After announcing that it would be expanding its Great Northerner’s exhibition to honour and celebrate the city’s black and ethnic minority communities last month, Great Northern has selected a shortlist from a great number of worthy nominations which can be voted for by the public.
Unveiled at the 19th Century railway warehouse turned entertainment powerhouse in 2017, the exhibition asked the public to vote for influential local figures that helped put the ‘great’ in Greater Manchester to be celebrated via a set of artwork. From Alan Turing to Emmeline Pankhurst, LS Lowry to Liam Gallagher, the current exhibition, created by Stanley Chow, pays homage to several examples of the region’s most iconic figures.
In October, coinciding with wider celebrations across the city for Black History Month, the Great Northern asked the public to nominate inspiring and iconic Mancunians from black and ethnic minority backgrounds, as part of its commitment to expanding its exhibition to better represent the history and diversity of Manchester and its residents.
After over 50 nominations, the public are now able to vote from a shortlist of six, with the top four being created by artist, Stanley Chow, and unveiled at the Great Northern later this year.
The shortlisted Great Northerners are:
Erinma Bell, a peace activist recognised for her work tackling gun crime in Manchester
Sir Arthur Lewis, University of Manchester lecturer and 1979 Nobel Prize winner
Diane Modahl MBE, Olympic and Commonwealth athlete
Lemn Sissay, poet and Chancellor of Manchester University
Marcus Rashford, footballer and anti-poverty campaigner
Phil Martin, boxer and founder of Champs Camp, Moss Side
Mark Schofield, Centre Director said: “Here, at the Great Northern, we want to celebrate Mancunians from black and ethnic minority backgrounds, whether they are making their mark in our city today, or have significantly contributed towards the city’s diverse history in sports, music, politics and education. We want these individuals to be celebrated and honoured, so will be expanding our Great Northerners exhibition with three new portraits, which will be voted for by the public.”
“As an organisation, the Great Northern is committed to being anti-racist and to creating a culture that is equal and inclusive for all visitors and staff. Following events worldwide this year, we embarked on a journey of learning around anti-racism and anti-discrimination. We are learning in a deeper way how important it is for diversity to be visible. As we proudly celebrate Great Northerners in and around our building, we want to ensure that the diversity of our region is rightly represented on our walls, not just for Black History Month but all year round”
The public have until 15th November 2020 to vote for their favourite Great Northerner and can do so here – https://form.jotform.com/203103230349340
For more information on the Great Northern please visit: www.thegreatnorthern.com.
