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Our Organisation

About Us

Who We Are

A community built on belonging

We started because there was no obvious place in this part of Manchester for the music, film and theatre a lot of us grew up with. So we made one. It is community-led, which means the programme is decided by the people who come to it rather than by anyone sitting in an office.

The youngest person at our workshops is three. The oldest regular is seventy-five. In between there are families, students, refugees and newcomers, single parents, and people who simply saw a poster and wandered in.

We have put on more than 100 events around the UK since we started. Concerts, film screenings, workshops, festivals. Some of them sold out. Some of them we learned from.

Community gathering

"We have never had much money. What we have had is people willing to give up a Saturday, and that has turned out to matter more."

100+
Events delivered since founding
10+
Distinct communities supported
3 to 75
Age range of participants
2024
Manchester People's Cultural Award
Our Purpose

Our Mission

"To make sure that anyone in Greater Manchester who wants to make art, or just sit in a room and listen to it, has somewhere to do that."

What We Stand For

Our Values

Inclusion

Nobody has to earn their place here. If you walked in, you belong.

Cultural Celebration

Persian, Afghan, Kurdish, Turkish and plenty more. We put the work on properly, not as decoration.

Community Power

The people who attend decide what we programme next. That is the whole model.

Safe Spaces

LGBTQ+ people and anyone else used to being an afterthought can expect to be treated normally here.

Creative Expression

Making something is good for you. We think that is reason enough.

Excellence

Small budget is not an excuse for a sloppy show. The Manchester People's Cultural Award 2024 suggested we were getting that right.

Who We Serve

Everyone is welcome

A lot of our work is with people who have recently arrived in the country. Often the hardest part is not paperwork, it is not knowing anyone. An evening of familiar music helps with that more than you would expect. We also work with single parents and families for whom a ticket price is a real decision.

We make room for LGBTQ+ people and for anyone else who is used to being the exception. Not as a gesture, just as how the room is run.

Children aged 3+
Young people
Families
Older adults (75+)
Refugees & asylum seekers
Single-parent families
LGBTQ+ individuals
Diverse cultural communities
People facing social challenges
Newly arrived communities
Recognition

Manchester People's Cultural Award 2024

In 2024 we were given the Manchester People's Cultural Award. We were not expecting it. It went to the volunteers really, since they are the ones who kept the thing running on almost no budget.

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