Our Heritage
Led by 42nd Street, a charity that works with young people to improve mental health and wellbeing, A Different Spirit engaged young people in activities with artists and historians to explore the heritage of the little-known Ancoats Art Museum. The museum was a unique social and artistic experiment established by Thomas Horsfall in Manchester at the end of the 19th century. It sought to engender social progress and spiritual enlightenment while promoting wellbeing and social change through creative engagement.
The project celebrated and re-presented the mission and principles behind Ancoats. The creative activities drew together the rich histories and narratives of the museum and created a series of public interventions and events linking the original social experiment with contemporary thinking and culture.
The activities culminated in the creation of a model room which displayed a variety of creative and useful objects to the public. This room was open during the Manchester Histories Festival and attracted over 400 people across nine days.