The Human Library Project

The Human Library project was a project initiated by Step Up MCR, where throughout the spring/ summer of 2024, I was invited to work as artist in residence, to celebrate the people that make up our city. It brought together art, words and voices from the beating hearts of Ancoats & Beswick and Clayton & Openshaw.

Together we explored people’s relationship to the local area through photography, creative writing, drawing, painting and performance. The project also created an opportunity for MA Art & Design students from the University of Salford to shadow and collaborate on the programme.

The project involved collaborations with participants from across the community, including my long-term collaborators, the Over60s Many Hands Craft Collective, young people from 42nd Streets’ art programme and the wider public through a series of open-calls and drop-in workshops.

The project resulted in a celebratory exhibition and event at Social Refuge in Ancoats on 10 October, 2024 and a publication co-designed with designer Tommy Morrison. The publication also featured a brand new typeface for the project, created by participants from the project and visual communication student Marilena Petrou.

Thanks goes to photographer Jessica Robinson for capturing the celebratory event so beautifully and for all the students who participated on the programme.

The Human Library project was commissioned by Step Up MCR and funded by One Manchester.

You can view the PDF of the final publication HERE