History and Architecture Courses

History & Politics Course: Going into Battle

Wednesday, October 24th, 2012

Join tutor Jamie Moloney, on this short three weeks history and politics course based at the People’s History Museum (PHM).

You will discuss the politics around the Temperance Movement with a tour of the current Demon Drink exhibition at PHM. You will also experience a ‘Living History’ demonstration, attend a lecture by a historian on the Temperance Movement and make political posters. A visit to the Imperial War Museum to study the Great War and the Second World War, complements the course.

VENUE: People’s History Museum 

Left Bank, Spinningfields, Manchester M3 3ER

DATES: Fridays 09/11/12 – 23/11/12

TIME: 13:00 – 16:00

COST: Free to those on benefits, otherwise the course costs £13.95

To reserve your place email Elaine: ehutchings@wea.org.uk or simply turn up on the day.

 

 

Let’s Get Political

Monday, November 21st, 2011

Labour Posters PHM

Political Posters: then and now

I would love to take a Peripheral Vision group to the People’s History Museum to view the latest exhibition: Picturing Politics – exploring the political poster in Britain.

Chris Burgess has a great blog: Picturing Politics: The British election poster. Here’s some information about Chris below:

Political parties have used posters in every British general election of the 20th century. This blog looks at some of the trends and oddities in election posters produced during the period. In addition, the blog details preparation for an exhibition on the history of the poster due to open at the People’s History Museum in Manchester in November. I’m a PhD student at the University of Nottingham researching the history of the British election poster. The PhD is a collaboration between Nottingham and museum, funded by the AHRC. All the opinions published here are of course my own.

This is a topical subject as the Guardian’s Jonathan Jones states in his article The art of anger: how underground comics are inspiring the Occupy movement in which he likens the posters being produced for the current Occupy movement to those from the 1930s and 1960s in Europe:

They are nostalgic in that they resemble the posters of Paris 1968, or Spain 1936. Expressionist graphics, decisive slogans and modernist wit pervade these images.

So come on WEA tutors, get in touch with your ideas for a course around people’s rights, campaigning, activism or poster history and let’s get political…

Conservatives Poster PHM

 

Working Class Movement Library needs your help!

Monday, September 5th, 2011

The Working Class Movement Library needs your help:

Reduced financial support from Salford Council means that we need to raise £80,000 this year (and every year) to keep the Library running. 

 This vast and unique collection tells the compelling story of working people’s campaigns for radical social and political change over the past 200 years.  Thanks to our hugely successful Heritage Lottery Fund project to make the Library more open and accessible, the number of people visiting us has gone up more than fivefold in three years, and our volunteer team figures are at an all-time high.

You can donate here.

They have a fantastic blog, and you can follow them on twitter too.

 

The North West receives 1st & 2nd place in Britain’s ugliest new building award

Thursday, September 1st, 2011

Oh dear.

On the front page of today’s Guardian MediaCityUK and the new Museum of Liverpool are awarded first and second place respectively in this year’s Britain’s ugliest new build competition.

Do you agree?

Liverpool radio tower

 

Acting vacancies at People’s History Museum: bring characters to life!

Friday, June 17th, 2011

People’s History Museum are recruiting two new actors, of any age, to portray historical characters: William Cuffay, the black Chartist leader and Anita Sharma, whose parents moved to Manchester form India in the 1950s.

They have also launched a volunteers’ scheme called VIP: Volunteering in People’s History Museum.

 

Manchester Skyline

Monday, June 13th, 2011

Here’s an interesting article in Manchester Confidential listing the important buildings that have shaped Manchester’s skyline form the era of the ship canal to the present day. I adore the Siemens building on Princess Parkway, West Didsbury. Just love its clean, white lines.

 

Sign up for The Da Vinci Mode

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

Gosh it’s been a busy two weeks trying to get the new lines designed and organised. Anyway, the wonderful The Da Vinci Mode line is now ready to recruit participants. To put your name on the list and reserve a place simply click here, fill in the boxes and hit send.

On this course you will visit The Genius of Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry, as well as The Whitworth Art Gallery, The Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester Town Hall, Manchester Museum and The Trafford Centre or a bring-it-all-together treasure hunt. Dan Brown eat your heart out!