Stained Metal - 'Solstice & Equinox' Series with Inua Ellams

To celebrate his appointment as Honorary Research Fellow at The University of Manchester, acclaimed poet, playwright, and performer Inua Ellams launches his latest project, Stained Metal.

Inua received an MBE (Member of the British Empire) in 2023. Now he plans to send the medal to four corners of the British Empire: Kenya, India, Canada, and Jamaica. Artists from each of those countries will be commissioned to respond to a letter from Inua, and to the medal itself. Stained Metal will be a profound exploration of empire, identity, and legacy.

A ‘Solstice and Equinox’ event as part of the Manchester Museum Lates and a week-long celebration around Africa Day, this launch event will begin with introductions by Esme Ward (Manchester Museum Director) and John McAuliffe (Professor of Poetry and Creative Manchester Director), before Inua launches Stained Metal with poetry and the first reading of his letter to commissioned artists, followed by a conversation with the audience.

Co-presented by Fuel, Museum of West African Art, Creative Manchester and Manchester Museum, this launch event promises to be an unforgettable night of poetry, storytelling, and thought-provoking conversation.

Inua Ellams

Born in Nigeria, Inua Ellams is a poet, playwright and performer. He explores reoccurring themes of - Identity, Displacement and Destiny and founded The Midnight Run (an arts-filled, night-time, urban walking experience.) The Rhythm and Poetry Party (The R.A.P Party) which celebrates live literature moving music and Poetry + Film / Hack (P+F/H) which celebrates Poetry and Film. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Theatre includes: The 14th Tale (Arcola/National Theatre/UK tour); Black T-Shirt Collection (UK/World tour); Barber Shop Chronicles (also UK tour), Three Sisters (National Theatre).

Television includes: Swipe Slow (BBC). Radio includes: Wild Blood (BBC Radio 3). Poetry includes: The Half-God of Rainfall (4th Estate); The Actual.

Fuel

Fuel leads the field in independent producing in the UK’s live performance sector, working with brilliant artists to explore the big questions of our times. From theatres to car parks, from schools to public spaces, Fuel produces high quality new theatre that reaches diverse audiences across the UK and internationally.

Founded in 2004 and led by Kate McGrath, Fuel has produced the work of over 120 lead artists or companies and reached more than 1.5 million people, live and digitally and been recognised with awards for its work.. Fuel is supported by Arts Council England as a National Portfolio Organisation, the Leche Trust, the Garrick Trust, the Backstage Trust, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, and the John Ellerman Foundation.

www.fueltheatre.com Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, LinkedIn: @fueltheatre

Museum of West African Art

The Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) is an independent non-profit institution dedicated to the preservation of heritage, expansion of knowledge and celebration of West African arts and culture. Located in Benin City, MOWAA was founded in 2020 to serve as a catalyst for bridging connections between contemporary arts and the rich cultural heritage of West Africa through research, exhibitions, archaeology, education and dynamic public programmes.

Manchester Museum

Manchester Museum, part of The University of Manchester, opened in 1890. It is one of the UK's largest university museums with a collection of about 4.5 million items. The Museum underwent a £15 million transformation project that concluded in February 2023, making it more inclusive, imaginative and caring to the diverse communities it serves. Its collections span natural science and human cultures, while its galleries range from the UK’s first permanent gallery dedicated to the experiences and histories of South Asian diaspora communities to the live amphibians and lizards housed in the Vivarium.

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 partners to explore new research areas and address strategic opportunities.

Creative Manchester’s three core research themes are centred on:

• Creativity, Health and Wellbeing
• Creative Industries and Innovation
• Creative and Civic Futures

Creative Manchester works collaboratively with the other University of Manchester Research Platforms: Digital Futures, Sustainable Futures and Healthier Futures.

More information can be found at: Creative Manchester

Solstice and Equinox Event Series

Presented by Creative Manchester, the ‘Solstice and Equinox’ series of events bring innovative creative artists to The University of Manchester’s four Cultural Institutions. Each of our unique cultural institutions – the Whitworth, the John Rylands Research Institute and Library, Manchester Museum and Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre – focus on building civic, national and international partnerships to advance the social, environmental and individual wellbeing of our communities.