Join us at this compelling exhibition as we mark the 80th anniversary of the 1945 Pan-African Congress in Manchester, a landmark gathering that reshaped the global fight for Black liberation and independence.
Curated by a team of staff and student researchers associated with the Race, Roots & Resistance Collective’s Emerging Scholars programme at the University of Manchester, this compelling exhibition brings together archive material, photographs and audio recordings that honour the legacy of the Congress and the radical ideas it ignited, as well as some behind-the-scenes designs from LIBERATION.
On display are artefacts and materials from key cultural collections, including the Working Class Movement Library, the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre, the John Rylands Library, and the People’s History Museum – each offering a unique lens on this extraordinary moment in history.
This free exhibition invites you to explore how the spirit of resistance, creativity, and solidarity that defined the Congress still inspires global movements today.
Come and connect with 80 years of Pan-African progress – rooted in Manchester, resonating around the world.
LOCAL HISTORY, GLOBAL IMPACTS is a free exhibition running from Monday 23 June – Saturday 26 July in The Great Hall.
This exhibition has been curated by Jake Gandy (Postdoctoral researcher, University of Manchester), Kerry Pimblott (Senior Lecturer in International History, University of Manchester) and Destinie Reynolds (Emerging Scholar, University of Manchester) and designed by Katie Hilton.
This exhibition is delivered in partnership with the Royal Exchange Theatre as part of the production of LIBERATION. Written by Ntombizodwa Nyoni and directed by Monique Touko, LIBERATION was commissioned by the Royal Exchange Theatre and produced by the Royal Exchange Theatre and Factory International, Manchester.