Salford Re-Discovered – Join the party
Solid Ground partnered with English Cities Fund, Salford Council, Arts Council England and Salford University deliver Salford Re-Discovered on the lawn at Crescent showcasing and celebrating Salford’s artists, stories and green spaces.
The event was created after a two-year long city-wide programme of events which highlighted and celebrated Salford’s green spaces – inspired by the launch of RHS Bridgewater gardens in May 2021. Over 2020-2022 Rediscovering Salford animated the city with new commissions, exhibitions, workshops and events.
As the project came to a close, there was a need to gather, share and celebrate the project with in a centralised location so Crescent was chosen, and the event spanned across Salford Museum and Art Gallery, the University of Salford campus and Peel Park.
Dates delivered:
Thursday 16th June 2022
Location:
Crescent, Salford
Event:
Salford Re-Discovered – Join the party
Solid Ground were chosen, whilst working on the Crescent Masterplan to deliver the placemaking strategy, to devise and deliver the main entertainment hub, seating, food and drink for the wider event, whilst supporting and collaborating with the existing planned activity throughout the campus with Salford Culture and Place Partnership.
Working with a local Salford contractor to deliver the marquee, bands and performers from the university, PA system from a local contractor based at Islington Mill, and local street food operators GRUB, a large – scale event was popped up on the lawn outside the Museum & Art Gallery to host over 1,000 attendees.
Salford Rediscovered included music, films, tours, performances and a joy-filled celebration of the Rediscovering Salford exhibition and commissions, including a one-time-only appearance of Madam Mort, as created by drag artist Cheddar Gorgeous. Families, local residents, students and creatives alike enjoyed workshops and fun-for-all performances throughout the day, with live music and plenty of entertainment, well into the evening.
It was the first time any event of this kind had been delivered in that location, so Solid Ground had to put in a huge amount of operational work to ensure the event was able to be delivered safely, including CAT Scans of the ground, protection strategy for the green spaces and liaison with the local authorities, and Safety Advisory Group. The event management plan created for this event, has been used as a blueprint for the local area and has been successfully replicated by other parties since this date.
Activating the area and signposting it as a key location for future events was a huge success as a part of the wider Crescent masterplan placemaking strategy, and this legacy has continued with Sounds from the Other City hosting their 2024 edition, and plan to host their 2025 20 year celebration in the same location.
