Revolt

The North West has a long history of people making their voices heard. From the crowds at Peterloo to the Chartists, workers, poets and campaigners have used words, songs, banners and stories to demand change. Revolt takes some of those stories and turns them into creative provocations for young people today.

Change makers

The North West is full of people who made their mark — mill workers, suffragettes, educators, abolitionists, poets and painters. People who spoke up, made things, challenged the rules and imagined something different.

Local History

The sessions complement the curriculum and give children and young people opportunities to engage practically with the region’s history.

The Cotton Carding Kids

In this storytelling workshop, explore the lives of children who worked as Carders, Scavengers and Piecers, then create your own Plaited Promise — a hidden message woven into a braid to honour those child workers.

Work Horses

Inspired by Old Billy, a Warrington Tail and written by Flick Goodman, this storytelling workshop explores the role of animals as workers in the Industrial Revolution. At the end of the session the class will have created their own class ballad.

Bright Side Ballads

A song writing workshop inspired by the towns of the Industrial Revolution. Starting with the folk songs of the past, we will create a song that captures what life is like in your town today.

Demonstrate!

A drama workshop celebrating the ordinary people who took to the streets to ask for change. From the Suffragettes to the Peterloo Massacre, we’ll explore physical theatre, ensemble and working with text. This workshop ends with a reflection on contemporary change makers.

Placard Poetry

The North West’s history is full of revolutionary ideas. In this creative writing workshop Students imagine how they would change the world, writing their own poem and creating a placard to share their ideas.

My Manifesto

People who want to change things have always written manifestos — from political parties and artistic collectives to philosophers and educators. Whether dreaming of an equal society, utopian ideals or better working conditions, we can see clear directions for change to take place. Drawing inspiration from manifestos of the past, this workshop will give students the opportunity to create their own.