A first of its kind event that explores the migrant history of Manchester is taking place this weekend to celebrate International Migrants Day.
Reimagined City is a two days collaborative festival that showcases migrant culture through music activities, an exhibition curated by local migrants and a concert of performances celebrating the city’s diversity and international influence on local culture.
It will be the first festival in Manchester that celebrates that United Nations International Migrants Day which is held on 18 December and has done every year since 2000.
Johanna Leung, Project Director of Reimagined City, said: “Manchester stands as a city rich in cultural diversity, yet it currently lacks a cohesive sense of unity.
“Hence, having a festival dedicated to celebrating International Migrants Day presents an opportunity for the local community to understand the change of the city, forge connections among migrants through shared experiences, and reimagine ways to build an inclusive place for people from diverse backgrounds.”
The event has taken over five months to organise and will be split into two parts across the two days.
Part one takes place at Manchester Central Library on Saturday 16 December and will feature a family friendly percussion workshop, a performance from Saxophonist Alvin Wong and a singing workshop with a bilingual piece tailored to music and language beginners.
Part two is on Sunday 17 December and an all-day exhibition will be on display at Manchester Cross Street Chapel, followed by a concert with a series of performances presented by musicians with roots outside of England.
The festival is for Manchester locals as well as people with international backgrounds to better understand each other’s culture and thoughts on the city’s current landscape.
Further details and an official ticket link for the concert are attached below.
Feature image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay
