PHM is the national museum of democracy, telling the story of its development in Britain: past, present, and future.
On this blog we share posts from the PHM team and other experts, with behind the scenes stories, coverage of PHM's exhibitions and events, and highlights from the museum's unique collection.
At PHM we house the world’s largest collection of trade union and political banners. A the team start preparation for our 2025 Banner Exhibition, we look back to a blog in our archives. Conservator, Jenny van Enckevort explains the painstaking work it took to prepare one of our largest for display.
All year PHM is marking 200 years since the Peterloo Massacre; a defining moment for Britain’s democracy. For Bastille Day we asked Dr Jonathan Spangler, Senior Lecturer in Early Modern European History at Manchester Metropolitan University to describe how political activity on one side of the Channel certainly influenced outcomes on the other in August 1819.
This year at PHM we are looking at creative ways to protest, so we asked Polly Palmerini a Graduate Teaching Assistant on BA (Hons) Photography course at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) to blog about her recent project, Make a Manifesto for a Better Future, with students from Abraham Moss Community School, who were inspired to protest and create change through the power of visual communication.
To complement the performance of a specially commissioned song that celebrates the story of the Skelmanthorpe flag, on loan from Tolson Museum, on display in PHM’s Disrupt? Peterloo and Protest exhibition, we asked Commoners Choir member Catherine Long to describe this tuneful project and the 50 mile, three day walk it inspired.
We’re exploring the past, present and future of protest throughout 2019, and have compiled our own protest playlist. Here our friend, curator, DJ and co-founder of Manchester Digital Music Archive, Abigail Ward shares her highlights from Manchester’s history of rebel music.
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