In Translation: Women, Migration and Britishness - Empire Marketing Board Posters

Saturday 25 February 2012 – 23 February 2013 - Free Entry

Manchester Art Gallery is pleased to present In Translation, a new exhibition exploring migrant experiences and the theme of Britishness. In a major four month project, artists' collective Ultimate Holding Company (UHC) collaborated with women from migrant backgrounds and based in the North West, to make their own creative responses to the Empire Marketing Board poster collection.

Originally created during the 1920s and 1930s to promote trade and understanding between Empire countries, the Empire Marketing Board poster archive is one of the gallery's more challenging collections. The posters present a view of Empire in line with the official British stance during this period, but in a post-colonial and multicultural era they are challenging and often uncomfortable to view. The EMB produced around 800 posters in 8 years and in 1932 presented the gallery with 222 examples of these. The posters chart the role of the artist in inter-war design, yet despite the uniqueness of this collection, they have remained virtually unknown and unseen by contemporary audiences.

Artists' collective Ultimate Holding Company (UHC), the Sunshine Group at Wai Yin Chinese Women Society, Europia, and the Cumbria Multicultural Women's Network (CMWN) have worked together with staff at Manchester Art Gallery to reinterpret these posters in a creative and critical new light.

The groups of women have selected posters from the EMB collection, and worked with UHC artists through a series of workshops and events; developing photographic, drawing, painting, filming and even baking skills. Their responses to the posters have been curated by UHC into an exhibition, displayed alongside their choice of original posters.

One of the participants, Jo Ann Saltiga commented on the experience: "This is a very rare opportunity and I am so glad that I am part of it.  I have developed skills and expanded my horizons in terms of friendship and possibilities.  I am so happy that I have been given a chance to voice out what I think and to listen to what others think. Thank you very much for the sponsors and organizers for putting this together and for inviting us to take part." 

Councillor Mike Amesbury, Manchester City Council's Executive Member for Culture and Leisure said: "Manchester's art collection belongs to everyone in the city, both those born here and those who have chosen to come and live here. We're really proud of sponsoring projects like In Translation which has involved diverse community groups from across the North West and illustrates how this historic poster campaign connects with people in the 21st century."

Find out more about the project and series of accompanying events at www.manchestergalleries.org/ and http://intranslation.org.uk/