Our museum groups are a great way to connect with people, learn new skills and have a great time while engaging with history and culture.
Whether you’re a foodie, a crafter, a culture vulture or a budding song-writer, we’ve got the perfect activities for you.
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES AT MANCHESTER JEWISH MUSEUM
See below for details of our different groups and how to get involved.
Are you interested in exploring contemporary Jewish Culture? Do you like to share and discuss ideas? Do you want to meet new people and discover new things?
Jewish Culture Club is a free group for anyone who wants to explore contemporary forms of Jewish Culture – this could be books, TV, film, fashion, music, art, theatre and much more! The group is open for anyone aged 18 and over, whether you identify as Jewish or are just curious to discover new things.
We meet once a month, usually on a Wednesday at 6pm, to talk about a specific piece or topic. It’s a great chance to discuss ideas with new people, explore your own identity and discover new experiences of Jewish stories and culture.
Our group is hosted by our very own Demi Franks and Gemma Meek.
Email demi@manchesterjewishmuseum.com for more information.
Do you have a passion for music? Do you like expressing yourself through words? Do you like the idea of writing your own songs?
Our song-writing group meets monthly to create new music, lyrics and words inspired by the themes and stories in our collection and by the artists and events in our creative programme.
Led by our Programmes Manager Gemma and joined by local composer and artist Michael Betteridge this group is perfect for anyone who likes to sing, write creatively, play instruments, write poetry or just loves to be part of something. It’s a great space to find new inspiration and share ideas with a supportive group.
We regularly work with composers, singers, musicians and artists to create new work and learn new ways of making music and weaving together words.
No previous musical or writing experience necessary – come along and give it a go!
Email gemma@manchesterjewishmuseum.com for more information.
Do you like to get creative at home? Whether that’s making cartoons, furniture, pottery, prints, fabrics, or clothes? Then we have the group for you!
We are launching an exciting new group ‘The Crafty Corner’, a space where you will get to explore, experiment, and express your creative side. In every workshop we will explore a story from the museum’s collection about a trade or craft and create an artistic response to its themes, craft process or medium.
There will be opportunities in some sessions to learn from visiting artists and work together as a group to create some amazing crafts – from woodwork to fabrics.
This group is open to anyone over the age of 18, and to all identities, backgrounds, and cultures. We welcome beginners and seasoned pros and believe in the power of supporting one another in getting creative!
Email gemma@manchesterjewishmuseum.com for more information or to join the group.
Would you like to become a Museum Foodie? Our Foodie Group meet monthly to discuss, cook and eat food inspired by stories from our collection, artists and events we programme, as well as our own members heritage’s and backgrounds.
Our workshops are informal, chatty and a chance to meet new people, as well as learn about new recipes and cooking traditions.
If you enjoy learning about people’s stories as a side order to your dinner, this is the group for you. (No cooking experience needed).
Email demi@manchesterjewishmuseum.com for more information.
Our Artists’ Network is for anyone who uses Jewish themes in their practice or is interested in making work in heritage settings. We hold regular development workshops and create opportunities for networking and support.
Creative Activists workshop, 2022
Our Creative Activists are a group of young people seeking to create powerful acts of sharing and connection with our local communities to help make a positive difference in the world.
In 2021-22 they were working with Manchester Jewish Museum as part of Imperial War Museum’s Second World War and Holocaust Partnership Programme, to explore creative ways of commemorating the Holocaust and connecting these stories with our local communities.
In 2021 they worked with writer Nicola Baldwin and facilitator Kate Bradnam to create ‘Alone But Together’, telling the powerful and moving stories of Frieda, Esther and Lily. These stories were edited by StoryFutures Academy and were part of a touring installation with Imperial War Museums, which came to Manchester Jewish Museum in January 2023.
In 2023 they co-curated “We Remember Them In Verbs”, the museum’s reflective programme of events marking Holocaust Memorial Day. Over the course of four days, visitors could see a new exhibition, participate in a baking workshop and watch performances, like the one below, written by the Creative Activists themselves and performed in our historic synagogue:
E-mail gemma@manchesterjewishmuseum.com for more information or to join the group.
Do you live in an M8 postcode? Become one of our Museum M8s and get free admission to the museum all year round for you and your family.
We are proud to be part of Cheetham Hill’s community and this is just one way we can help give back to our community.
Sign up for free online to get your M8s rates