Agenda item

Agenda item

Peterloo Massacre 200th Anniversary Programme

Report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods)

 

This report provides an overview of events which marked the 200th anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre in 2019.

 

Minutes:

The Committee received a report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) which provided an overview of events which marked the 200th anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre in 2019.

 

The main points and themes within the report included:

 

  • Providing a general introduction;
  • Describing the approach to participation and engagement;
  • Information on the programme of various events;
  • Information on learning resources;
  • Participation, Engagement & Volunteering information; and
  • An update on the communications strategy.

 

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

 

  • Noting the important work of volunteers and staff in Central Library to successfully deliver this programme of events;
  • Noting the importance of the actions of the citizens at Peterloo and what that represented;
  • Could this model of engagement be used to showcase smaller local history projects;
  • Noting the importance of social history in the school curriculum;

 

The Chair invited Councillor Rawlins to provide an update in regard to the Peterloo Memorial. Councillor Rawlins informed the Committee that progress continued to be made and an independently Chaired public meeting would be convened during 2020 and this would be followed by a consultation event. She stated that Members of the Committee would be kept informed on how this work has progressed. 

 

Karen Shannon, Manchester Histories informed the Committee that the programme of events had been developed over a four year period and had been co-designed with residents and community groups from across Manchester. Noting that the programme had engaged with forty-six different cultural organisations from across the city with Central Library acting as the main hub, noting the geographical importance of Central Library and the library space helped facilitate positive debate and discussion. She paid tribute to the staff at the library for their invaluable support and enthusiasm for the project. She stated that the programme of events delivered had successfully brought together arts, culture, history and heritage groups and had raised awareness of Peterloo amongst residents.

 

She stated that the programme of events had been developed around the themes of protest, democracy and freedom of speech, both from a historical perspective and a contemporary view point. She stated that the programme had only recently finished and data was still being collected, however it was noted that a significant number of people had engaged with this project. She stated that the projects had been important to educate young people about this important event in history, noting the radical read project. She stated that the learning resources and archive of the project, including the music commissioned were now available online to act as a legacy for the project and provide a learning resource. Information on this resource had been provided to schools so that they were aware of this, commenting that to date there had been over two hundred downloads of the education pack that went live in September. She further informed the Committee that an anthology of young people’s stories, including the essay written and performed by Olivia McFadden would be published.

 

Karen Shannon, Manchester Histories stated that planning was already underway to deliver projects in 2020 around Alf Roberts, disability rights and protest; celebrating Engels in Manchester and the Pan African Conference, both at a local level and national level. A Member commented that consideration needed to be given to accessibility and whether projects could be taken out into neighbourhoods. The Head of Libraries Galleries and Culture acknowledged this commented and confirmed that consideration was been given to how projects and events in Central Library could be transferred and hosted in neighbourhoods.

 

The Executive Member for Skills, Culture and Leisure paid tribute to Manchester Histories and all volunteers and community groups that had contributed to the delivery of such a successful event, that showcased the heritage and values of the city. He particularity welcomed the involvement of children and young people in this project.  

 

Decision

 

To note the report.

Supporting documents: