About the festival

We Invented the Weekend is funded by Arts Council England, Salford City Council and MediaCity (a Peel Media Ltd and Landsec partnership) and supported by Salford’s Culture & Place Partnership, a cross-city collective delivering Suprema Lex, Salford’s strategy for culture, creativity and place which is led by The Lowry, Arts Council England, Salford City Council, Peel Media Ltd and the University of Salford.

The event delivery partner is HemingwayDesign who hold an impressive track record of delivering large-scale public engagement events across the country.

We Invented the Weekend is a true partnership project with generous contribution to the festival content from a number of key partners including the BBC, The Lowry and the University of Salford as well as many other arts and community organisations across the city.

Find out more

We Invented the Weekend: The Board

  • Julia Fawcett (Chair), CEO - The Lowry
  • Josie Cahill, Place Director - MediaCityUK
  • John Searle, Strategic Director of Place - Salford City Council
  • Heidi Dawson, Controller - BBC 5 Live & Sports Extra
  • Hana Ramsden, Young Board Member
  • Gwen Oakden, Development Director - The Lowry
  • Paul Dennett, City Mayor - Salford City Council
  • Rebecca Gatley, Young Board Member
  • Rebecca Swarray, Senior Policy Officer - Greater Manchester Combined Authority
  • Tom Stannard, Chief Executive - Salford City Council
  • Tommy Nagra, Director of Content - BBC Children In Need
  • Victoria Braddock, Director of International Marketing - Marketing Manchester
  • Wayne Hemingway, Partner - Hemingway Design

We Invented the Weekend: Community Steering Group

  • Andy Higgins
  • Lisa Scholes
  • Natalie Kheirkhah
  • Tabea Heckrodt

Partners

Lead partners

  • MediaCity, 
  • The Lowry, 
  • Salford City Council, 
  • Hemingway Design

Programme partners

  • University of Salford, 
  • BBC, 
  • Salford Community Leisure, 
  • Salford CVS
  • Bupa Foundation, 
  • dock10, 
  • Eat Well Manchester, 
  • HOST, 
  • Ipsos Mori, 
  • Islington Mill, 
  • ITV, 
  • Manchester International Festival, 
  • Manchester United, 
  • National Literacy Trust, 
  • Open University, 
  • RHS Bridgewater, 
  • Science and Industry Museum, 
  • Sounds from the Other City, 
  • Unity Radio, 
  • University of Manchester, 
  • Walk The Plank

Supported by

  • Carbon Creative, 
  • dock10, 
  • Co-op Food, 
  • Holiday Inn

Funded by

  • Arts Council England, 
  • MediaCity, 
  • Salford City Council