What’s on in May?
29 Apr 2025
Welcome to May’s edition of ‘What’s on?’. Here you will find everything you can get involved in for free each month, ranging from cultural, extracurricular and celebratory events and activities.
Events
Staff Network Day
Join the Directorate of EDI for their annual Staff Network Day. Visit our Staff Network stalls and meet the co-chairs and members, who will be happy to answer your questions.
- Find the event on Wednesday, 14 May at Benugo Café, Simon Building 11am to 1pm
- Book your place to ‘Human Library’ at Room 4.08, Simon Building 12pm to 1pm
John Kennedy Lecture Series: In conversation with Dame Louise Richardson
Join Dame Louise Richardson alongside Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor as they deliver the second lecture as part of The John Kennedy Lecture Series.
- Book your tickets on Thursday, 22 May 6pm to 8.30pm at Nancy Rothwell Building
Centre for Digital Trust and Society Seed Corn Showcase
The Centre for Digital Trust and Society (CDTS) awards seed corn funding to cutting-edge proposals that further our research and understanding of digital trust and society.
- Book your place on Friday, 16 May 2.30pm to 5pm at Engineering Building A, Blended Theatre 1
Transform your old T-shirt into a Tote Bag – Recycling Fabrics Workshop
Learn how to sew by hand at our recycling workshops. Reduce waste while having fun. Sewing kits will be provided.
- Book your place on Friday, 9 May 2pm to 4pm at University Place, Room 5.207
Our cultural institutions
Manchester Museum
Wednesday, 7 and 14 May (12pm to 12.50pm): Introductory tai chi qigong sessions
Wednesday, 7 May (3pm to 8pm): Wellbeing Wednesday Spring to Mind
Saturday, 10 May (10.30am to 4pm): Vesak at the Museum
Monday, 12 May (11am to 2pm): Culture Monday: musical edition
Tuesday, 13 and 27 May (11am to 12.30pm): Wild Shared Reading
Wednesday, 14 and 21 May (6pm to 8pm): Exploring Mixed Race Identities
Wednesday, 14 May (1.30pm to 2.30pm): What lies within?
From Wednesday, 14 May: Silent Skies
Sunday, 18 May (10am to 4pm): International Museum Day 2025
Wednesday, 21 May (6pm to 7.30pm): Critical Conversations
Saturday, 24 to Sunday, 25 May (10am to 5pm): Africa Day at the Museum
Tuesday, 27 May (1pm to 3pm): Cyanotype workshop
Saturday, 31 May (12pm to 4pm): Meet the Changemakers
Whitworth Art Gallery
Various dates: Women in Revolt events programme
May half-term: Afrocats x Whitworth
John Rylands Research Institute and Library
Thursday, 8 May (6pm to 8.30pm): Welcome to the club with DJ Paulette and Kamila Rymajdo
Tuesday, 20 May (5pm to 6.30pm): The 2025 Sherman Lecture: Moses Gaster; Scholar, Collector, Rabbi, Activist
Wednesday, 28 May (12.30pm to 2pm): In Conversation: Jon Savage and Richard Dyer on The Secret Public
Our community
Religious celebrations and traditions
Beltane (Wheel of the Year) Thursday, 1 May
Vesak (Buddhism) Monday, 12 May
Ascension of Christ (Christianity) Thursday, 29 May
Shaheedi Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji (Sikhism) Friday, 30 May
- Read more about religious celebrations our colleagues take part in this May
Awareness days
National Day for Staff Networks: Wednesday, 14 May:
International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Lesbaphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBLIT): Saturday, 17 May
Groups and societies
Book club – Celebrating our 5th birthday!
The UoM Book club started in May 2020 to create a community and bring people together in a safe way. This month we celebrate 5 years together and are still welcoming new members.
This month’s book is ‘To Kill a Mocking Bird’ by Harper Lee. We will also recap ‘Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens’ by David Mitchell and ‘Astral Travel’ by Elizabeth Baines.
You don't even need to have finished the book (although there will be spoilers!).
Why not head over to our Viva Engage (yammer) group for more reading inspiration!
- Contact Fiona.Lynch@manchester.ac.uk for the zoom link for Friday, 30 May 12.30pm to 1.30pm
Want to feature your event next month?
If your event is free and open to all colleagues at the University, you can advertise it here next month!
Submit your suggestion to uninews@manchester.ac.uk by 25 of each month to feature in the following month. Please send us a short description (max 30 words) and any relevant links you may have too.
Please note that we unfortunately cannot guarantee your submission will feature, but we will do our best to feature as many as we can.
The deadline to feature in June’s ‘What’s on?’ is 25 May. Any questions, just drop us an email!