Date – 9 May 2026
Venue – People’s History Museum
Audience – Public audience and those with an interest in the working-class history, the labour movement and Manchester regional history

May 2026 will mark the centenary of the General Strike when, for 9 days in May 1926, industrial production in Britain ground to a halt after trade unionists and workers tried unsuccessfully to force the government to stop wage reductions for 1.2 million locked-out coal miners.

People’s History Museum, The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The Working Class Movement Library and The Co-operative Heritage Trust, Co-op Archive are joining forces to commemorate the centenary of the General Strike.

Are you interested in presenting your academic research on any aspect of the General Strike and how it played out in Manchester and Northern England? Would you like to highlight heritage collections in your care or show case the work of local and regional history societies? Perhaps you are a family historian and want to share stories of trade unionists and activists in your family and neighbourhood. We are interested in short papers and presentations from academics, trade unionists, heritage professionals, archivists and independent researchers.

We hope to run an afternoon panel as part of a full day of activities held at People’s History Museum, including the chance to see collection items from the Labour History Archive and Study Centre and other partner institutions. There will also be tours of the People’s History Museum headline exhibition ‘On the Line: 100 years of solidarity and strikes’ and an artist-led textile workshop.

Please send a 200-word proposal and a short biography to Janette.martin@manchester.ac.uk by Monday 23 Feb 2026.