Creative Consultation with Young People
Urban Wilderness CIC’s Future Canals of Manchester was a creative engagement project exploring how young people perceive and imagine the canals of Manchester — from neglected urban corridors to vibrant community spaces for nature, social life, and wellbeing. The work was carried out in partnership with Canal & River Trust, centring the voices of young people in understanding canal spaces and imagining futures for them.
Project Overview
Manchester’s canals are an important part of the city’s industrial heritage and green-blue network, yet many urban sections are experienced as neglected, under-used, or uncomfortable spaces. Through creative consultation, Urban Wilderness CIC invited young people to walk, photograph, reflect and share their views on these waterways — what they value, what concerns them, and what future possibilities they can see for canals as places of community, nature and activity.
Participants, included students from the Islamic School for Girls, took part in on-site walks and discussions that brought forward ideas spanning:
Green improvements and more seating
Social spaces, markets and activities
Water-based recreation (e.g., canoeing, boat life)
Ways to make canal corridors feel safer and more welcoming for all
Reflecting these ideas, the project developed a 3D architectural model of canal-side space that participants could adapt with their visions for the future — making visible a shared imagination for canals that support connection, play and creativity.
While planned exhibitions as part of Heritage Futures at Manchester Museum were disrupted by the pandemic, this consultation remains a rich snapshot of young people’s relationship with Manchester’s waterways.