Place-making and the role of culture in Manchester

Join us for an evening with Luthfur Rahman to explore cultural place-making and planning in Manchester and the role culture plays in this context.

Creative Manchester and the Manchester Urban Institute are delighted to welcome Luthfur Rahman OBE, former Executive Leader for Culture and Leisure and Manchester City Council Deputy Councillor. Luthfur will deliver a guest lecture exploring place-making, planning and the role of culture, followed by an in-conversation with Abi Gilmore, Professor of Cultural Policy at the Institute for Cultural Practices.

This guest lecture is part of Oxford Road Corridor’s The Cultural Welcome - a week of events designed to help students discover the creative and cultural spaces of Manchester’s Knowledge Quarter from 6-12 October 2025. Find out more.

This event is free, but registration is required. We invite you to join us for a drinks reception from 5.30pm ahead of the 6.30pm start of the lecture.

Accessibility

We want to make the event a positive experience for all participants. If you have particular access or dietary needs, please let us know in advance by providing details of any accessibility needs when registering for your ticket or by emailing us at creative@manchester.ac.uk.

About the speakers

Luthfur Rahman OBE is a passionate advocate for community, culture, and opportunity in Manchester a city he has helped shape through vision, hard work, and a deep commitment to equality. Arriving in Manchester as a child, he grew up understanding the importance of belonging and the power of diverse voices. From humble beginnings in the restaurant industry, he learned the value of resilience and collaboration, skills that would later define his leadership in local government.

Luthfur made history as the first person of Bangladeshi origin to be elected to Manchester City Council, and his journey continued to break new ground as he became Deputy Leader, another first for Manchester’s Bangladeshi community. His leadership was marked by a focus on inclusion, championing the city’s cultural richness and spearheading initiatives that led to Manchester’s recognition as a UNESCO City of Literature. He has been celebrated as a community champion and honoured with an OBE for his unwavering dedication to public service, inspiring countless others to believe in the difference they can make in their own communities.

Above all, Luthfur Rahman OBE stands as a testament to the idea that with determination and a belief in the power of community, anyone can help build a brighter, more inclusive future for all

Abi Gilmore is Professor of Cultural Policy at the University of Manchester. Her PhD on popular music, cultural policy and urban development and ensuing research positions have focused on similar topics connecting culture, policy and place, including an AHRC funded study of the Millennium Dome, an ESRC study of Local Music Industries and Economic Development in Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield, and the development of local cultural strategies and creative industries mapping. She has also worked in research leadership with cultural sector public bodies in the North West, including Arts Council England and as the founding Director of the Northwest Culture Observatory. Current research and policy engagement is part of her recent role as UKRI Policy Fellow on Cultural Placemaking with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and a Co-I on the ESRC Strategic Hub for Local Policy Innovation Partnerships, leading the Culture and Place strand.

About Creative Manchester

Creative Manchester is an interdisciplinary research platform based at The University of Manchester. The platform champions research in creativity and creative practice, bringing together research communities with external stakeholders to explore new research areas and address strategic opportunities. Please visit the website for more information: Creative Manchester.

Register here to receive regular updates on upcoming Creative Manchester news, events and funding opportunities. You can also connect with Creative Manchester via Bluesky, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

About the Manchester Urban Institute

Manchester Urban Institute (MUI) is a global research institute exploring the complexities of urban life in a rapidly changing world. Our mission is to foster deep, interdisciplinary insights into how cities function and to drive positive transformation for people and places to create fair and just cities for everyone. We combine the strengths of multidisciplinary perspectives drawn from across The University of Manchester’s three Faculties to deliver our vision through engagement with global, national and local stakeholders. Our work is organised around four research challenge areas: Built Environment, Transport and Mobilities, Health and Wellbeing and Green Cities with a core focus on inequalities, polycrisis and political economy.