To celebrate the launch of OUT! - Manchester Pride's brand new LGBT history website - a FREE one-off guided walking tour exploring the fascinating and rarely told story of Manchester's LGBT Centre will he held on Saturday September 17th at 2pm. The tour will last approximately one hour and a quarter. The starting point will be Manchester's Town Hall - Albert Square entrance. Attendees will hear the story of how Manchester became the first city in Europe to build an entirely publicly funded, purpose designed centre for the gay community, just as Thatchers government were enacting Section 28. It follows the money, as it were, from the Town Hall to Canal Street and then to Sidney Street: one of the citys most diverse urban blocks - home to an evangelical church; a plethora of fast-food takeaways; a pub; Manchesters Islamic Centre; a veggie wholefoods cooperative; AND and the LGBT Centre! The story is one of unlikely success in the face of an uncertain public funding landscape, some hostile political foes and an infamous 147 signature petition. It is also one which perfectly shows the change in public sector funding from the 80s to the present day. Above all, it is a heartening story of community spirit and perseverance. Your tour guide is Emily Crompton. Emily is an urbanist and qualified architect. After training at Manchester School of Architecture she worked for urban design cooperative, URBED, and now works as a post-doctoral researcher at MMU working on Age-Friendly Neighbourhoods. Her main research interest and focus is community engagement methods and techniques. She is also a long-term volunteer with the The Proud Trust and created this tour to celebrate Manchester's LGBT Centre on Sidney Street.

Tickets : £ Free Tickets

Address : Manchester Town Hall

Manchester

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