Manchester's DNA: History, Place, Identity
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Manchester
Department Name: Arts Languages and Cultures
Abstract
What is in Manchester's DNA?
What are the 'building blocks' of the city?
How has the city developed and evolved?
What is the 'family history' of Manchester?
'Manchester's DNA' is an ambitious city-wide festival investigating and celebrating history, community, migration, place and identity. Through a seven-month series of public events, school workshops, performances and creative interventions the project considers the genetic 'building blocks' of contemporary Manchester.
Across 2023 the project will run 22 Core events based on a collaboratively produced Toolkit, curate and support around 80 further Themed events, commission creative work and deliver an exhibition. 'Manchester's DNA' allows people from across the city-region to connect with their roots, think about the stories of those who came before them, see the physical city in different ways, and to develop their understanding of what is means to be a 'citizen'. Our events will reach a projected audience of 10000 people across the city, a large intervention into the cultural life of Manchester.
The Toolkit will enable the development of events relating to, or responding to, issues recognised by the PI's original 'Double Helix History' project: public history and genetic understanding; DNA, history and self; genetics and ethnicity; genetics, place, and migration; community and co-production; public understanding of the genetically inflected past.
The project is a unique collaboration with the Manchester UNESCO City of Literature. Through this collaboration 'Manchester's DNA' sees the PI and RA work with a large number of partners around the city of Manchester including libraries, archives, hospitals, art galleries, festivals and publishers. It will create lasting impacts amongst a number of communities and audiences, including schoolchildren, as well as developing important links and shared working practices between University and non-University organisations. Methodologically the project explores issues of co-production, knowledge exchange, capacity building, oral history, science education, and public history.
What are the 'building blocks' of the city?
How has the city developed and evolved?
What is the 'family history' of Manchester?
'Manchester's DNA' is an ambitious city-wide festival investigating and celebrating history, community, migration, place and identity. Through a seven-month series of public events, school workshops, performances and creative interventions the project considers the genetic 'building blocks' of contemporary Manchester.
Across 2023 the project will run 22 Core events based on a collaboratively produced Toolkit, curate and support around 80 further Themed events, commission creative work and deliver an exhibition. 'Manchester's DNA' allows people from across the city-region to connect with their roots, think about the stories of those who came before them, see the physical city in different ways, and to develop their understanding of what is means to be a 'citizen'. Our events will reach a projected audience of 10000 people across the city, a large intervention into the cultural life of Manchester.
The Toolkit will enable the development of events relating to, or responding to, issues recognised by the PI's original 'Double Helix History' project: public history and genetic understanding; DNA, history and self; genetics and ethnicity; genetics, place, and migration; community and co-production; public understanding of the genetically inflected past.
The project is a unique collaboration with the Manchester UNESCO City of Literature. Through this collaboration 'Manchester's DNA' sees the PI and RA work with a large number of partners around the city of Manchester including libraries, archives, hospitals, art galleries, festivals and publishers. It will create lasting impacts amongst a number of communities and audiences, including schoolchildren, as well as developing important links and shared working practices between University and non-University organisations. Methodologically the project explores issues of co-production, knowledge exchange, capacity building, oral history, science education, and public history.
