Place-making and the role of culture in Manchester

Creative Manchester and the Manchester Urban Institute will host an evening with Luthfur Rahman OBE, former Executive Leader for Culture and Leisure and Deputy Leader at Manchester City Council, for a special event exploring cultural place-making and planning in Manchester.

The lecture will examine the role of culture in shaping the city, followed by an in-conversation with Abi Gilmore, Professor of Cultural Policy at the University of Manchester’s Institute for Cultural Practices.

The event is free to attend, with registration required. A drinks reception will be held from 5.30pm, ahead of the lecture starting at 6.30pm.

About the speakers

Luthfur Rahman OBE is a passionate advocate for community, culture, and opportunity in Manchester — a city he has helped shape through vision, dedication, and a commitment to equality. Having arrived in Manchester as a child, he developed a strong understanding of the importance of belonging and the power of diverse voices. His early career in the restaurant industry taught him the value of resilience and collaboration, qualities that became central to his leadership in local government.

Rahman made history as the first person of Bangladeshi origin elected to Manchester City Council, later becoming Deputy Leader — another first for Manchester’s Bangladeshi community. His leadership championed inclusion and cultural diversity, contributing to the city’s recognition as a UNESCO City of Literature. Celebrated as a community champion and awarded an OBE for services to public life, his career continues to inspire others to believe in the power of community-driven change.

Professor Abi Gilmore is Professor of Cultural Policy at the University of Manchester. Her academic work connects culture, policy, and place, with research spanning topics such as popular music, cultural strategies, creative industries, and urban development. She has led and contributed to significant studies including an AHRC-funded project on the Millennium Dome, an ESRC study of local music industries in Liverpool, Manchester, and Sheffield, and creative industries mapping in the North West. Beyond academia, she has held research leadership roles with Arts Council England and was the founding Director of the Northwest Culture Observatory. Her current work includes serving as UKRI Policy Fellow on Cultural Placemaking with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and co-investigator on the ESRC Strategic Hub for Local Policy Innovation Partnerships, where she leads the Culture and Place strand.

📍 October 8, 5:30 - 8pm