Festival that’s right up your alley
THE festival season is upon us and while most people are packing the sun cream and wellies, one group of inspired residents are planning their very own event much closer to home.
A group of neighbours on Henderson Street, Levenshulme, have come together to launch a new community festival, The Ginnel Gathering.
The event will be held in the network of alleyways between local homes – transforming the normally dull spaces into a fiesta of activity celebrating the community’s diverse make-up and heritage.
The group are currently raising funds for the project which is due to take place on Sunday, July 30.
The Ginnel Gathering festival is the idea of resident Geli Berg. She said: “The Henderson Street neighbourhood consists of a wonderful mix of people from all over the world.
“The only thing which lets the neighbourhood down is the state of the network of ginnels, or alleyways, which interlace the 13 streets of the area. These spaces attract petty crime and fly-tipping and I wanted to do something to make things better.”
Visitors to the area will certainly find the alleyways unrecognisable if the crowdfunding target is achieved - as they will be filled with West African drumming and dance workshops, a celebration of Jamaican culture and children’s activities.
Festival-goers will also be able to explore Ginnel Grannies & Grandads, with elderly people sharing memories and advice, a Health and Wellbeing ginnel, a ginnel resembling a Syrian wedding and a ginnel showcasing the diverse music of the neighbourhood.
The residents are currently raising money for the ambitious project on a new online platform launched by Manchester council, in collaboration with Spacehive - an online crowd-funding platform that specialises in civic projects.
Crowd-funding is a way of raising money for an idea by using the internet to ask a large amount of people to make small donations.
The group behind The Ginnel Gathering are looking to raise £7,695 to fund the festival and have already received pledges worth more than £4,000
To find out more about the festival or to pledge a donation please visit www. spacehive.com/the-ginnel-gathering