This event celebrates the diverse and inclusive nature of music making in Manchester. Showcasing the musical talent of our visitors to Central Library, and demonstrating the range of musical instruments freely available to our library members, join us throughout the day for impromptu performances. Free – just drop in
Sound as Being will present ‘Peterloo in Sound’ a 5.1 sound composition by Mark Pilkington inspired by a historical event that came to be known as ‘The Peterloo Massacre’, that happened in Manchester, England on the 16th August, 1819. The sound material consists of location recordings captured from student protests held in Manchester 2010 and […]
Manchester Histories, in partnership with the University of Manchester and the Guardian, our panel, which includes Professor Deborah Howcroft, will be discussing the fourth industrial revolution and asking whether the rise in artificial intelligence will lead to a new wave of social unrest. In 1819, St Peter’s Field was packed with working class Mancunians who were […]
Timescales: next steps Meet the Team and find out more We’re now onto the next stage of the renovations, partial restoration and refurbishment of The Town Hall, and are inviting interested parties to see what we’ve got planned. Come and meet some of the project team and find out how we’re going to tackle this […]
Our Sam follows the story of a teenager, Samantha (a secret poet), who travels around her home Town of Middleton observing and writing of the exclusion and voicelessness of the other young girls she sees. On her travels she learns of Samuel Bamford, the radical, reformer and writer who was born in Middleton in 1788. […]
A timely illustrated lecture on the Peterloo massacre of 1819, with the emphasis on new findings and on connections with the local area. Robert Poole Professor of History at the University of Central Lancashire, author of the new book Peterloo: the English Uprising, co-author of the graphic novel Peterloo: Witnesses to a Massacre, and consultant […]
We will perform dramatic readings from a book called Mules Masters and Mud by local author G.J.Griffiths. Graham captures the Zeitgeist of the times and will read from a chapter covering events on the day of Peterloo. Local folk group Trebuchet will perform traditional and contemporary music and songs, marking key events of the era. […]
In partnership with the University of Manchester and the Guardian, join our panel chaired by Guardian northern editor Helen Pidd and including Professor Andy Westwood and Lisa Nandy MP, as they discuss the devolution of government and its impact on the future of our democracy. In 2018, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said, “Devolution is not just a series […]
As part of this years Peterloo bicentenary, the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre invite you to a screening of Generation Revolution, a feature-length documentary film that brings to screen the powerful story of London’s new generation of black and brown activists who are set on changing the social and political landscape in the […]
Developed out of their work at local National Trust properties with a connection to Peterloo, artists Grace Surman, Gary Winters and their children will lead a creative family workshop exploring ideas around collective action, democracy and children’s rights. Expect craft-based activities, discussion on what you think matters, personalised portraits and banging a drum. This commission […]
This talk traces strategies of civil disobedience in Cold War Eastern Germany through the case of the German Jewish dissident Stefan Heym. Born into a German-Jewish family in Chemnitz (now notorious for its recent outbreaks of Far Right violence) in 1913, Heym was an early sympathiser of the Communist Party. He fled from Nazi Germany in […]
Join us for relaxed screenings of the Peterloo Film every month from June – August. The Peterloo Massacre was a defining moment in British democracy which also played a significant role in the founding of The Guardian newspaper. Written and directed by Mike Leigh, Peterloo is an epic portrayal of the events surrounding the 1819 […]
From dedicated performance spaces to stairwells, screens, nooks and domes, Central Library might directly inspire your next event or intervention. Contact us to arrange a tour.
