Manchester Histories is launching plans for its 2022 festival, which will bring people and communities together to focus on The History of Climate Change (Thursday 9 June to Sunday 12 June 2022) through exhibitions, talks, events and more. By exploring the past, Manchester Histories wants to inspire people to look at ways they can take action for a better future for all.
There will be key events across Greater Manchester, with communities and grassroots organisations encouraged to connect, share their ideas, and for these to be part of the festival programme. The causes and consequences of climate change on people and our ecosystems throughout history will be the thread that is carried through an exciting calendar of cultural events.
The Monastery Manchester will be taking a leading role in the festival for the first time as the launch venue and home of the Manchester Histories Celebration Day (Sunday 12 June). Manchester Central Library will have a programme of activities and exhibitions centred on history and climate action. For Gallery Oldham the focus will be on the natural world and environment. Angel Meadow Park will be the outdoor venue, with activities being planned around food and drink. These four hubs will be just the beginning as community-led events are added to create a final line-up, which will be dynamic and far reaching in its scope.
Karen Shannon, Chief Executive of Manchester Histories, says, “We want to play our part in encouraging progress and change. We believe that to prompt the action needed, an understanding of the history of climate change has a powerful role to play. We’ve already lost time and this is costing us dearly; if we explore the consequences of this and why we have arrived at this moment of climate crisis then perhaps that will be the trigger for action to happen. As the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution there is no better place to do this than Manchester, and we hope that organisations and communities will join us in this quest.”
Manchester Histories is also delighted to announce that it has received £9,700 funding from The National Lottery Community Fund for the Together for Our Planetprogramme. Thanks to the support of National Lottery players, as part of the Manchester Histories Festival 2022 the fund will be used to build capacity, awareness and action of climate change in communities.
We are renowned for exploring histories and heritage in new ways, of taking a past, present and future view and for the work that it does collaboratively with communities and grassroots organisations. This will be the seventh festival that it has organised, with each taking a different, but very specific Manchester focus, such as the 200th anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre in 2019 and a digital exploration of the 50th anniversary of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act (1970) in 2020.
The open call for contributions will close on 18th March, with the final programme and partners announced in spring 2022. Keep an eye out on this website about how to contribute and take part in the most marvellous Manchester Histories Celebration Day. We will also be seeking new volunteers to come onboard to help us with the festival.
