Ceri James from the Library’s Exhibitions and Public Engagement with Research team (EPER), outlines the engagement programme for the We Have Always Been Here exhibition.
The We Have Always Been Here exhibition (March – August 2024) represents a pivotal chapter in our Library’s ongoing commitment to demonstrate that its space and collections are for and about everyone. The exhibition was more than a display of rare and historically significant objects; it was a call to action for us all, as Library staff and visitors, to question why certain stories and heritages have been historically marginalised or “hidden in plain sight”. By asking curators from all departments to re-examine their collections, We Have Always Been Here is a starting point to honour and increase access to the diverse voices within our archives, bringing to the forefront narratives of community solidarity, identity, self-determination, and self-expression.
Exploring the exhibition
During the run of We Have Always Been Here, The John Rylands Research Institute and Library welcomed a remarkable 141,344 visitors who explored the exhibition with free admission. The exhibition prompted significant reflection, raising important questions for both visitors and library staff: “Who gets to decide how we are represented?” and “If you don’t see yourself reflected in the archive, does that mean your history, culture, and identity aren’t important?’ A member of the EPER team was always present in the gallery to listen to and engage with visitors about their responses to the exhibition.
Many returning visitors were surprised to discover the diversity of the Library’s collections, previously thinking it only housed rare books and medieval manuscripts. Local attendees were especially engaged with the Manchester-based stories featured in the exhibition, which explored how the Manchester Caribbean Carnival and the Abasindi Women’s Cooperative proactively created space for themselves and their communities in the city.
Here, Here and Here
The exhibition’s centrepiece was a poem commissioned by the library in 2023, titled “Here Here and Here”, written by Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan. Drawing from her perspective as a young Muslim woman, she reflects on the legacies of colonialism within the Rylands, examining its founders, architecture, collections, and curatorial practices. The poem’s insights resonated deeply with visitors, creating a strong connection to the exhibition’s exploration of representation. Suhaiymah Manzoor-Kahn discusses her experience of The John Rylands Library in ‘No Rylands without us’.
“Over the weeks and months of my researching, thinking, and visiting the library, I found that the matter that intrigued me more than simply whether or not I was ‘here’ in the archive, or the library; was the question of who the ‘we’ in We have always been here, was. I felt clear that some voices have been marginal in the archive, and then others have simply been excluded. But there was a presence in the library that I felt unable to shake. It had not been overtly named, perhaps a passing mention, but it clung to the bannisters, felt present in the lamplight, reverberating through the stone pillars… the voices of those who made this building and its collections possible.”
– Suhaiymah Manzoor-Kahn writing about her experience at the Rylands
Writing Workshops
The Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Centre approached us to co-host a series of workshops, bringing together The University of Manchester’s Muslim Northern Women writing group, poet Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan, and our Global Manuscripts curator, Zsófi Buda. These workshops offered an opportunity to explore the Persian and Arabic collections, including early decorated Qurans, offering inspiration and reflection for participants’ writing under Suhaiymah’s guidance. Community engagement with the collection is a vital and rewarding part of the Library’s work and allows curators to deepen their knowledge and promote understanding of the rich materials they are privileged to conserve.
We Have Always Been Here Podcast
The We Have Always Been Here podcast, produced by our placement student Matilda Seymour-Lewis, invites listeners to explore the curatorial processes behind the exhibition’s creation. Through insightful conversations with curators, the podcast delves into the chosen objects and each curator reflects on bringing overlooked perspectives within the collection to life.
Public Engagement
The public engagement programme accompanying the exhibition was designed to enhance both its accessibility and impact. It presented an opportunity for the EPER team to try exciting new formats aimed at deepening connections with our existing audiences and reaching new ones. Through a range of activities, including collections encounters, tours, and virtual presentations, attendees were able to engage with the exhibition’s narratives in ways that resonate personally, recognising the unique perspectives and experiences each individual brings to connecting with the collections.
British Sign Language Tour
One of the exhibition themes was titled “To Be Human,” acknowledging that the right to speak for ourselves and control our representation is not universally accessible. Historically, individuals with disabilities have been denied essential decision-making rights, including how their lives and identities are publicly portrayed. The exhibition cases displayed collections related to d/Deafness, deaf activism, and historical approaches to Deaf education.
The EPER team organised a series of events aimed at enhancing access to the stories and histories within the collections, including the first-ever British Sign Language interpreted tour of The John Rylands Library, in partnership with Tom and Shelley from the Interpreter Initiative. This tour welcomed members of Manchester’s Deaf community and encouraged deeper engagement with both the library and the exhibition. As with all tours at the Rylands, audience participation was encouraged, leading to enthusiastic interactions and many questions for the tour leader, Maisie Proctor (EPER Assistant).
Collection Encounters
During the exhibition, the EPER team organized a series of recurring collection encounters held in the Library’s original Reading Room, allowing visitors to drop by and explore collections related to the exhibition. Team members collaborated with curators to research and select engaging objects that connected to the exhibition’s themes. Attendees had the opportunity to closely interact with the collections and engage in one-on-one conversations with the engagement team and curators about the items on display.
Deaf Community, Culture and Collections
Ceri James and curator Steven Hartshorne, along with British Sign Language interpreters Tom and Shelley, invited attendees to explore the d/Deaf history from the late 19th century to the 1980s.
Attendees had the chance to delve into materials that reveal first-hand experiences of d/Deaf individuals and evolving societal attitudes toward deafness and hearing loss. It was a unique opportunity to see these historical documents up close, including items from our 19th-century Deaf Education Collection and the archive of Richard Goulden, a librarian and Deaf activist. In addition to providing BSL interpretation, Tom and Shelley also offered their expertise for attendees who were interested in learning BSL.
LGBTQ+ Voices
Delivered by Jack Hardman (EPER Assistant) and MT Hutchinson (Reader Services and Collections Assistant), This collection encounter offered attendees an opportunity to engage deeply with LGBTQ+ histories through direct interaction with unique and personal archives. Set within the Historic Reading Room, visitors explored letters sent to the famous French spy Chevalier d’Éon; lyric books from Buzzcocks frontman Pete Shelley; and photographs of Gwen Lally, the first female pageant master. Jack and MT expertly guided visitors with fascinating stories about the objects and people they represent. This interactive approach allowed attendees to connect with the material in a meaningful way, sparking greater curiosity to discover and explore further overlooked stories that shape our shared history.
Jack and MT also pioneered a completely new format for public engagement with collections at the Rylands, delivering the Library’s first ‘Virtually at the Rylands: LGBTQ+ Collections‘ YouTube livestream, bringing the collection encounter format to a global, online audience.
Legacy of We Have Always Been Here
We Have Always Been Here is both a reflection of past injustices and a hopeful statement for future inclusivity. The public engagement programme exemplifies how Libraries can lead the way in rethinking historical narratives and their presentation to encourage a more inclusive understanding.
As visitors engaged with the exhibition and its related activities, they were not only exploring marginalised histories but also contributing to a wider conversation about inclusion and identity. By re-examining collections, and inviting public participation, The John Rylands Research Institute and Library is ensuring that diverse voices are heard, celebrated, and preserved as integral parts of our collective heritage.
The EPER team would like to hear your ideas for future public engagement with collections and research at The University of Manchester Library. If you have a proposal or enquiry please contact us at jrl.events@manchester.ac.uk