Emma’s May Ball Committee yesterday bowed to pressure over its ‘Empire’ theme, rebranding its Ball in the style of the Victorian Commonwealth.

The committee had been under pressure from students and dons over the choice of the theme, which was described by one senior academic as “in very poor taste”. Earlier this week articles about the Ball’s theme were published by the national media, including the Daily Mail and the BBC.

In a statement released yesterday morning, the committee announced that the word ‘Empire’ would no longer be used in promoting the Ball.

“We have sought neither to excuse or dismiss any historical events, nor to support or challenge any interpretation now placed upon them,” the statement said.

“It is clear, however, that some people have found our reference to the British Empire to be distasteful. We are unhappy that any offence should have been caused; that was certainly not our intention.”

The Ball will instead be based on a celebration of the Victorian Commonwealth, urging students to “party like it’s 1899”.
Sir Christopher Bayly, Professor of Imperial and Naval History, said the theme had been “in very poor taste”. Noting the academic debate on the nature of the British Empire, he stressed that “racism and economic exploitation” were significant elements.

More than 100 students joined a Facebook group to protest against the Ball’s name. The group’s creator, Joanna Beaufoy, yesterday welcomed the decision to rename the Ball. “I think it was because so many people made their views known, and so College and the committee saw that the theme didn’t represent the wishes of the whole community. It’s reassuring to know that everyone agrees that the Ball really does belong to the students,” she wrote.

“They have obviously had a really tough time over the past few days, and I am sorry that making this group exacerbated it.

< p>“I think it was important to have a very interesting, shocking, influential debate on the page, and the change it has contributed to has restored a lot of pride in the College.”

On Monday, the Ball committee insisted that the ‘Empire’ theme would be going ahead despite the controversy it had caused. “The committee considered the implications of the theme thoroughly and ensured that we had the support of the College in making our decision,” they said.

“Any historical theme will inevitably have positive and negative connotations, but we are neither advocating nor condoning any point of view associated with the late Victorian period.

“We firmly believe that our theme can be handled with the sensitivity and maturity that it demands.”

The committee said the Ball had “taken inspiration from the fashion, style and architecture of Victorian Britain and the rich and diverse cultures that were, for better or for worse, united by the British Empire”.

Tickets for the rebranded Ball, which will take place on Sunday June 14th, will go on sale on Sunday at 10pm.