Immersive nature experience comes to one of Manchester’s busiest streets

A shop in St Ann’s Arcade has been taken over by nature, as people across Manchester encouraged to get involved in projects across the city.

An immersive nature experience in one of central Manchester’s busiest streets, the ‘In Our Nature’ pop-up is a beautiful space that turns a typical shop front into one taken over by plants and nature.

Visitors can relax amongst the plants, the smells of nature and projections of green spaces from around the city.

At the centre of the experience is a sound installation, featuring ‘the sound of Manchester’s nature’ tracks created in collaboration with sound artist and composer Jason Singh and Manchester’s spoken word collective Young Identity.

Visitors can listen to these tracks created by transforming ‘biodata’ generated from plants around Moss Side and a mix of voices from local residents, and vote on their favourite.

Research from Natural England shows a positive link between feeling connected to nature and behaving in a way that is better for the environment.

The pop-up will not only help people connect with nature but will also suggest things they can do to help the environment in their local area.

The shop is part of the ‘In Our Nature’ programme (led by Hubbub, Manchester Climate Change Agency and Partnership, Manchester City Council, Amity CIC, the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and Commonplace) working with communities in Manchester to find creative solutions to the climate crisis, using nature as a gateway to inspire positive climate action, with a big focus on removing barriers for those facing barriers to spending time in nature.

Other current projects in Manchester include greening concrete alleyways and working with community groups such as Mothers Against Violence to get nature projects off the ground.

“We all feel better after spending time in nature, and this is exactly why we’re bringing this innovative experience into central Manchester,” said Gavin Ellis, co-founder of Hubbub.

“We hope people will leave feeling boosted by the power of nature and be inspired to get involved in projects and take action across Manchester.”

“People and nature are an endless source of inspiration for me,” said sound artist Jason.

“This project has been a wonderful exploration of poetry, technology, landscape and nature.

“Manchester is huge part of my life and I truly love both the wide range of people that inhabit all parts of the city as well as the landscape that makes Manchester what it is.

“This new installation celebrates peoples’ connection with nature as well as thinking about the surroundings in which we live, work and play.

“It has been an absolute pleasure working on In Our Nature.”

The ‘In Our Nature’ pop-up is located at St Ann’s Arcade, 10-12A St Ann’s Sq, M2 7HW until 17th October, open every weekday from 11am-2pm and 4pm-7pm, and on weekends from 10am to 8pm.