School of Arts, Languages and Cultures

01/09/2026

Creative Manchester has appointed Professor Ana Carden-Coyne as Academic Research Lead for our new Activating Collections Research Theme.

Launching from September 2026, the theme will explore how the University’s and Cultural Institutions’ collections and archives can inspire new research, partnerships and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Professor Carden-Coyne will work with researchers, curators, conservators, imaging specialists and partners to help unlock the potential of collections across The University of Manchester and the city region.

Read more: https://ow.ly/F6l550ZHG4a

School of Arts, Languages and Cultures

01/09/2026

Exhibition launch: ‘grasp, grasp’ by Sian Fan

📅 Wednesday 30 September
⏰ 7pm (6.30pm doors, artist presentation and livestream begin promptly at 7pm)
📍 esea contemporary, 13 Thomas Street, M4 1EU (and online, via Zoom)
🎟️ Free (Limited capacity, advance booking required)

The University of Manchester and the Fear and Belonging in Minority Buddhist Communities Research Project Team invite you to a launch event for ‘grasp, grasp’ by Sian Fan, with an artist Q&A led by Chris Wright, former Executive Director of FutureEverything.

‘grasp, grasp’ is a digital artwork which draws on the anonymised life stories of members of two different Buddhist communities, collected by University of Manchester academics Erica Baffelli and Jane Caple.

Tickets and info:

Launch event: 'grasp, grasp' by Sian Fan – esea contemporary, Wed 30 Sep 2026 - You are invited to the launch event for grasp, grasp. Streamed online and in person. Live stream 7pm-7.30pm Artist presentation at 7pm, followed by drinks reception.

01/09/2026

Manchester Literature Festival returns from 9-25 October, featuring exciting partnership events from Creative Manchester and the Centre for New Writing.

20/08/2026

Ai Weiwei Film Weekend Marathon

📅 Friday 21 August - Sunday 23 August
📍 Factory International
🎟 £3 per film / £5 day passes / Weekend pass sold out

Unflinching and ever more relevant, Ai Weiwei’s award-winning filmography fuses art, activism and raw documentary to map the fault lines of our century: mass displacement, state surveillance, censorship and the fragile spark of resistance.

Info and bookings:

Urgent, global and shocking, Ai Weiwei’s extraordinary filmography comes to Aviva Studios this summer with nine films in three days

30/07/2026

Rounding up our series of student short films 'You’re Not A Writer!' by Famke Cochran, Oscar Keen-Downs, and Tilly Edgar is the joint winner of the competition on the theme of imposter syndrome.

This well-packaged collaborative film is rooted in Manchester student life, with thoughtful direction, committed performances and effective comic cutaways that visualise escalating self-doubt. The film explores the concept of the inner saboteur, the shared nature of impostorism, and the ultimate decision to keep writing despite doubt. A thoughtful film driven by a trajectory from self-doubt to self-actualisation.

The series showcases a creative set of filmmakers exploring diverse student experiences of imposter syndrome and the broader impostor phenomenon. Through short film storytelling, these student films engage with themes of mental health, self-confidence, and self-doubt, offering creative perspectives on understanding and overcoming imposter syndrome.

Watch the full playlist on our YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6wd3KyqJvmJq6ZbrseJug0NGfHe3Q116&si=CGQOc7udOLqunZdT

28/07/2026

Climate change is reshaping planet and faith.

How is faith changing? The Religion, Theology and Climate Change project investigates the theological views of Christians on the front lines of climate action, from public protests to persistent advocacy.

This film reports on some of the project’s findings, by exploring how Christian environmental activists and advocates understand their vocation, and how their views of Christian responsibility to care for a common home are changing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY5nzNQG4Zw

27/07/2026

Introducing 'I Did My Best. Did I?' by Yejun Chung – joint winner of our student short film competition on the theme of imposter syndrome.

This brief but striking vignette focusses on the task of giving a presentation, a common student experience through which impostor feelings can emerge before, during and after the moment. It turns feelings of impostorism into dramatic action, with memorable imagery and words that come to life, neatly and cleverly capturing the tension between success and self-doubt.

The series showcases a creative set of filmmakers exploring diverse student experiences of imposter syndrome and the broader impostor phenomenon. Through short film storytelling, these student films engage with themes of mental health, self-confidence, and self-doubt, offering creative perspectives on understanding and overcoming imposter syndrome.

Watch the full playlist on our YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6wd3KyqJvmJq6ZbrseJug0NGfHe3Q116&si=MrkEWMlepMuhrbXJ

24/07/2026

In her recent appearance on BBC Radio 4's 'A Good Read', Women's Prize judge and writer Cariad Lloyd chose 'The Others' by SALC Senior Lecturer Sheena Kalayil as one of her favourite books.

Listen to the episode here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002z5yq

Cariad also discussed the novel with actor, comedian and writer Sara Pascoe on their podcast 'Weirdos Book Club', available on all podcast platforms.

Harriett Gilbert is with a comedian and a writer to talk favourite books.

23/07/2026

SALC's Professor of Cultural Studies Jackie Stacey has been elected a Fellow of the British Academy, one of the highest honours awarded to scholars in the humanities and social sciences.

Read the full story:

Jackie Stacey, Professor of Cultural Studies at The University of Manchester, has been elected a Fellow of the British Academy, one of the highest honours awarded to scholars in the humanities and social sciences.

09/07/2026

The University of Manchester is proud to be among the global universities, screenwriting labs, film festivals and filmmaker programs partnering with the Academy’s Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting to help identify possible Nicholl Fellows in the 2026-2027 program cycle. The University of Manch...