HMT Empire Windrush, Untold Stories at Manchester Poetry Library

When you clapped on your doorstep to say thanks to NHS workers during the Covid-19 pandemic, who were you thinking of?

In the 75th anniversary year of both the NHS and the arrival in the UK of the ship HMT Empire Windrush, Untold Stories celebrates these parallel anniversaries through two interwoven project strands.

From January to May 2023, Manchester Metropolitan University poet Dr Kim Moore was Writer-in-Residence at Trafford General Hospital, the first NHS hospital to be opened, supporting staff to tell the story of their working lives within the NHS and produce their own creative writing. From January to June 2023, Manchester UNESCO City of Literature Community Champion Jackie Bailey, with award-winning writers plus a musician, collaborated with members of Manchester African Caribbean communities who have worked in, or whose families have worked within the NHS to tell their NHS stories.

Manchester Poetry Library is proud to present Untold Stories, an exhibition featuring stories and creative writing from participants in the Untold Stories project, illustrations by students from Manchester Metropolitan’s BA Illustration with Animation and MA Animation in response to this writing, and portraits of participants by photographer Chris Saunders.

Curated by students from Manchester Metropolitan’s MA Contemporary Curating: Birce Cennetoglu, Lillie Tew-Weaver and Rowan Bell. The exhibition accompanies the Untold Stories website designed by Cyril Lyons. https://untoldstories.mmu.ac.uk/

Untold Stories is led by Manchester Metropolitan University, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and delivered in partnership with Lime Arts, NHS England, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and Manchester UNESCO City of Literature.