Do residents in Manchester have to live surrounded by rubbish? Or can we change it? This is the big question being raised at A Rubbish Night at the Museum, an event taking place from 6-9pm on 19 April in The Study at Manchester Museum.

The event will offer an opportunity for visitors to talk about and reflect on the rubbish problem affecting Manchester’s communities and neighbourhoods. It was inspired by “Talking Rubbish in Moss Side” a research project conducted by Dr Sherilyn MacGregor (SCI/Politics), which found not only that rubbish in the streets and alleys reduces quality of life and hurts relationships between neighbours, but also that it is a complex problem that needs better solutions than simply educating residents to change their behaviour. The full report is here.

By discussing these findings and giving voice to residents’ perspectives, A Rubbish Night at the Museum is intended to inspire all stakeholders – residents, local councils, waste authorities, businesses, waste contractors, landlords and universities – to work together to build the intellectual and practical capacity to deal more effectively with rubbish.

The event was co-developed and jointly coordinated by Simon Pardoe from “Upping It”, an award-winning community organisation, Sherilyn MacGregor from the Sustainable Consumption Institute (SCI), and the community engagement team from the Manchester Museum.

Over 40 local residents, researchers, organisations, and social enterprises are contributing to the event. As a collaborative project, the event highlights Manchester Museum’s commitment to civic engagement and social action andsits firmly within its sustainability agenda.

The event is funded by the Engaging Our Communities fund and the SCI.

A Rubbish Night at the Museum will offer something for everyone. There will be 90 displays of photographs, art work, policy critiques, and research projects, along with readings, hands-on activities, and two group discussions about the problem, solutions, and how to build an agenda for action.

Catering will be provided by Real Junk Food Manchester. The displays will remain in place after the evening event, from 10am-5pm Friday 20 to Sunday 22 April, which is the Earth Day weekend.

You can register for free via Eventbrite