We joined up with Clayton Family Hub and other fantastic community groups for a 90’s themed Family Fun day at Clayton Park. The sun was shining and there were brilliant activities from face painting, penalty shoot-outs and a bouncy castle.
Tasked with gathering insights as part of Manchester’s Pride in Place local listening sessions in Clayton Vale, we wanted to create a welcoming space and encourage passionate debate and spontaneous conversation led by the people that matter most. You!
What is Pride in Place?
Pride in Place is a new 10-year programme that puts community at the centre. The aim is to improve neighbourhoods by funding the things local people care about most. Manchester has been given funding from the UK Government’s Pride in Place programme. Up to £20 million will be invested in parts of Clayton Vale.
What this could mean is more money to make our streets safer, improve and enhance community spaces, and support new events and activities for residents.
As part of the local listening events taking place across the city, Step Up MCR hosted Voices of the Vale in collaboration with The People Speak Art Collective, inviting residents of all ages to share their bright ideas, lived experiences, and aspirations for their area. Putting local people at the heart of shaping their neighbourhoods’ future.
What is Talkaoke?
The People Speak brought Talkaoke, their gameshow-style discussion table, to town – where the charismatic host sat in the middle of the glowing, doughnut-shaped table as passers-by grabbed the mic to air their views. Talkaoke has been finding its way into festivals, schools, museums, galleries, and town centres all over the world for 29 years.
It was devised by Mikey from The People Speak as a way to get people sharing what’s on their minds about all sorts of topics. There are only two rules: No fighting and no singing!
But that wasn’t the only conversation station in our toolbox.
We at Step Up MCR brought along our iconic M-Wagon – a cycle-powered chatroom on wheels! – sparking conversation, creativity, and collective action across Clayton as people shared their BIG IDEAS with us.
Some of the fantastic ideas that came from the minds of local kids and adults included: More activities and community gatherings, litter picking competitions, activities for young people, dance competitions and more advertising for events taking place locally – amongst some other fantastical and imaginative ideas (rollercoaster in the park, anyone?).
