We Invented the Weekend
We Invented the Weekend is a large, new family-friendly festival on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 June with thousands expected to descend on MediaCity for over 200 free activities.
The festival, which is delayed from its initial target weekend of September 2022, is a jam-backed extravaganza of music, art, culture, discussion and creativity.
So how are we getting involved?
Well, as one of the lead partners for the event, we are opening up our campus building for an inspirational talk series on both days and a number of fun workshops across the building on Saturday 3 June.
The We Think Big talk series will have guest speakers including Sky News' Interview Producer Melissa Tutesigensi, Traid CEO Maria Chenoweth and BBC Radio Manchester presenter Karen Gabay.
The series will be packed with insightful talks from industry leading panellists across the Saturday and Sunday, including journalists, environmentalists and architects discussing important topics across music, sport, fashion, and of course the weekend.
Kicking off the talk series, Melissa Tutesigensi will be joined by Salford and Eccles MP Rebecca Long-Bailey to pay homage to the heritage of the weekend with a discussion of the impact of free time on our wellbeing, taking inspiration from the workers’ fight for the right to the weekend and looking ahead to the future to ask: How can we make work, work for everyone? (Saturday, 11.45am)
Salford City Mayor, Paul Dennett, will join walking artist, activist and academic Dr Morag Rose, and architect and Strategic Lead for GreaterSport Manchester Kelly-Marie Rodgers, to discuss Salford’s accolade as the most sustainable place to live in England and Wales, and ask how a green city can also be a more equal city during The Grass can be Greener in Salford (Saturday, 2.45pm).
Other talks include How What We Eat Shapes Who We Are (Saturday, 12.45pm), which will see the Founder of Incredible Edible, Pam Warhurst CBE, Chef, Writer & Co-Founder of Eat Well MCR Mary-Ellen McTague and Founder & CEO of Blend Family, Matt Bigland discuss how food shapes the way we see the world, the role it plays in communities and what can be done to create a food system that is sustainable and accessible for all. Let’s Have a Kickabout (Sunday, 1.45pm), chaired by Digital Creative and Presenter Michael Andrew James Sheridan with panelists including John Shiels, CEO, Manchester United Foundation, will grapple with the power of sport in our society.
Audiences can also consider the future of travel during Travelling the World Without Costing the Earth (Saturday, 1.45pm), while The Devil Wears Fast Fashion (Sunday, 11.45am) will delve into how we can squash fast fashion and cultivate a sustainable closet through charity fashion, thrifting and upcycling during. Attendees will also be able to hear about how music shapes Greater Manchester during Happier Mondays - Music Driving Change (Sunday, 12.45pm).
Tickets for all the talks can be secured here.
What are the workshops on offer?
Kicking off the weekend is 'Make a Scene!' Stop Motion Play Under Camera in which kids will be introduced to the world of stop-motion animation through an interactive workshop in the building's foyer on Saturday. The workshop is for those aged eight to 12. Book tickets here.
Also on Saturday, we'll be getting out some of our favourite retro games and arcade machines out for all the family to enjoy from 11am to 4.30pm. Kids can also get involved in our Makey Makey Phigital Jam in which tutors will teach them how to use the Makey Makey as a conductor and turn anything into a keyboard and interactive interface from 11am to 3pm.
Lastly, if you fancy yourself as an expert on the weather, you can try out delivering a live weather forecast using the green screen in our state-of-the-art TV studios from 11am to 3pm on the Saturday.
Beth Hewitt, Director of the University's MediaCity Campus, said:
“We Invented the Weekend is such a fantastic festival and as one of the major partners involved, we are thrilled to be hosting and producing some exciting festival events. Expanding our contributions over the coming years will provide great opportunities for the University of Salford to further develop creative collaborations with regional, national, and international communities.
“We're delighted to be hosting We Think Big, in our MediaCity Campus and look forward to welcoming panel guests and hosts from across the UK, who will be discussing a wide range of topics from sustainability and the environment to music, sports, and fashion. We're also excited to be producing a series of animation workshops, open to all ages and families too.
“So, please sign up to come along to our fabulous MediaCity Campus where you can get creative and think big with us for the weekend.”