Speaking & Events

TREE brings history into the room - sharing original artefacts, stories, and reflections that connect Britain’s past to our present.

What We Offer

  • Talks & Keynotes

    Engaging presentations on slavery, emancipation, and the legacies of Britain’s colonial past.

  • Three people at an exhibition look at artwork on display; a woman with light skin and long dark hair, a man with light skin and glasses, and another man with light skin and short hair, all examining the art.

    Panel Discussions

    Contributions to national conversations on heritage, education, and representation.

  • A person with pink clothing and red nail polish holding an open booklet titled 'Calloden Estate Inventory 1817'. The booklet contains handwritten information and a map, and is being viewed indoors.

    School & University Sessions

    Interactive talks supported by education packs, tailored to KS3, KS4, and higher education.

  • A man with glasses, wearing a blue jacket, stands with arms crossed, looking at an illuminated display of what appears to be old newspapers on an easel in a dimly lit room.

    Exhibitions & Launches

    Artefacts brought to life through public events, displays, and partnerships.

Our Speakers

  • A man with a beard, short hair, and in a suit, speaking and looking at someone in a professional setting.

    Matt Johnston

    Founder of TREE, Matt Johnston is a public historian, speaker, and custodian of a nationally significant archive of original slavery-era documents.

    After more than a decade of leadership in the British Army and defence consulting, he founded the Trust for Records of Enslavement and Emancipation (TREE) to preserve, interpret, and publicly share records of Britain’s role in enslavement and emancipation.

    Through TREE, Matt works to transform inherited family archives into shared educational resources, connecting archival truth with contemporary understanding.

    His evidence-led approach has informed national broadcasting and heritage organisations on ethical language and representation, and his talks combine historical insight with lived custodianship - showing how the past can be made tangible, responsible, and relevant today.

  • A young woman with long brown hair, wearing a white blazer, holding a paper, talking to an older man with glasses, in a room with ornate woodwork and a bright window in the background.

    Sunday Johnston

    Sunday Johnston is a young public historian, musician, and speaker whose work with the Trust for Records of Enslavement and Emancipation (TREE) bridges education, heritage, and creative expression.

    As a founding contributor to TREE, she helps present and interpret original slavery-era documents alongside her father, Matt Johnston, bringing an intergenerational perspective to the Foundation’s outreach.

    Sunday has developed educational resources now used in schools and has spoken at national heritage venues about remembrance, identity, and the responsibility of young people in preserving history.

    Her talks demonstrate how curiosity, empathy, and evidence can connect past lives with present learning, inspiring others to engage with history in a living, personal way.

Topics We Speak About

  • The lives recorded in slavery-era archives

  • Britain’s role in enslavement and emancipation

  • The long legacy of compensation and debt

  • Language, memory, and representation in heritage

  • Family custodianship and intergenerational responsibility

Invite TREE to speak

If you are organising a conference, panel, or education session and would like TREE to contribute, please get in touch.