Group H CITY OF IDEAS
Manchester is a city full of imagination and innovation with a history that has produced numerous cult bands and break-through scientific technologies. We are a collective interested in unravelling this past and need YOUR help to explore this magnificent history through a series of interesting trips and discussions.
The Science and Industry Museum are looking for us to help advise them on the direction of their upcoming exhibition on Manchester entitled the 'CITY OF IDEAS'. In this, we want to not only explore the past but look towards the future of cities with the final aim being a beautiful portfolio of models, drawings and artworks.
So come join us and learn some new skills as well as a lot about the place you live! // Download Poster
Deanna H // Tobias C // Xin A // Lour R // Smriti S // Zi B
LAST DAY
It was a great wrap for the event weeks. We started with handing out the publication we had for our respective guests and a digital presentation
The whole concept for city of ideas was wrapped around the timeline of Manchester and sub-divided into three major parts : Past, Present and Future.
We then moved on to some of the innovations done in Manchester in the past and how we had carried that forward into our case studies.
The three sub groups had done case studies to understand the technology, transport and culture for each phase.
Overall, It was a great experience with good amount of participation and mutual learning within the group.
And it was even more pleasing to get a good feedback from Katie and others on the Presentation of the graphical information and our methodology.
Posted 5 Apr 2019 19:10
In preparation for the final day presentation we have made a booklet for our collaborators. This page shows a timeline of past historical events that contributed in the making of the City of Ideas.
Posted 5 Apr 2019 11:38
Day 2
SKETCH
Sketches are made as part of the documentation and idea development in early processes. One of the findings in our visit to the Science and Industry Museum is the invention of the Jacquard mechanism.
Created in 1945, the machine used punched cards to set a weaving pattern. This is an important innovation as it transitioned the manual labour of weaving to a machinery-controlled one, increasing efficiency and productivity in the cotton industry in Manchester.
Posted 2 Apr 2019 14:27
Day 6
Today we also look at the first Rolls-Royce factory established in Hulme as part of our case study on past Manchester. Hulme has changed beyond recognition since the motor manufacturer was there, however, there is still evidence of the association of Rolls-Royce. Roads are named after the pair: Rolls Cresent and Royce Road.
Posted 1 Apr 2019 15:52
Day 6
Today we began to further our Research on Media Cities sustainability standards, and develop an understanding of the BREEAM status and the moves the development took to reach their objectives.
This research is part of an in-depth case study on the development, and future technologies that encourage sustainability in present day Manchester.
Posted 1 Apr 2019 13:17
Day 5
Today we also look at Manchester's inventions in the past, one of it being the world's first steam powered submarine. In 1879, the submarine - named Resurgam, was designed by George Garret in Moss Side, with an aim to safeguard the country by building the ultimate deterrent of that time. Measuring 14 metres, the vessel could carry three sailors and cost around £1,500 to build - more than £125,000 in today’s money.
Posted 29 Mar 2019 14:31
Day 5
Today we began to expand the understanding of Media City UK by looking at the upcoming development. The development emphasizes a shift in Manchester's industry towards creative and entertainment businesses.
Posted 29 Mar 2019 12:12
Day 4
Today we began to document our research for our booklet.
Here we are looking into the case study of Media City and exploring the systems which are used to achieve its BREAM sustainability status. The use of recovered waste heat means that the building system is efficient in comparison with traditional forms of energy generation.
Posted 28 Mar 2019 15:24
Day 3
On the third day we brainstormed with all the BA and MA students and laid out a story board for the publication. This led to splitting of the group into four different teams for each phase of the timeline.
All the sub-teams have been researching about the information for the case studies and exploring different options of putting them together on the story board.
The teams have started to produce some graphical images like Posters and sketches for the publication
Posted 28 Mar 2019 14:55
Day 2
Our final visit of the day was to Manchester Art Gallery, the key aim of this visit was to understand the curation of artwork. However, we also discovered some interesting pieces which highlight the current cultural position of Manchester. A collection of photographs by artist Parr ‘reveals a diverse, inclusive and multi-cultural city’, something which we wish to explore further throughout the following weeks.
Posted 26 Mar 2019 18:58
Day 2
We also took a visit to the people’s history museum to see how Manchester was culturally affected during the post war period. The economy, living conditions and local industry suffered leading to the Thatcher era union strikes. However, Manchester was able to bounce back, establishing a rich creative industry, with Granada Studios, and music from the likes of The Stone Roses and Joy Division.
Posted 26 Mar 2019 18:52
Day 2
For our second visit of the day we traveled to Media City, to look at its recent development and its connection to sustainability. Whilst there we toured the Lowery and the Imperial war museum to better understand how spaces are curated.
Posted 26 Mar 2019 18:42
Day 2
In day two of our events we took a visit to the Science and Industry museum. The aim of this visit was to contextualize our research and begin to understand the type of material that can be curated for exhibitions. It also helped us to rule out the content which has already been displayed at the museum. We were also able to take inspiration from their graphical styles.
Posted 26 Mar 2019 18:37
Day 1
During the afternoon session Dominic discussed the connections between Detroit and Manchester, and how the music industry has become integral to their development and heritage. From this we will be able research how Manchester managed to develop when it could no-longer rely on the cotton industry and had to turn to music, entertainment and technology for its development.
Posted 26 Mar 2019 18:31
Day 1
In the first session of the week we began to look at the key moments throughout Manchester’s history in the post war period. From here we were able to pick out the key aspects of our timeline along with ideas for case studies which we will be focusing on later in the week. We did this by dividing into 3 groups with focus on the Past, Present and Future.
We found out that Manchester was the center of several pivotal discoveries, including IVF, the contraceptive pill, the ‘Manchester Baby’ computer, and more recently the Raspberry PI computer, along with the discovery of graphene at the University of Manchester.
We also began to develop Case Study Ideas, some of which include an in-depth study of Hulme’s redevelopment, an exploration of Media City and its BREEAM status, and how AI is looking to shape the future of the city and its transport.
Posted 26 Mar 2019 18:29
In 2002, Manchester was chosen as the host city for the Commonwealth Games. It was the largest multisport event ever to be held in the UK and gave an opportunity for the city to display the changes following the 1996 bombing. It catalyzed the regeneration and heavy development of Manchester and boosted its reputation as a European and global city internationally.
Several developments were completed in Manchester at the turn of the century, such as the M60 Motorway, the City of Manchester stadium (for the Games) and Beetham tower.
Posted 24 Mar 2019 11:42
Manchester’s city center saw significant development during the 1990’s, due to the IRA bomb in 1996, along with the new infrastructure of the Metrolink, whist Spinningfields and the Trafford center were developed.
Manchester was rising to its position as the Second City, as investment began to increase.
Posted 23 Mar 2019 15:51
During the 1980s, with the demise of many traditional industries under the radical economic restructuring often known as Thatcherism, the city and region experienced some decline. The revival started towards the end of the decade, catalyzed by the creative music industry. New institutions such as Factory Records and Fac 51 Hacienda earned the city the sobriquet Madchester.
This era saw a thriving arts, music and culture scene in Manchester, evident in the opening of multiple cultural institutions, museums, galleries and music venues.
Posted 22 Mar 2019 00:27
The 70s was the time of confusion. It was ten years of puzzle wrapped up in a riddle, of the oil crisis, power cuts, macro-economic changes that uncovered exactly how far British worldwide impact had slipped from the potent long periods of Empire and modern authority. The Manchester City Council lost the majority of its key duties amid the 1970s,
Posted 21 Mar 2019 12:45
The sixties in Manchester were an international success in football, television and music.
Posted 20 Mar 2019 23:41
Continuing from the previous historical time line, We look at the period from 1950’s to 1960’s.
This was the decade of new beginnings and major Re-development.
Manchester's key role in the industrial revolution evolved as the city became a center of research and development.
The same period saw the rise of Granada TV studios with the soap opera Coronation Street, which was first aired on ITV in December 1960 and remains on air more than 50 years later.
The city also attracted international media for the success of its two major football clubs - Manchester United and Manchester City.
Posted 19 Mar 2019 17:13
In the First installment of ‘A Post-War History’ we began to look at the rich historical past of Manchester throughout and post WWII.
This will be the basses for our Events research, where we will create a timeline of Industry, Invention and Technology, before delving into three in-depth case studies of past, present and future Technologies and Inventions.
Over the following weeks we hope to develop and expand on this before presenting to our collaborators on the 5th of April.
Posted 18 Mar 2019 12:24
In our 'Did you know?' series, let us introduce you to the "Manchester Baby" :)
Did you know that the Small Scale Experimental Machine (SSEM) with a nickname ‘The Baby’ was built at the Victoria University of Manchester by Frederic C. Williams, Tom Kilburn, and Geoff Tootill? It was the first computer in the world to run an electronic stored-program.
Posted 12 Mar 2019 00:51
The very first PCs we all know and love today were designed in University of Manchester by Tom Kilburn and Freddie Williams in 1951. The initial prototype Manchester Mark 1 was improved and manufactured by a UK electrical engineering company Ferranti, hence the official name Ferranti Mark 1 but was also known as the Manchester Electronic Computer or Manchester Ferranti. This general use computer could play computer music and held the very first computer video game which was a chess-playing programme.
Posted 11 Mar 2019 23:11
SITE VISITS
The second day of our two-week event will be composed of several site visits across Manchester to gather facts and information about the city's pioneering works. After a visit to the Science and Industry Museum, students will explore other spaces in Manchester including the People's History Museum, The Vinyl Exchange and The National Graphene Institute to name a few! We hope to gather as much information and artefacts possible surrounding Manchester's innovative past, present and future. This will help inform our collaborators at the Science and Industry Museum as to the most exciting content to include in their upcoming exhibition, City of Ideas.
Posted 10 Mar 2019 13:51
In the second installment of our 'Did you know?' series we take a look at Manchester at the for front of medical research.
In 1977 embryologist Jean Purdy developed the pioneering technique of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and on the 10th of November 1977 the first 'test-tube baby' Louis was conceived.
This technique has paved the way for thousands of babies, to parents who otherwise couldn't conceive.
Posted 10 Mar 2019 10:33
Together with our collaborators at The Science and Industry Museum, we are celebrating Manchester’s innovative feats both from the past and present, looking towards the future of the city. This is the first in a series to get our undergraduate members excited for the coming weeks.
Do you know that the Manchester researchers in the National Graphene Institute (NGI) developed an affordable water desalination technology by using the graphene membrane to control common salts to be sieved out of salty water – making it safe to drink.
With the potential to revolutionise water filtration across the globe, this new technology could bring affordable water filtration to countries that cannot afford large-scale desalination plants, bringing clean water to people who need it most. It could also offset the effects of climate change, or natural disasters such as severe flooding, providing affordable and sustainable alternative water solutions
Posted 9 Mar 2019 22:54
Meet the Team!
Posted 23 Jan 2019 20:06
Meet the Team!
Posted 23 Jan 2019 20:05
Meet the Team!
Posted 23 Jan 2019 20:05
Meet the Team!
Posted 23 Jan 2019 20:05
Meet the Team!
Posted 23 Jan 2019 20:05
Meet the Team!
Posted 23 Jan 2019 20:05
Today was our first visit to the Science and Industry Museum. We toured the exhibits and spoke with Curator Katie Belshaw to discuss the direction our event is going.
Through this discussion we defined the area of research, concentrating on the technological advances of Manchester in the post-war period, and how local companies will be using these in the future. Some interesting areas of research include, The Internet of Things, and Virtual Reality as an explorer of the city.
Over the next few weeks we are going to be looking in depth at the different strands of technological advances affecting professions in Manchester.
Posted 15 Jan 2019 18:11
The City of Ideas is an exhibition in planning at the Science and industry Museum, over the two week events program, we will be coming up with exhibition ideas which express the Historical, Cultural and Technological importance of Manchester as a pioneering city upon the world stage. We will have the chance to delve into research of the city, and produce a beautifully crafted book that displays our many artworks, drawings and concept models.
We hope the City of Ideas will help students to develop their presentation and communication skills, with the chance to make a difference to a real world exhibition outside of the university. Some technological skills that we as a team possess are the use of Rhino, SketchUp, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign
Posted 10 Jan 2019 22:06
Manchester is a city full of imagination and innovation with a history that has produced numerous cult bands and break-through scientific technologies. We are a collective interested in unraveling this past and want explore this magnificent history through a series of interesting trips and discussions.
The Science and Industry Museum are looking for us to help advise them on the direction of their upcoming exhibition on Manchester entitled the 'CITY OF IDEAS'. The focus will be on the post war period, and how Manchester will be pushing the technologies of the future. The final aim being a beautiful book of models images, drawings and artworks.
This beautifully crafted book will be presented to a team of curators at the Science and Industry Museum at the end of the two weeks.
Posted 8 Jan 2019 19:26
