, contribute to community development in the city, and champion international causes. The exhibition at St George’s Hall for Black History Month raises awareness of Liverpool’s long history of Black settlement arising from the growth of the city’s trade with Africa and the Americas in the eighteenth century. It also charts the rise of the opposition of Liverpool’s Black community to racial injustice and violence, the growth of activism, the fight against Apartheid in South Africa and the ‘Free Nelson Mandela’ campaign. Mandela8 is committed to upholding the vital social and humanitarian legacy of Nelson Mandela and actively promoting unity. In 2014, following Nelson Mandela’s passing, Mandela8 ensured that Mandela’s legacy is permanently memorialised and activated in Liverpool. Described as the ‘ten-year journey from Dream to Reality’, the Mandela Memorial is now sited on the island in the historic Grade II* registered Princes Park. The designs for the memorial, created by Wayward, include a new bridge and a series of 32 cylinders reminiscent of a classroom, with quotations from Mandela himself. The Struggle Series , a set of signed lithographic prints based on five charcoal sketches by Nelson Mandela, accompanied by a handwritten motivational statement, will be on display in the exhibition. These prints were gifted by Dr Makaziwe Mandela to Mandela8 in recognition of the charity’s tireless work, in partnership with its collaborators and supporters. The use of hands in the imagery symbolizes the journey of South Africa from oppression to democracy. The exhibition will be on display at the Stable Gallery in St George’s Hall from 1st to 31st October 2026 and entry is free.