Free events lined up for city’s history fest
A HOST of inspiring free events are taking place at Central Library during this year’s Manchester Histories Festival.
Celebrating and revealing histories and heritage across Greater Manchester, the biennial festival returned to the city yesterday and runs until Sunday June 12.
Activities at Central Library for this year’s festival culminate in the latest Sunday Funday family-friendly event (12 June, noon to 4pm).
Inspired by Manchester’s legendary attraction Belle Vue Zoological Gardens, this event will be themed on circus activities – with circus and street performers likely to tumble past visitors at any time.
All the fun of the fair will be provided for free – including craft workshops for children, face-painting, history-themed activities for youngsters, puppets, live music and circus performance workshops from the Skylight Circus. And children are given the chance to earn an Arts Award, by completing their very own simple art project on the day.
Other attractions in this year’s packed programme include:- Learn how to create your very own archives, with the help of a specialist from Manchester Libraries; view short films made by servicemen and women during World War II; Trace your Irish ancestors, with expert help from Findmypast; hear a special performance by the Manchester Beethoven Orchestra.
Anone interested in making an archive of items related to a community group or local area, or their own personal and family history, is invited to Central Library’s Archives+ Centre (today, Saturday 4 June, 9.30am to 12.30pm), where they can learn the best ways to store and catalogue special artefacts, to preserve them for future generations.
The new film Calling Blighty will be screened on Wednesday June 8 (6.30pm to 8pm).
Calling Blighty consists of a series of short films made in 1944-46 by individual servicemen and women who were deployed in the Far East and wanted to send personal messages home to family and friends.
These poignant films were shown in local cinemas, to a mix of laughter and tears from specially invited audiences. The North West Film Archive now holds several of the films, many of which were made for Manchester audiences.
Brian Donovan, head of Irish Collections at Findmypast, will explain how its records can help trace your Irish ancestory (Saturday June 11, noon to 12.45pm).
Findmypast has a vast amount of historical records including images, maps, medical directories, marriage records and records of participants in the 1798 rebellion, which can be accessed for free at all Manchester Libraries.
The Manchester Beethoven Orchestra will perform at the library on Saturday June 11 (3.30pm to 4.30pm).
The orchestra traces its history back to 1888, when it was formed at the Crown Hotel, on Fountain Street. Today’s incarnation will perform music written by two Greater Manchester composers – John Foulds, who was born in Hulme and played in the Halle Orchestra, and William Walton, from Oldham.
