Find out what happened to local communities when farmland became the urban centre now known as Wythenshawe. Told with a special insight into the generational history of one family – the Adsheads and McLeans, we will explore the question of Who Lost Out When Wythenshawe Was Built.
A theatrical play set in both Bangladesh and the UK is touring the North West in May 2026, titled ‘Ghoorni’ which means ‘Disastrous Cycle’. A dramatic narrative which connects with issues of climate justice, migration, heritage, identity and community. We aim to see how, with very limited resources, we can make this a Bangladeshi play with Climate Justice Impact that tackles the issues in a meaningful and action-generating way.
The play is the creation of AYNA Arts originally commissioned by Crossing Footprints in 2022. Crossing Footprints are again partnering with AYNA Arts as the Impact Producer for the tour, implementing an innovative set of strategies to enhance the ability of the play to generate real-world change. One element of this is a quick-read factsheet within the printed programme, which links (via a QR code) to a more detailed online factsheet about climate change.
Ghoorni is a play about two young people piecing together their family history. They discover how their grandfather came to the UK from Bangladesh in the 1970s after losing everything in a devastating cyclone that also played a significant role in the country’s history. The play highlights the climate injustice between Bangladesh and wealthier countries including the UK. Mr Ali left a country with low climate impact to work in a UK industry with high climate impact. It seems ironic that this impact is likely to damage his own home country. The play focuses on the serious issue of the climate crisis and its terrible effects on health and livelihoods across the globe. It also demonstrates the concern over these issues felt by the younger generation. Many are determined to bring about positive change. From this comes hope for the future.
To what extent through history has British identity been influenced by migration? An event with speakers, discussion, Q&A and live music
5.30pm – 7pm, Weds 16th October at Manchester Histories Hub, lower ground floor, Manchester Central Library, St Peter’s Square, Manchester M2 5PD
Image includes some of the speakers at the event (upper section), and blurred behind the musician are some of the individuals who have migrated to the North West (lower section – photo credits at end of this article*)
Speakers from the Migration Stories North West project will explore the nature of migrant identity throughout British history and the intersections between the history of migration and issues at the forefront of Black history. Plus we’ll have live music by Jim Parris performing a short set of pieces which resonate with the themes.
There will be an opportunity for open discussion about various perspectives, including questions such as:
– Why are stories of individuals so important for retelling and understanding history? – What do we gain by understanding our history through the lens of migration? – How did colonialism affect migration, and what does it mean for Black history? – Are the migratory roots of historical figures often overlooked or kept hidden? – What do the stories from the project tell us about migration and human rights?
A history of migration in and out of North West England told through 100 stories from Roman times to the present day – the Migration Stories North West pop-up exhibition.
PREVIEW AND LAUNCH: 4pm – 7pm, Wednesday 2nd October 2024, with speakers from the project and light refreshments.
Exhibition on show Thursday 3rd October to Friday 8th November 2024 at Manchester Histories Hub, lower ground floor, Manchester Central Library, St Peter’s Square, Manchester M2 5PD
Explore the region’s long history of migration and ways in which it has shaped and continues to shape our social landscape. Browse the stories of individual women, men and children arriving in and leaving the North West from and to other parts of the British Isles and other parts of the world. Find out how their journeys were driven by conflict, colonialism and trade, as well as in search of work, educational opportunities or a better life.
This ‘pop-up’ exhibition includes an interactive screen through which to browse the stories, and is touring across the North West of England. At this showing in Manchester Central Library there will also be a display about the Greater Manchester section of the project, including a set of panels illustrating the set of stories produced by the volunteer researchers from Year 1 of the project and an additional panel by pupils and staff from The Derby High School in Bury dedicated to the stories which they researched.
A groundbreaking new website documenting migration in and out of the North West of England is to be officially launched online on 5 December.
Join the #MigrationStories NW project teams for the online launch of the Migration Stories interactive digital map, documenting stories of individuals who have migrated in and out of our region from the Roman period to the 20th century. Hear from those involved in the project about what they discovered during their research and be among the first to get a glimpse of the map on the project website.
Crossing Footprints has developed a set of events focusing on Climate Justice at Manchester Histories Festival 8-12 June 2022. This year’s theme for the Festival is the history of climate change, for which Manchester has played a pivotal role as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.
photo credit: Joe Brusky
We’ve organised four events in solidarity with low income and racially marginalised communities, including a panel discussion ‘Climate Change is a Race and Migration Issue‘ followed by a powerful Bangladeshi theatre piece ‘GHOORNI‘ by Ayna Arts, both at Manchester Central Library on Friday 10th June from 6pm. Then on Saturday 11th June at 6.15pm the singer-songwriter Emmanuela Yogolelo from DR Congo will perform a music set focused on Climate Justice at Angel Meadow. Finally, throughout the Festival the ‘Climate Connections‘ set of short video films made mostly by low income and diverse communities in Oldham responding to climate change will be exhibited on a screen at Oldham Art Gallery, with an informal talk by project director Kooj Chuhan at 1pm, Saturday 11th June.
More details about our events for Climate Justice at Manchester Histories Festival below:
Would you like to research the story of someone who migrated any time from ancient history to WWII in North West England? The Migration Stories project will provide training, good support and expenses, it’ll get started in early May 2022 and grow gently over a few months.
The project’s called Migration Stories North Westhttps://migrationstoriesnw.uk , it’s headed by Global Link https://globallink.org.uk/ based in Lancaster, and is a partnership with four other organisations across the North West out of which Crossing Footprints is the one covering the wider Manchester region.
This is a 3 year project unearthing histories of migration in the North West from ancient times to the present day, which will re-frame migration as something that has been fundamental to the UK for a very long time. In this first year Crossing Footprints will be recruiting 8-15 voluntary community researchers to each explore local archives to find individual stories, at least one per volunteer, possibly more if time allows and there’s enough material. Manchester-based author Mickela Sonola will initially be working alongside our director Kooj Chuhan to run this project, and we are honoured to have local historian Washington Alcott as a community research associate for Migration Stories North West.
Viva Declaration! uses global jazz music with live mixed video to evocatively place human rights as fundamental principles able to lever movements against structural racism and global inequality, both of which have become highlighted during the pandemic era and which underpin issues of migrant justice. Created and performed by film and digital media artist Kooj Chuhan and multi-instrumentalist composer Tagné Tebu, with guest musician the saxophonist-flautist Helena Summerfield. Viva Declaration! live in Morecambe focuses on the story of migration from ancient history to the present day. Plus a Q+A after the show with the artists and Gisela Renolds and Zia Khan from Global Link.
An inspiring panel of speakers including journalist Gary Younge, Historians Hakim Adi and Alan Rice, and youth worker Kerin Morris will present their views on Manchester’s current review of statues, monuments and other items. Among the many groups this is relevant to, it will be of particular interest for those engaged in Manchester anti-racism efforts. The registration link to attend these online public discussion events is www.manchesterpublicrealm.eventbrite.co.uk .
Manchester residents are encouraged to democratically influence how people, movements and events are represented in their public spaces in a once in a lifetime consultation. If you are a concerned citizen, get involved and complete the survey before 22nd March at www.manchester.gov.uk/publicspaces .
It’s great that we are about to have The Poppy Retake at M-Shed Museum on show for a month as a part of the Commemoration, Conflict and Conscience festival – see https://everydaylivesinwar.herts.ac.uk/ccc/ . Special thanks to the Remembering the Real World War I group, and also Tony T at Sweet Patootee www.sweetpatootee.co.uk for inviting the work to be shown. More about The Poppy Retake at http://crossingfootprints.com/poppy-retake/ but here’s a quick summary:
