Manchester Museum announces action packed summer schedule

Since reopening on 18 February, Manchester Museum has welcomed a whopping 350,000 visitors.

With a focus on how stories are being told, and moving away from traditional narratives to embrace a diverse array of viewpoints, the museum has been captivating audiences with its new galleries and spaces.

The New York Times has had this to say on the re-opening:  “A Museum Pivots to Become ‘an Empathy Machine’.  Manchester is… foregrounding minority groups and reassessing the colonial past to broaden their audience in multicultural Britain”.

And they have just announced a fabulous summer schedule with something for everyone to enjoy.

What’s on at Manchester Museum

Sonics, Stories and Scenes of the Diaspora

A unique collaboration with Manchester International Festival brings you Sonics, Stories and Scenes of the Diaspora.  Join them on Saturday 1 July a day and night of live performances, DJ sets, screenings and panel discussions.

The museum will welcome SEEN Magazine as they shine a light on heritage and celebrate the sounds of global majority and South Asian diaspora artists making waves today.

South Asian Heritage Month

The South Asia Gallery, a British Museum partnership gallery, is filled with the stories of the South Asian diaspora and this new space stays firmly in the spotlight as the museum celebrates South Asian Heritage Month.

19 July marks the start of our South Asian Heritage Month celebrations with the incredible installation Request Line (videos, animations, listening stations) from one of the largest South Asian vinyl record collections in the UK, the True Form vinyl archive.

And throughout this month, the South Asia Film Club will showcase South Asian stories, thought-provoking films and new perspectives.

Meet Dan Snow

Inspired by the queues and public response to our Golden Mummies exhibition, on Wednesday 28 June, we Meet Dan Snow, the award-winning historian and broadcaster, who will be in conversation with the Curator of Egypt and Sudan, Dr Campbell Price to explore why “Ancient Egypt” is the subject of so many stories and so much public fascination.

Moving Histories – A Museum of Sanctuary Event

Throughout the summer the museum will be telling stories of sanctuary and belonging. During Refugee Week on 14 June, with partners from across the city Manchester Museum presents Moving Histories – a Museum of Sanctuary event, an evening of films and performances, exploring themes of compassion, creativity, and identity.

On 22 August, under the stars in the Lee Kai Hung Chinese Culture Gallery, they will celebrate Chinese Valentine’s Day with the Qixi Festival day of storytelling, sharing the traditional legend that inspired this Chinese festival of love.

Carbon Ruins

Manchester Museum is looking into the future, too.

Manchester Museum’s new pop-up exhibition, Carbon Ruins opens on 18 July in their Research Gallery.

Pupils and students from across Manchester have imagined a greener future for us all. Carbon Ruins is set in the year 2050 and highlights the objects we lost on the journey to zero carbon.

Summer of Stories

If you’re looking for something to do during the summer holiday, we’ve got you covered.

Whether you’re a family of storytellers, dreamers or makers, Manchester Museum has got workshops and activities for everyone in their Summer of Stories.

Inspired by stories from the museum’s collections– from prehistoric giants in the Fossils and Dinosaurs galleries to creating comics in the Belonging Gallery – everyone has a story to tell at Manchester Museum.

These are just a few of the highlights, with the full roster available by clicking here.