aking ▁the ▁Ch ains ▁ ▁The ▁museum ' s ▁Bre aking ▁the ▁Ch ains ▁exhibition , ▁fund ed ▁by ▁a ▁£ 1 m ▁Heritage ▁Lot tery ▁grant ▁to ▁mark ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 - year ▁anni versary ▁abol ition ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Trans at l antic ▁S lave ▁Trade ▁by ▁the ▁S lave ▁Trade ▁Act ▁ 1 8 0 7 , ▁was ▁short - list ed ▁for ▁the ▁Art ▁Fund ▁Prize . ▁ ▁Cl os ure ▁and ▁controvers y ▁On ▁ 2 3 ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁the ▁museum ▁announced ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁moving ▁its ▁core ▁operations ▁to ▁London ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁The ▁museum ▁closed ▁to ▁the ▁public ▁in ▁the ▁aut umn ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁and ▁for ▁school ▁vis its ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 6 ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁the ▁Museum s ▁Association ▁announced ▁that ▁the ▁Director ▁of ▁the ▁museum , ▁G are th ▁Griff ith s , ▁had ▁been ▁dismiss ed ▁pending ▁a ▁police ▁investigation ▁into ▁the ▁una ut hor ised ▁dispos al ▁of ▁museum ▁objects . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 8 ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁the ▁museum ▁announced ▁that ▁the ▁planned ▁move ▁to ▁London ▁had ▁been ▁cancel led ▁and ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁instead ▁give ▁its ▁collection ▁to ▁the ▁City ▁of ▁Br istol ▁to ▁display ▁at ▁the ▁Br istol ▁City ▁Museum ▁and ▁Art ▁Gallery ▁at ▁a ▁future ▁date . ▁The ▁Old ▁Station ▁which ▁had ▁previously