Victorian Manchester

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By taking on the roles of characters from our artworks, pupils will begin to understand how and why Manchester grew during the Victorian period. Through drama activities and use of an engaging online interactive they will empathise with rich and poor people of the time.

Aims:Pupils in Victorians workshop

  • To find out about the differences between rich and poor people living in Manchester using the street, the building and the artworks in Manchester Art Gallery
  • To use role play and physical activity to empathise with different characters
  • To look at Ford Madox Brown's painting Work in detail to find out about types of work and social status

What happens in a session:

  • Pupils are introduced to characters from Ford Madox Brown's painting, Work, and take on one of these characters remaining in role for the duration of the session
  • Through an introduction and drama activities around several artworks, pupils will experience the changes that poor people went through when they moved into the cramped city
  • They will also understand how the wealthier people had to learn to cope with the influx of poorer people
  • Pupils will also use objects to reflect more closely on the life of their character

Preparation:

  • It would be helpful if pupils have some outline knowledge of the Victorian era and types of working and living conditions for rich and poor
  • Classes will be divided into four groups for this session so it would be very helpful if the class was accompanied by 4 adults and split into groups prior to arrival

Follow-up: