MossWorlds: Re-storying Urban Lives

Join us for the launch of the ': Re-storying Urban Lives' exhibition, followed by a panel discussion.

This exhibition showcases the mosses of Manchester, from the 19th century to the present, tracing some of their interconnected artistic, political and botanical stories to imagine (mossy) urban futures. Mosses are small, beautiful, incredibly diverse and resilient plants that live almost everywhere on earth. Considered economically unimportant and rarely accorded the attention paid to trees and larger plants, they have nonetheless captured the imagination of peoples throughout history and across cultures. Manchester is a city built on ‘mossy’ ground, and the effects of its industrial heritage can still be traced in the peatlands (‘mosses’) surrounding the city. It has a proud history of working-class botany as well as being involved in collecting practices enabled and promoted by empire. Mosses, like the city itself, have responded and adapted to changing economic and ecological conditions.

The exhibition is based on research undertaken as an UMRI-funded pilot project in 2024-25 and supported by Creative Manchester. The team, led by Anke Bernau, Aurora Fredriksen and Ingrid Hanson, included academics from a range of disciplines, local artists and colleagues from Manchester Museum and The Firs Environmental Research Station. Together we encountered mosses in archives and laboratories, on the streets of the city, in poetry and scientific treatises, through creative practice and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Panellists

Dr Anke Bernau (The University of Manchester)

Dr Ingrid Hanson (The University of Manchester)

Dr Aurora Fredriksen (The University of Manchester)

Dr Henry McPherson (The University of Manchester)

Oliver Hughes (The Firs environmental research station)

Kelda Savage (National Trust)

Dr Abbi Flint (Researcher and poet)

The panel discussion will touch on diverse aspects of the project, offering a series of short insights from artists, researchers and our collaborators from the National Trust who have included the project in their autumn/winter programme at Castlefield Viaduct. We look forward to hearing from the audience in response and have a few more mossy exhibits to share!

Accessibility

We want to make the event a positive experience for all participants. If you have particular access needs, please let us know in advance by providing details of any accessibility needs when registering for your ticket or by emailing us at [email protected].

About Creative Manchester

Creative Manchester is an interdisciplinary platform based at The University of Manchester. The platform champions research in creativity and creative practice, bringing together research communities with external stakeholders to explore new research areas and address strategic opportunities. Please visit the website for more information: Creative Manchester.

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Info: Hot drinks and cakes served in the Samuel Alexander Building south foyer accompany a viewing of the exhibition in the glass corridor.

Info: Panel discussion in the Lime Café.

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