Festival of Libraries at the Forum Library Creative Space
The Festival of Libraries is an annual, award‑winning cultural event organised by Manchester City of Literature that celebrates the region’s extensive network of libraries across Greater Manchester. At the Creative Space our programme focussed on community engagement, creativity, and accessible cultural activity, reflecting the festival’s broader aim of celebrating libraries as inclusive community hubs.
Rock Band Jam community jam session led by Music Evermore
We held an informal jam session as part of Festival of Libraries with local Rock Band School, Music Evermore leading the way with Andy Derbyshire who runs Acoustic Attitude at the Creative Space on Saturdays. It was a wonderful way to come together with like minded individuals and just have a jam. The real beauty of this was that everyone had mixed abilities and interestingly 3many of whom had never jammed in public or with others. We were also joined by members of Bill and Andys Music School who rehearse in the Creative Space every Friday. They believe in the power of creativity to drive inclusion, showcase disabled artistry, and challenge outdated expectations in the wider community. This was truly a unique experience and illustrates the strength of music in bringing communities together.
Brighter Sounds Wythenshawe Live Night
Brighter Sound is proud to be working in partnership with Forum Library Creative Space in Wythenshawe to deliver music-making workshops and live performance opportunities for young people. Through this collaboration, we’ve already connected with some of the area’s emerging musical talent—hosting an award-winning Live Night in March, alongside a Music Production course delivered across April and June.
On 11 June, our award-winning Amplify Wythenshawe Live Night returned, offering young artists the chance to perform their original music to a packed and enthusiastic audience. The impact of this programme can be seen in the growth of local artists Pipa and Marques. Having first taken part in Amplify workshops over a year ago, both have since developed their skills and confidence to such an extent that they recently returned as paid facilitators in our latest workshop programme.
Supporting journeys like these is at the heart of Brighter Sound’s work. By nurturing creativity and investing in local talent, we’re proud to contribute to a lasting and meaningful legacy for young musicians in Wythenshawe.
Credit: Ingrid Turner photography
‘Census’ a working class play by Malandra Jacks
Malandra Jacks have been on the Creative Spaces radar ever since they produced Shout Out North Manc, a documentary project commissioned by Manchester City Council’s Manchester Creativity in Place team. So when we heard that the Festival of Libraries was looking for a venue to host Census, we jumped at the chance to showcase this powerful and heart warming local production.
The play explored themes of working-class identity, community cohesion, and pride in place. Wythenshawe proved to be a particularly fitting setting, given the shared experiences it holds with areas such as Harpurhey, Moston, and Newton Heath. At the same time, Malandra Jacks skilfully captured the distinct character of each community, weaving authentic local voices throughout the performance to celebrate their individuality.
