The University of Manchester presents the launch of MossWorlds: Re-storying Urban Lives, an exhibition exploring the city’s mosses from the 19th century to the present, followed by a panel discussion with artists, researchers, and environmental experts. The exhibition traces the artistic, political, and botanical histories of mosses to imagine urban futures, highlighting their resilience, diversity, and cultural significance.
Although often overlooked compared to trees and larger plants, mosses have long captured human imagination. In Manchester, a city built on “mossy” ground, industrial history and peatlands (‘mosses’) reveal a legacy of working-class botany and collecting practices shaped by empire. The exhibition demonstrates how mosses, like the city itself, have adapted to changing economic and ecological conditions.
Developed from a UMRI-funded pilot project (2024–25) supported by Creative Manchester, the exhibition reflects interdisciplinary research led by Anke Bernau, Aurora Fredriksen, and Ingrid Hanson. The project team included academics, local artists, and collaborators from Manchester Museum and The Firs Environmental Research Station. The work draws on archives, laboratories, field research, poetry, and creative practice to present the city’s mosses in new and imaginative ways.
The panel discussion features:
- 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)
Panelists will share insights from the project, with contributions from artists, researchers, and National Trust collaborators who have incorporated the exhibition into their autumn/winter programme at Castlefield Viaduct. The event will also invite audience responses and feature additional “mossy” exhibits.
