What is History For?

What is History For?

6 June, 10am-4pm

John Rylands Library & Research Institute. Part of the Manchester Histories Festival 2026.

What is the purpose of history today? This event aims to answer this question in creative ways.

Set in Manchester's wonderful Grade 1-listed John Rylands Library, this all-day event features talks and workshops, designed to get debate and discussion underway.

University of Manchester researchers and local social, civic and political historians join together to talk about the ways in which Manchester's past has been used to to create and cement identities, justify beliefs or decisions, and inspire creative thought and action, but also the histories that this process has left untold.

Provisional timetable below – sign up now and for free, and full details will follow.

There will will be talks, workshops, and a roundtable discussion with local historians, researchers, and organisations. The workshops will imagine a Museum of Manchester. Join writer, Sarah Butler, to explore the stories that make up Manchester.

Please bring along any objects that you would like to talk about or feature in your imagined museum of Manchester! You are welcome to drop in for any part of the day.

10am: Welcome, Dr Emily Jones, University of Manchester.

10.30-11.30: Talks by UoM UG Scholars Programme ('Bees and Bucket Hats: The Uses and Abuses of the Mancunian Past') and Sarah Cundy (UoM PhD student) on Mary Stocks and Ancoats Hall.

11.30-12.30: Workshop: My Museum of Manchester: Designing a Museum of Manchester.

12.30-1.30: Talks: Kerry Pimblott and Aashe Singh (UoM), Emerging Scholars, and more TBC.

1.30-2.30: Workshop: My Museum of Manchester: Curating a Museum of Manchester

2.30-4: Roundtable discussion with Ali Ronan (Trailblazers), Karen Gabay, and more TBC.

Image credit @ Mancsy

The event is being run by Dr Emily Jones, Senior Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Manchester and is funded by the School of Arts, Languages, and Cultures, University of Manchester.

Contact: [email protected]

For more information about events taking place as part of the Manchester Histories Festival, 4–6 June 2026, please visit the website.www.manchesterhistories.co.uk [manchesterhistories.co.uk]

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