Manchester Histories DigiFest will take place on Friday 4 September and Saturday 5 September this year, and will mark the 50th anniversary of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act (1970), a landmark piece of legislation pioneered by Lord Alf Morris (1928-2012).
At Result CIC, we are delighted to be part of this fantastic event and, what’s more, you can join in from your own home.
The celebration takes its inspiration from the legacy of Lord Alf Morris, who was born in the Ancoats area of Manchester and served as MP for Wythenshawe for over 30 years. Alf led the campaign that would achieve the landmark legislation in 1970, which was the first in the world to recognise the rights of disabled people, and would lay the foundations for the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) and the Equality Act (2010).
From a pop-up TV studio DigiFest 2020 will broadcast short films, discussions, speeches, digital art, music, comedy, song and more in an exciting programme of activity being led by Manchester Histories and its partners. The work is all collaboratively created with organisations and individuals from the disabled community, exploring the legacy of Alf’s Act, celebrating talent and creativity, and prompting conversations and discussion.
We are really pleased and honoured to be part of this year’s celebrations and have devised a highly interactive workshop to capture many untold stories of citizens from Greater Manchester and beyond.
'As disabled people ourselves, we’re really looking forward to running our session, ‘What is your place in history?’ We want to remind people about the hard won rights which have been gained by pioneers like Alf Morris and the many disabled people who lobbied with him to bring about this important turning point in our history. We also want to remind people that these rights should not be eroded at any cost by a society which may be unaware of the challenges for some of its marginalised citizens.'
Hormoz and Jane, Result CIC Directors.
At Result CIC, we are highly aware of the importance and impact of stories and strong narratives. We often tell our own stories of challenges through our lives and the mindset and approach we had to adopt to overcome these challenges. Having reflected on how much we learnt through our experiences and celebrating becoming our ‘best selves’, we were pleased to go on and establish a social enterprise.
Here's all you need to know about the event.
Title: What is your place in history?
Date: Fri 4 September 2020
Time: 15:30 - 17:00
Structure:
Having told our stories we will ask you to think about pivotal moments in your lives (it will help if you consider these prior to the session) and there will later be time for group discussions about your experiences. In between these two sections you will be able to share (elements of, if you wish) your story in small groups. This will allow focused discussion and encourage an exploration of how those stories are significant. We will encourage you to develop and take away one idea about your experience and how you may wish to share and record it for others, contributing to Manchester’s rich and often unrecorded histories.
Booking: Taking part is FREE but please book in advance here.
We look forward to finding about and discussing some incredible stories. These should contribute to the continuing impact of disabled people and the safeguarding of the rights which many years of lobbying resulted in the act becoming a reality in 1970 by Alf Morris.
We hope to see you there.