Manchester Archives to partner Queer Up North project

Manchester Archives is excited to announce its partnership with Manchester Histories and the Queer Up North project, following the successful award of £248,500 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.  

This funding, with additional support from the Granada Foundation, marks a significant milestone to preserve and celebrate the rich LGBTQ+ heritage of Manchester, England – focusing on the Queer Up North (QUN) festivals held between 1992 and 2002, co-founded by Tanja Farman and Gavin Barlow.  

Running from October 2024 to 2026, the project will digitise the rich and fascinating QUN archive already in existence which captured ten years of QUN festivals. This archive is currently held at Manchester Central Library and can be explored via the archive catalogues at gmlives.org.uk/results.html#imu[rid=ecatalogue.328698] and 

Sound Walks – North West Sound Heritage  

This digitisation will make the collection much more discoverable and accessible for everyone including teachers, academics, researchers and the wider public and communities. In addition to this, newly created oral histories will tell contemporary stories of the Manchester LGBTQIA+ experiences of the festivals at the time, building a new sound archive to enrich the existing collections at Manchester Archives. The project will also include an exciting programme of events and activities, with some planned to take place at Manchester Central Library. All these will raise awareness of Manchester’s wonderful LGBTQIA+ heritage and culture, and the project will also create a Digital Archive Platform to showcase multimedia and interactive content, bringing the archive to life and out into the city for a wider audience.  

Manchester Archives is delighted to support this unique project which is one of the most significant LGBTQIA+ collections in the UK. We are very keen to support any projects which enhance and strengthen our collections, by promoting skills in oral history collecting, research and digital archive preservation as well as meeting our priorities of diversity and equality and increasing the visibility and presence of LGBTQIA+ communities in Manchester. The archive will serve as a resource for future generations, preserving an essential chapter of Manchester’s history, vital to the city’s national and international identity.  

Manchester Histories is one of the main partners in Archives+, alongside Manchester Archives, Greater Manchester County Record Office, North West Film Archive, Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Centre and the Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society.  

Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure, Cllr John Hacking said: 

“We’re delighted that the Queer Up North bid has been successful and we look forward to supporting the project and activities which will enhance and develop this important LGBTQ+ archive collection for future generations at Manchester Central Library. It’s vital that we preserve and celebrate the rich heritage of the diverse communities of our city.”  

For more information about Queer Up North project, emerging details and upcoming events, visit the website and subscribe to Manchester Histories Newsletter: www.manchesterhistories.co.uk  

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