Libraries Update – November 2024
Creative Events – Forum Library
We hosted our first play called the ‘The Day Centre’ at the Forum Libraries Creative Space which was written and performed by the Community Media Crew. This performance echoed and perfectly encapsulated the hyper local community aspect of our space. It was a roaring success with over 100 people in attendance which included the Lord Mayor and Lord Mayoress of Manchester.
For Self Care week both Mind Over Matter and Mercury Sounds made the most out of the Creative Spaces modern facilities. Maria who runs MOM hosted a mindfulness mediation session whilst Mary from MS used our performance space for a sound bath. Paint Pots exhibited some of their unique artwork in our exhibition space, and created an autumnal theme which added a touch of vibrancy to the space.
Pioneer House which is an SEND school based in Wythenshawe came to visit the Creative Space which they thoroughly enjoyed. Students had the opportunity to go on stage and use the mics and sound system available, the visit finished by recording some audio in the podcast studio. The Creative space at the Forum Library will also be hosting monthly class visits with Pioneer House, with the idea of creating a podcast down the line!
Confucius Institute Talks – Central Library
Central Library have hosted a series of ‘Instruments in Chinese music’ themed talks this season from the Manchester Confucius Institute. The series features three talks hosted by Po Hang Yuen, alumnus of the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) and current PhD student at Guildhall, each focusing on a different traditional Chinese instrument. The first two talks have been really popular with an attendance of 90 attendees so far.
The first in the series was the erhu, or the Chinese fiddle. The talk focused on the historical development of the erhu, explored how the instrument is made and demonstrated its diverse repertoire since the early 20th century. The guest for this talk was Xinjie Yang, conductor, erhu player and pianist (and an alumnus of RNCM).
The second talk demonstrated how the violin is incorporated and used in Chinese music with guest violinist Ziluo Huang. Still to come on 11 December is guest Li Yang introducing the guzheng. Book your ticket at TicketTailor.
The Disabled People’s Archive Showcase Exhibition
Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People has an unmissable exhibition currently on display at Manchester Central Library, it features a fascinating selection of archives, photographs, film and objects from the Disabled People’s Archive. This brilliant collection has been curated by project officer Ella Clarke and focuses on disabled activism, the struggle for civil rights and independent living for those with a disability – showing that the best protest is humorous, colourful and intelligent but above all, serious. This exhibition is on until January 2025 and has attracted lots of positive comments from visitors to Archives+ on the ground floor of Central Library.
Start-Up Day 2024
Start-up Day marks an important day in The Business & IP Centre’s calendar as we join up with the Business and IP Centre national network to deliver a day to inspire new business ideas and would-be entrepreneurs. Around 50 people braved a snowy day to take part in the day. A varied programme of talks and activities included:
‘Think Big, Start Small’ talk with Eric McBean, local entrepreneur and founder of Squosh Compacting Company – the UK’s first mobile compacting service dedicated to communal bins. Speed Mentoring, which was a chance to meet a variety of business related experts and to ask those all important questions! Adam Whittaker delivered a ‘Facebook & Instagram for Your Business’ workshop and Hannah-Katharina Chabbani discussed ‘AI, Emerging Tech, and Their Role in Modern Business’. Professional photographer Breige Cobain also offered profile headshots for the attendees. Throughout the day, there were live screenings from the British Library including fireside chats with Sara Davies from Dragon’s Den, and a networking session added to the day’s success.
Feedback from the day included:
“Very innovative talks”
“Inspiring and motivating…a great culture of support”
“Excellent day!”
Manchester Libraries: An exhibition
“I attended a libraries staff conference on the mornings of 20 November and 28 November to thank libraries staff for their excellent work throughout the year. I was impressed by the exhibition that staff created to show the highlights of each library.”
Councillor John Hacking
Read more at the Manchester Libraries blog.
Business Events – The Generator
Throughout November, the Generator team have continued to welcome new and existing members to their two locations. Generator have hosted a range of events for our community, including two new events! The first Generator Breakfast Club took place after a successful pilot session, during which our members had the opportunity to come together and learn from each other, as well as share experiences and difficulties with each other. Generators first workshop on using Canva for your social media, which was incredibly popular! Attendees enjoyed the interactivity of the session, where they were able to get hands-on experience using this popular tool.
Regular events also continued, with a busy Networking Evening, and a special Accountancy Clinic specifically aimed at sole traders.
This month our event and meeting spaces have been busy, hosting groups from Manchester City Council for meetings, and events from external organisations, including the EY foundation and the Afro Caribbean Social Network. If your team are interested in using our spaces for your next meeting or away day, get in touch at generator@manchester.gov.uk.
The Generator is a project funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Olderpreneurs – Business & IP Centre
More older people are using their skills and experience to start their own businesses, proving that it’s never too late to embrace entrepreneurship! The Business & IP Centre recently ran a fantastic Olderpreneurs event featuring a panel of three inspiring entrepreneurs, each sharing their journey of starting a business later in life. The panel included: Julie, also known as The Vitality Fairy, Darren, founder of Transition Sack, and Bea, creator of Keep This Cracker.
The event also featured a Q&A session, where attendees had the chance to delve deeper into the challenges and opportunities of starting a business later in life. The panellists shared valuable insights, from overcoming obstacles to leveraging their life experience in building their ventures.
After the discussion, attendees had the chance to connect and exchange ideas during a vibrant networking session. This event demonstrated the incredible creativity and determination of older entrepreneurs. It was brilliant to see so many like-minded individuals sharing aspirations, offering support, and learning about the free resources available at the Business & IP Centre.
Book Review Winner – Chorlton Library
Chorlton library staff had the pleasure of attending a special school assembly at Chorlton CofE Primary School. Matilda, a year 3 student from the school was one of our Summer Reading Challenge Book review winners. There were 646 entries so the competition was high, however Matilda’s book review was so fantastic that it stood out to the judging panel to become one of four winning entries!
Matilda was congratulated and given a big round of applause by all her fellow students and teaching staff at their school assembly as she received her certificate and prize. Matilda said she felt so lucky to win, and staff asked more about her joy of reading for the challenge:
“I try to do 10 minutes a day. It depends on how much I like the book I’m reading.
I just love reading. I’ve read 14 books to myself this year and it all started with this competition!”.
Dia de Muertos Celebration – Central Library
Central Library celebrated the Day of the Dead on 9 November in partnership with the Mexican dance group Colibri Mexican Folkdance UK. A traditional offrenda, or Mexican altar, was displayed in the library to share this celebration of Mexican culture for the 2 weeks up to the main event. On the day of the event, library staff shared a story in both Spanish and English, followed by a piñata!
The Mexican craft activities were very popular, lot’s of colourful masks and flower headbands were created. The event ended with a performance of dance and songs from Colibri Mexican Folkdance UK and everyone joined in with the dancing at the end. It was an amazing event which was very busy and enjoyed by all. 600 attended. Here’s some feedback we received from visitors:
“We love it here. So many good activities. They are all amazing, colourful and wholesome. Thank you Mcr Library.”
“This is an amazing celebration. Children enjoyed it a lot. They had fun colouring masks and other activities. The staff are really helpful and kind to children and parents. I appreciate it!”
Parent Community Event – Cheetwood Primary School
On 14 November staff from Central Library attended a parent community event organised by Cheetwood Community Primary School. It was great to chat with over 100 parents and children over the afternoon, including a family who had only arrived in Manchester 2 weeks before the event! Needless to say, staff gave a library card to each one of their three children.
During the event, over 100 books were gifted, with a Pokémon-themed book being our most popular ‘bestseller’ among children on the day. It was also a great opportunity to promote Central Library’s storytime sessions, the monthly family film club and Christmas programme!
These events are a great opportunity to speak to parents and children about library services and we look forward to attending more in future.
Author Diana Anyakwo – Beswick Library
As part of our Black History Month celebrations, Beswick Library staff welcomed author of ‘My Life as a Chameleon’ Diana Anyakwo to run a workshop with a group of Year 10 students from The East Manchester Academy. Diana spoke about her journey so far, and then using the poem ‘I come From’ by Dean Atta, the students created their own poems about where they came from. The group then moved on to a creative writing workshop where they wrote their own fantastic stories, it was great to see how enthusiastic the children were about this activity!
Chess Club – Gorton Library
Gorton Library’s Chess Club is proving to be a resounding success! The club started with an enthusiastic chess playing parent, who approached the library about hosting a club for children. Library manager Elena has supported the set up so that it runs every other Saturday. Initially David brought his children into the library to play chess and invited other children and parents to join.
Once the club had a returning co-hort of families, Elena arranged for one of the community rooms to be a regular place for everyone to play. Elena also approached the organisation, Chess In Schools and Communities, who have not only provided the library with several chess sets, but are also providing David with free training on how to teach children chess, in Liverpool. Watch this space for future Grandmasters!!
Anti-bullying Week – Newton Heath Library
A Year 3 class from St Wilfrid’s C.E. Primary school visited Newton Heath Library to take part in a craft with artist Caroline Vallance for Anti-bullying Week. They created fabulous self-portraits and then added speech bubbles with positive words and phrases on them.
RNCM Sound Project featured in The National Archives Highlights ‘A Year in Archives’!
The North West Sound Heritage project is one of the Archives+ partners at Central Library and is a key element of the Royal Northern College of Music’s Throwing Open the Concert Room Doors project. This recently featured in The National Archives 2024 A Year in Archives highlights.
With support from National Lottery Heritage Fund, RNCM worked with David Govier from the Greater Manchester Sound Archive (part of the NW Sound Heritage project) to digitise hundreds of student performance recordings. Previously held on magnetic tape, these performances had been difficult to access due to a lack of resources, time and equipment. By 2025, RNCM hope to digitise and share over 1000 hours of Manchester’s music-making from 1973 to the mid-1990s. Find out more about this work at the North West Sound Heritage website.
Library Lovers – Christmas Gift of Membership
All new members receive this beautiful mounted print – FREE!
Visit Central Library and pick up a leaflet or purchase online: Library Lovers – Manchester Libraries UK Store. Completed applications must be received by Monday 16 December to ensure new members packs are posted and received before Christmas Day
