Nine community-made banners celebrating Salford’s heritage will go on display at Salford Museum and Art Gallery as part of the city’s centenary celebrations.
Broughton residents and community centre attendees have helped two talented artists to create a collection of banners that will honour “Salford’s renowned community spirit.”
They will be exhibited at Salford Museum and Art Gallery from Saturday 21st February to Sunday 10 May as part of local creative organisation Art with Heart’s ‘Salford Voices’ commission.
Textile artists Chris Alton and Emily Simpson have paid tribute to Salford’s wealth of historical landmarks, green spaces and waterways with their designs, while also recognising the city’s thriving media and technology industries.
The final designs shaped in the artists’ workshops have been carefully chosen after visits to The People’s History Museum to explore the powerful history of protest and community banners.
One of the artists behind the banners is Salford-born Emily Simpson found her love of art and creativity through attending free workshops at the Salford Museum and Art Gallery with her Mum.
Emily said that she’s delighted to have been selected to work on such a “meaningful” project.
“I’ve always been proud to be from Salford, so this project has been really meaningful to work on – to celebrate and examine our city with other members of the community,” she explained.
“I’m really excited that the banners will go on display at Salford Museum and Art Gallery. I have lots of happy memories of visiting whilst I was growing up – my parents took me regularly to art workshops and even a murder mystery in Lark Hill place.
“My favourite painting has always been ‘Famine’ by John Charles Doman. It used to fascinate and terrify me in equal measures, but I’ve spent a lot of time looking at it over the years. This was the first gallery I visited, and probably one of the places that made me fall in love with art.”
Alongside the Banner Exhibition, Art with Heart will also display their Centenary Celebration Book, which pays homage to the old corporation buses of Salford, fusing bottle green with a gold coat of arms.
Throughout 2025, the book travelled across all 8 neighbourhoods of Salford for local residents to sign. The book travelled to schools, food banks, community centres, libraries, museums, festivals and fayres, during which time residents left messages of hope and resilience, celebration and joy for and about their community.
Book signatories to date include Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett, Coronation Street favourite, Cath Tyldsley, members of the Salford Red Devils supporters club, casting director Sarah Leung and members of Salford’s Local History Society.
The book will remain open for the duration of the banner exhibition, to enable visitors to sign and reflect on what kind of place they would like Salford to be in 100 years’ time – for its people, its communities, and its future.
It will then be deposited in the Local History Library at Salford Museum and Art Gallery for future Salfordians to enjoy for years to come.
Art with Heart have collaborated with visually impaired writer, performer and access consultant Ada Eravama to enhance the experience of blind and partially sighted visitors.
Art with heart said: “Ada’s work opens the arts for blind audiences, reimaging access as a creative act and catalyst for artistic innovation.”
Amy Brunn, Salford Museum & Art Gallery Exhibitions Manager, said: “We are delighted to work with Art with Heart on our first exhibition in our Community Cases. Banners are such a good way to communicate visually and we can’t wait to see the work that the artists will produce with the Broughton Community Group.”
This project has been facilitated by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, The Booth Charities and The Radcliffe Trust and recieved funding from Salford CVS and Salford Council.
Art with Heart’s Salford Voices Exhibition at Salford Museum and Art Gallery is free and drop-in – running from Saturday 21st February to Sunday 10 May 2026.
