The Northern Carnival against the Nazis, a rally and concert held on 15 July 1978 in Moss Side, Manchester, was a defining moment in establishing anti-racism in the city and beyond.
Mon 3 September – Saturday 22 September 2018
Mon-Sat, 10am-7pm
Niamos, Chichester Road, Manchester
M15 5UP
The Carnival galvanised North West communities against racist groups, including the National Front. A rally of 15,000 people marched all the way from Strangeways prison to Alexandra Park joining a further 25,000 for an afternoon of music, dancing and unity.
Co-organised by Geoff Brown of the Anti-Nazi League (ANL) and Bernie Wilcox of Rock Against Racism (RAR), the Carnival featured incendiary live performances by pop-punk superstars Buzzcocks and Steel Pulse, the UK’s leading reggae band of the period. Support came from Moss Side reggae band Exodus (later X-O-Dus) and China Street from Lancaster, who had released a single on EMI called ‘Rock Against Racism’.
We Are Dynamite! – an exhibition of unseen photos and ephemera curated by Abigail Ward – aims to highlight the passion and excitement of the day whilst inspiring visitors to reflect upon a new era of challenge for people opposing messages of racism and division across the world.
The exhibition will run from:
Mon Sep 3rd-Sat Sep 22nd (Mondays to Saturdays) 10am-7pm and is FREE.
To book a guided tour email: info@mdmarchive.co.uk
Please note: this is a community project in a volunteer-run venue.
Our project volunteers would like to speak to anyone who attended the march or Carnival. We are looking to capture memories, images and footage for our permanent digital exhibition. If you can help, get in touch: info@mdmarchive.co.uk
Photo: John Sturrock © The rally before Northern Carnival, 1978
Twitter:
#NorthernCarnival1978
@MDMArchive
Supported by by Heritage Lottery Fund
Thanks to National Lottery players, Heritage Lottery Fund invests money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about – from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife.
Supported by Futura
Futura are the north’s leading Rec2Rec headhunting specialists. Established in 2001, they provide experienced recruitment professionals to the very best recruitment agencies in the country.
Comments by Abigail Ward