Artistic Interpretation
© 2025. This work is openly licensed via CC BY 4.0
Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage. Hope Mill’s Big Birthday is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to spend the last eight months researching and celebrating Hope Mill, its people and our community.
As a theatre we tell stories. We were keen that the stories we had discovered were accessible to all, so we set about using our research in creative and artistic ways. Here are some of the projects our research inspired…
Hope Mill Mural by Molly O’Donoghue
Regular visitors to Hope Mill Theatre will notice our foyer has had a make over. We’ve commissioned local artist Molly O’Donoghue to create our heritage themed mural. Through consultation with our audiences, local community and Volunteers – each window of the mill showcases a different story or person from our research. Pick your favourite windows and check out their stories below.
Who is in our Windows?
Top Row – Hope Mill Audience, Ernest Parkinson, Awol Studios, The Scuttlers, Hope Mill Am Dram Company
2nd Row – Hope Mill Choir, Hulme Drag Ball, Mill Children, Manchester Bee, Salvation Army
3rd Row – Ella Crossley, Cotton, Star Music Hall, Hope Mill Choir, Eva and Esther, The Ice Cream Cone
4th Row Joseph Bell Clarke, Hope Mill Orchestra, The Manchester Settlement, Will and Joe, L.S Lowry
5th Row Hope Mill Theatre School, The Modern Hulme Drag Ball, Boulton & Watt Engine
My Two Cent(urie)s – by Jayne Marshall
Jayne Marshall was one of our research volunteers, she came to us part way through the project as she wanted to write a monologue – check out her beautiful piece performed by Purvi Palmer
Hope Springs Eternal – by Tom Albans
As part of our final celebrations we decided to commission a piece of music for our Choir, Orchestra and Theatre School to perform. Hope Springs Eternal, tells the story of Hope Mill over the last 200 years in a good old music hall style, similar to the songs that would have been played in Star Hall – the music hall on Pollard Street.
Qweer Shorts
In February 2025 Qweer shorts took to the stage with five specially commissioned pieces inspired by the stories of the local queer community over the last 200 years.
To find out more about our project check out the links below.
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© 2025. This work is openly licensed via CC BY 4.0.