Pennine Mencap take over Manchester Museum for family-friendly festival

Pennine Mencap is planning a show of a lifetime, with vocal, visual, dance, and interactive fun for all to enjoy.

The registered charity, which has a long history of putting performance and art foremost among its work, has long-established Rhodes Bank Choir having sung at prominent events throughout Greater Manchester for more than a decade. 

They are hosting a day filled with performances and interactive crafts to connect with the natural world at The Living Worlds Gallery, Manchester Museum on Oxford Road on Saturday, August 23 from 10:30am- 4pm.

The charity hosts a plethora of inclusive creativity groups, such as their ShowAbility dance group, choir, and music therapy sessions. Be prepared for a day of theatrics and all kinds of performance disciplines. 

This is Manchester Museum’s first collaboration with Pennine Mencap, a local charity supporting adults with learning disabilities, autism, and additional needs.  

With schools out and summer in full swing, this free and inclusive event is timed to give families a meaningful and memorable way to spend their weekend together. 

Being accessible and public-facing has always been vital to Pennine Mencap’s mission. Chairperson Elliot Sparks feels this event is the perfect distillation of that aim: “We love to get out there into mainstream environments, especially to exceed the public’s expectations of what disabled and neurodivergent performers can do.  

“This is such a big opportunity for a whole new audience to experience something they may never have seen before and, hopefully, to come away inspired.” 

As part of the exhibition, one of the performances is from their ShowAbility group, which is a group that revolves around expression and movement based on theatrics and storytelling.  

The group aims to convey a story resembling one in nature. This entertaining group will be one for all to enjoy, from families, tourists, and regular visitors of the Museum.  

Another group of service users that are performing is their Music therapy group in partnership with the Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy charity.  

This part of the day will produce a dynamic shift in music, from delicate and tranquil sounds to pounding and thundering resonance. Their Rhodes Bank Choir will present a range of songs, including intricate, unique pieces based around atmospheric sounds and syllables. 

Leading the performers through this day will be the charity's two activity coordinators, Emily Trelore and Tom Morris.  

Emily is keen to express what this event means to the charity and to her personally: “I am so happy that our service users have been allowed to do what they thrive in, which is putting on performances, and reshaping assumptions that many have grown up facing.  

“What we aim to do at Pennine Mencap is provide a creative outlet for individuals who may have been given limited opportunities throughout their lives, because barriers such as accessibility or ignorance have been in the way.  

“We can't wait for everybody to see what our guys can achieve and accomplish, no matter their disability, and hopefully inspire others to do the same.” 

Gemma Jones, a long-time service user, said: “It’s going to be amazing; we have been working so hard.”  

As well as being part of one of the country’s oldest academic campuses, Manchester Museum has also long been at the forefront of engaging the public in new and creative ways. 

The event has been made possible thanks to support from the Museum’s Culture, Wellbeing and Health Assistant, Karen Brackenridge, whose enthusiasm for this event is clear.  

Karen is proud to share her thoughts, adding: "The folks from Pennine Mencap are great, the scope of imagination they're showing for this event is fabulous." 

On the day, there will be a morning crafts session running from 10:30am-11:30am, this is an opportunity to make those animal-themed shakers to interact with the performance.  

This will be followed by the morning performance from 11:45am-12:30pm, audiences will witness the groups put on a show and exhibit all that they have been working so hard on.  

There is an hour break in between the morning performance and the afternoon crafts at 1:30 pm until 2:30 pm, this is another session revolving around making the interactive animal shakers with Beccy Gittings, who is the project coordinator of the Charity. Following that is the afternoon performances from 2:45 pm till 3:30 pm, the groups will show their final pieces and transport audiences to the rawness of the great outdoors.