A major musical collaboration will see 93 new pieces of music, song and spoken word tracks created – one for every stop on the Metrolink tram network.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and The Bridgewater Hall are collaborating on the exciting project, ‘Tram Tracks’, to celebrate Metrolink’s 25th anniversary and The Bridgewater Hall’s 21st birthday.

Over 900 adults and children will take part and work alongside professional musicians and facilitators from The Bridgewater Hall.

The large-scale creative music project aims to reflect the diverse communities across Greater Manchester and how those communities’ lives have been changed by the tram.
Created by the members of the community, each track will reflect the area and activities around each individual stop.

The majority of the groups will be selected by The Bridgewater Hall and TfGM and will include schools, community groups, arts organisations and cross a wide range of diverse cultural groups. There will also be an opportunity for others from the general public to take part through a public ballot.
The project hopes to involve a number of recording artists, composers and other ‘talent’ with links to Greater Manchester and will culminate in a gala concert at The Bridgewater Hall, pop-up performances on the Metrolink network and a digital archive of recordings of the 93 new tracks.
TfGM’s Head of Metrolink, Danny Vaughan, said: “This project, like Metrolink and like the Bridgewater Hall, is ambitious, innovative and exciting. To see a project so inclusive and uniquely focused on reflecting and celebrating our diverse and dynamic communities is really quite special.
“I’m delighted to be partnering with the Bridgewater Hall in our silver jubilee year and look forward to seeing the fruits of everyone’s labour. I’m especially excited that this will not only culminate in a gala concert at the Bridgewater Hall in July, but that some of the music created will feature across the network throughout the summer, for customers and the public to enjoy – which is fundamentally what this project is all about.”
Paula Wilson, The Bridgewater Hall’s Learning and Participation Manager, said: “We are thrilled to be with working with Metrolink and Transport for Greater Manchester on this exciting project, as part of The Bridgewater Hall’s 21st Birthday celebrations.

“Tram Tracks is one of the largest and far reaching creative engagement projects we have undertaken in recent years and we hope to develop lasting relationships with the participating groups, and to inspire communities across Greater Manchester to creatively engage with their local area.

“None of this would be possible without the support of The Bridgewater Hall Community Education Trust and the generosity of its donors and supporters. The Trusts’ guiding principles are creativity, collaboration, adventure, responsiveness and development, and we hope that these shine through in this one of a kind creative music project.”

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