Suffrage in the City – Live Theatre

Suffrage in the City is an event being hosted by the Co-operative Heritage Trust in partnership with the Co-operative College, Manchester for Heritage Open Weekends 2018. We are celebrating the hundredth year of Women being made eligible to vote under the Representation of the People Act of 1918. The Co-operative movement has always supported the development of rights and opportunities in the UK and around the world.

To celebrate the centenary, and to raise awareness of our presence in the centre of urban Manchester we are hosting the MIKRON theatre company with our NOMA neighbours in Sadler’s Yard, off Corporation street in the heart of the modern Co-operative Quarter.

Home grown co-operation, which had its roots in 19^th Century Rochdale was enshrined with values to support equal membership and voices for all its members.

What is it?

The Mikron Theatre Company will be performing their live show ‘Revolting Women’ in the Sadler’s Yard open theatre and community space. This is a free performance in a lesser known Manchester Square, surrounding the experiences of a lesser known campaigner, Sylvia Pankhurst.

Revolting Women tells the Suffrage story through the eyes of a less well-known Pankhurst, Sylvia, who fought for the vote alongside working women in the East End after having left the Manchester based WSPU (Women’s Social and Political Union). Sylvia meets Lettie and together they push to Parliament, to bend the ear of the Cabinet.
A story of absolute commitment or dangerous obsession?
Full of political satire, song and more suffrage societies than you can shake a stick at, Revolting Women unravels a contentious and momentous movement in history!

Sylvia was a committed member of the Women’s Social and Political Union like her Mother Emmeline and Sister Christabel, but rejected violence and believed in men and women working together for change. She was a social and political campaigner for many causes and was involved in the international peace movement as were many Co-operators.

The performance is followed by an opportunity to come to PLANT workshop and design gallery space to find out more about the collections of the National Co-operative Archive. We will be showing the public some of our collections relating to women’s organisations and their part in the story of the societies set up all over the country to provide ordinary people with better food, homes and work from the Women’s guild and campaign for equal pay to the Worker Co-op’s movement of the 1970’s in an age of austerity.

Visitors will be able to find out more about the work of the Co-operative College based in neighbouring Holyoake House and the important social action work being done to continue to improve opportunities for those at home and abroad.

What do I need to know?

*This is a FREE event and does not need to be booked, but numbers are limited for health and safety reasons.

* Saturday 15^th September 2018 in Sadler’s Yard, off Hanover Street.

* The live performance starts at 13.00 – 13.45. It is an outdoor performance with some natural seating areas, and is accessible for disabled visitors from Dantzic Street (Shudehill Tram stop) or from Corporation Street (Victoria Station and Tram stop).

Guests can bring portable furniture if they wish, although some seating will be provided on a first come first served basis

* 14.00 Audience are invited to visit stalls in PLANT space off Sadler’s Yard to find out about Co-operative Heritage and social action today.

14.30 – 15.30 Opportunity for visitors to see some of our collections relating to women’s co-operation, the worker co-op movement of the 1970s’s and space to discuss social action for women today as part of the ‘Women’s Co-operative Challenge’. With short film screenings from the Co-operative College. (please note that PLANT is level accessible via Dantzic Street.

14.00-16.00 Refreshments available at the Pilcrow Pub in Sadler’s Yard.