Speak Up!
Sunday, 7 April 2024
Anthony Burgess Centre, Manchester
As part of PeopleFest, a public celebration of anthropology held in venues across Manchester, we presented Speak Up! exploring how residents and housing campaigners in Manchester and London are getting their voices heard through theatre and participatory research.
Showcasing the participatory research and creative methods at the heart of the High-rise Landscapes project, the event asked, what happens when communities start speaking up about issues in their neighbourhoods? Why are their voices sometimes silenced? How can theatre be a form of action and debate in housing issues?
Members of the Good Life North Kensington team spoke about their experiences of being a citizen social scientist and how it’s affected their understanding of their neighbourhood. They also discussed how they getting their ideas out there using zines, public talks and more.
In Manchester, High-Rise Landscapes is collaborating with documentary theatre-maker Nathaniel McBride on a production created with residents and campaigners that explores housing and community exclusion during Manchester’s rapid transformation. Can theatre be a new way for their experiences to be heard? A work-in-progress reading of the script was followed by open public discussion.
Photos: Ero Sevan, 2024
