Gorton Library Meets Manchester Museum

A unique exhibition by pupils of Abbey Hey Primary School, exploring the history of the local area, will go on display at Gorton Library today.

The Gorton Library Exhibition, which will run 2 May until 31 July, has been created in partnership with The Manchester Museum who have been working with Abbey Hey as part of the Our City project, aiming towards opening a new gallery within The Manchester Museum, in 2009.

The new gallery will explore the connections between the people of Manchester, they city's history and the Museum's collection.

Pupils from Abbey Hey Primary School have been examining their own link to history by developing pieces of art inspired from museum artefacts. Their work will be displayed at Gorton Library until July along with the original items from The Manchester Museum, as part of the exhibition.

They have also been working with Gorton Local History Society to record their memories and the history of their local area.

Councillor Mike Amesbury, Manchester City Council's Assistant Member for Arts & Leisure said: "The exhibition at Gorton Library is a fascinating exploration of the area's local history through the eyes of the young. It has been a valuable project for pupils at Abbey Hey in understanding Gorton's heritage and how this relates to their own lives in 2008."

Curator of Community Exhibitions at The Manchester Museum, Andrea Winn said: "This exhibition provides an opportunity for local people to connect with objects from the Museum's collection in their community. We have been working closely with Abbey Hey School to strengthen our links within this community."

The exhibition will be opened by Sir Gerlad Kaufman at Gorton Library on Friday 2 May at 2pm and will remain in place until July.

Media contact:

Claire Keegan, tel 0161 234 4014