Peterloo Massacre

I have never really thought of Manchester as the most historical city, especially as it has only really been around for a few hundred years but this morning I received the strangest message on my inbox. I've pasted it below as I dont think there is any way that I can put it any better!

“Chaos” A Gorton Visual Arts Project

Imagine 60,000 people today gathering for a peaceful rally in St Peter’s Square in Manchester City Centre brutally dismissed by riot police and the Army, what personal items would fall to the ground and remain isolated after the panic and movement of a vast number of people in this “Chaos”situation.

In 1819 on a warm summers day on the 16^th August this gathering took place in St Peter’s Field in the City Centre, 16 people were killed and over 600 people were injured known today as the “Peterloo Massacre”.

Gorton Visual Arts have produced a project titled “Chaos” which is a contemporary visual representation of “Peterloo”.  The collective pieces of casted plaster sculpture uses present day personal carried items which may be dropped and lost during an event of “Chaos”.

The project will outreach to young people in local primary schools during September and October 2012 as an educational resource.

We strongly feel as a group the events of “Peterloo “stands unequalled in the history of Britain and is a huge part of Manchester’s Heritage and Culture. We intend to submit applications for funding to produce a “tapestry “ which is a visual storyboard of a journey from the Gorton area to the Peterloo meeting in 1819, this project will engage with up to 300 people from around the City in the research and making of the tapestry.

What a great idea for a project!!! To find out more about this group check out their website http://www.gortonvisualarts.org.uk/