The Fabric of Protest

Join this creative workshop for some stitching, chatting, and sharing inspired by the museum’s collections.

The experience:

• Techniques taught by professional artist Helen Mather
• Specially designed resources to support learning and stitching
• All materials provided for your creations

Inspiration:

Using the museum’s large selection of historic and contemporary banners on display in 2026 as inspiration, this session will explore the use of symbols.

The meaning of symbols changes over time. through historical events and intentional acts of reclamation or reappropriation. These changes can have alternate relevance in contemporary society and can be powerful reflections of collective experiences.

We will discuss changes to older traditional symbols and create new symbols using different techniques to make stamps.

The stamps created will be used in future Fabric of Protest sessions and also in PHM’s banner making workshops with children and young people.

You can see symbols on the Tin Plate Workers Society banner, 1821 and Gays Against Fascism banner, around 1977.

• Explore resources and creations to inspire yours.

All textile abilities welcome, suitable for 12+ (under 16s must have an accompanying adult)

• Book your place now

• We are able to offer a limited number of free places to people in economic difficulty – please help us to continue to offer this by only taking it if you need it.

• If you require British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation please contact YWNjZXNzIHwgcGhtICEgb3JnICEgdWs= or 0161 838 9190

Also check out other Workshops in Manchester, Arts events in Manchester.