People’s History Museum (PHM) has relaunched its venue hire offer, comprising the
very best of both its heritage and contemporary multi-use spaces.
The transformation has been made possible thanks to an Adapt to Thrive resilience grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, enabling the national museum of democracy to invest in ways that will secure its future so that it can continue to preserve and share stories of change that empower people to make a difference.
One of Manchester’s leading cultural attractions, PHM occupies a building that echoes the city’s industrial past, with a contemporary extension simultaneously a reminder that
this is a future facing organisation.
With venue hire identified as a key way to increase the income generation needed to support the museum’s core work, it has been at the forefront of the investments Adapt to Thrive has made possible.
This began with the appointment of a new commercial team to work alongside PHM’s
development officer, Sarah Vince; Chrissy Hurst joining as commercial manager and
Samantha Cain as events sales & booking officer. Sarah’s considerable experience of
both the museum sector and People’s History Museum is complemented by Chrissy’s
commercial and brand expertise and Samantha’s events background.
The team’s first step has been the creation of the new Riverside Room. Overlooking
the River Irwell, floor to ceiling windows mean this is a light-filled space and its own
outdoor terrace enables guests to make the most of the surroundings.
It’s a contemporary, flexible and informal setting that is located next to the museum’s in-house café and adds a completely new dynamic to PHM’s venue hire offer.
PHM’s heritage spaces have also been completely refreshed, with new décor, furniture,
signage and artwork reproduced from items in the museum collection. Situated in the
Grade II listed Edwardian part of the museum they have all of the sought after features
of an industrial heritage location.
They occupy what was once known as the Pump House; a grand landmark that was designed by Manchester’s first City Architect, Henry Price (1867-1944). The Engine Hall is the largest of the spaces, where a vaulted glass roof magnifies the scale and the red and terracotta brick, metalwork and original Pilkington tiles exude an industrial feel.
From art fairs to awards ceremonies; brand launches to fashion pop-ups, it is a space that has huge creative potential. It is accompanied by the Coal Store, which is recognisable for its distinct red brickwork, double height ceiling and original metal joists.
The Engine Hall (pictured above) has the capacity to cater for large conferences and large-scale events (for up to 120) the more intimate Coal Store is ideal for workshops or meetings.
Technology has also been a part of the investment with state of the art Conference Screens, mounted on motorised stands, in both the Riverside Room and Coal Store.
The screens are fully interactive with touch screen, whiteboard and draw features, complete with motion tracking cameras for hybrid presentations and screen mirroring capabilities. Riverside Room has its own inbuilt speaker system that can be used for everything from presentations to playlists. These additions enhance further investments that have been made to the museum over the last twelve months to make it more accessible with LED entrance screens, new toilets, hearing loops and the installation of a new seating area.
Aine Graven, head of development at People’s History Museum, said: “Manchester’s industrial past, its activist roots and its championing of a better future for all live and breathe within the walls of People’s History Museum.
“We are celebrating that in our venue hire spaces, with the stories that the galleries and collections tell inspiring all that we do and a team that is dedicated to every detail of the experiences that they help to deliver.
“Our venue hire clients will not only benefit from the joy that these beautiful spaces will
bring to their event, launch or special occasion, but know that they are supporting an
organisation that puts social justice at its heart. By enabling PHM to thrive we will help
our community to thrive.”
Chrissy Hurst, commercial manager at People’s History Museum, said: “We are
really ambitious for what can be achieved at People’s History Museum, setting our sights
on becoming Manchester’s premier ethical events space. By increasing our own self-
generated income we’ll also be contributing to the city’s cultural economy, with the
events that are staged at the museum bringing new visitors and opening up new
opportunities.”
For further information about People’s History Museum’s venue hire offer visit
www.phm.org.uk/venue-hire/. You can view the Venue Hire Brochure here and the
Weddings Brochure here.
