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Platt Hall In-betweenIn-between: "between two clear or accepted stages or states, and therefore difficult to describe or know exactly"
Platt Hall has stood at the corner of Platt Lane and Wilmslow Road in Rusholme for 250 years. In that time it has been many things - a home, a tea room, a work camp, an art school, a police HQ, and an art gallery. From 1947 to 2017 it was the Gallery of Costume, home to a world-class collection of fashion and dress. Now it is changing again. Working with local residents and communities, we are exploring how Platt Hall can become a vital and creative space at the heart of its local neighbourhood. This site is a space to document, share, and continue the process of collectively re-imagining this unique piece of Manchester's history, ensuring its usefulness for years to come. |
Working it out
ActionTalking and listening, exploring ideas, and testing activities to develop a set of priorities and a longer term plan for the Hall.
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CollectionExploring Manchester Art Gallery's
wider collections to develop the Platt Hall Collection of the future. |
ReflectionTaking it slowly, and allowing time to review and reflect together on everything we do.
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100 ObjectsA selection of objects from the collections
associated with Platt Hall. Our starting point for shaping the Platt Hall Collections, and an invitation to share your thoughts and responses. |
Black Lives Matter
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This pin cushion in Platt Hall's collection dates from the early 19th century. Based on the slave trade abolition medallion designed by Josiah Wedgwood in 1788, it is a complex and problematic image, in which a kneeling and chained figure pleads for her emancipation.
Does the gesture of 'taking the knee', in protest against present day police brutality, imbue this figure with dignity and agency in the quest for justice? Our museums and galleries are full of such complex and problematic things; they are themselves complex and problematic institutions. There are no easy answers. The history of this city, and many of its cultural institutions, is entwined with the histories of colonialism and capitalism. Built in the 1760s, Platt Hall is part of this history. It is a history with a long legacy. As people around the world unite to condemn racist oppression and violence, we are taking the time to reflect and listen, to understand what is needed to make Platt Hall a place where people feel safe to convene and learn together. Black Lives Matter. For a full statement from our Director, Alistair Hudson, please see https://manchesterartgallery.org/news/black-lives-matter/ |
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