Held in Manchester’s historic Medieval Quarter, The Manchester Medieval Festival offers visitors the unique opportunity to experience an often-overlooked part of the city’s rich history.

Developed by Professor Jerome de Groot and his colleagues from the University’s Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies (CMEMS), the festival aims to celebrate Manchester’s Medieval history through a variety of engaging activities, including history tours, live music, workshops and medieval entertainment. The project was funded by the University’s Humanities Strategic Civic Engagement Fund (HSCEF), the Faculty of Humanities’ flagship social responsibility funding scheme. The scheme supports projects inspired by the University’s Greater Manchester location with the goal of improving communities across the city region.

After being approached by Manchester City Council and Chetham’s Library to support with developments to the city’s Medieval Quarter, the CMEMS noticed a demand for a historicised festival, which emphasises the specific history of the city before 1800. They worked alongside local institutions, organisations and partners to create a sustainable festival which commemorates the city’s heritage while giving researchers the chance to share their research with the community.

Part of Jerome’s mission was to embrace the diversity of Greater Manchester and challenge the idea of what ‘Medieval’ is: “It’s often considered to be white and European and just focusing on that experience is limited; we are a very diverse and interesting population in our city, and we should be as inclusive as possible.”

The project team also wanted to work alongside local community groups and schools to ensure they were brought into the conversation. The funding from the HSCEF meant that they were able to offer activities for free, making the festival more accessible and encouraging interest in multiple cultures and new ways of thinking about the contemporary world.

With two successful years under their belt, the festival is set to return for the third time in autumn 2025, with exciting new collaborations taking place. Discussing the project’s impact, Jerome said: “We’ve undertaken genuine co-working and co-production and are now seeing the impact on local groups. Being part of community-based projects where we are supportive and helpful, where we undertake knowledge exchange, learn and listen, is crucial.”

To find out more about Jerome’s project, visit the Manchester Medieval Quarter Festival website.