Illustration: Bradley Sansom

Manchester’s iconic buildings were illuminated with captivating animations this week, to launch Manchester Met’s 200th anniversary celebrations.

Projections fell upon Manchester Cathedral, St. Ann’s Church, and Manchester Town Hall on January 10th, highlighting the university’s long standing connection to the city. Bold splashes of yellow, pink and blue could be seen projected onto these monumental, historical Manchester buildings.

Professor Steve Rothberg, Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Manchester Met, shares the idea behind this: “We are sharing the launch of our anniversary celebrations at some of the city’s most iconic buildings to emphasise how proud we feel about being right in the heart of Manchester over the last 200 years.”

The contrast of old and new captured the university’s aim of celebrating both its historic legacy, and its future place in leading progress, in this bicentennial anniversary.

Manchester Met took this opportunity to reflect on its history and impact in the world. The university describes this as ‘[driving] innovation and progress through excellent education and research’ and ‘transforming how people live.’

The illuminations offered a glimpse of what we can expect over the next year as Manchester Met’s anniversary celebrations unfold: “To mark our 200th anniversary, we’re showcasing successes and the incredible work we’re doing to build a better future for all.”

The year-long celebrations will involve a series of activities and events to highlight the five central areas the University is passionate about: Economic growth, transforming health, creative excellence, sustainability, and tackling inequalities.

Since the founding of the Manchester Mechanics Institute in 1824, Manchester Met has grown into one of the largest universities in the UK.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Malcolm Press, described this evolution: “We’ve grown to become the future-facing, modern, global institution that we are today.”

Manchester Met is a considered a leading institution for research addressing the challenges of our time, with local, national and global impact. Today, the University is home to 43,000 students, 5,100 members of staff and has 330,000 alumni across more than 170 countries. 

The establishment of SODA (School of Digital Arts), fuelled by £35m investment signifies this focus on innovation and creativity.

 Professor Malcolm Press added: “We’re creative, confident, passionate and proud – just like the city we call home – so our 200-year anniversary is a great chance for us all to come together and celebrate.” 

As seen in the launch event, this celebration is not just for the university but also a celebration of the city and its community. 

Professor Steve Rothberg shares his aims for the university’s future: “As we set our ambitions and aspirations for the future of Manchester Metropolitan University, we are passionate about enabling and inspiring the next generations of people, businesses, and communities to reach their full potential and make their mark on society, culture and economy in a complex world.”

The bicentenary celebrations will shed light on Manchester Met’s past achievements, and present how the university plans to continue its legacy of transforming lives.

To commemorate this landmark, aAh! Magazine will be launching a special print issue around the theme LEGACY, to celebrate and explore the past, present and future legacies of Manchester Met, its community and the wider city.