University to host live inspirational talk series at We Invented the Weekend

We Think Big will take place in the University of Salford’s MediaCity campus with guest speakers including Sky News’ Interview Producer Melissa Tutesigensi, CEO of Traid, Maria Chenoweth, and BBC Radio Manchester presenter, Karen Gabay. 

The series will be packed with insightful talks from industry leading panellists across the Saturday and Sunday, including journalists, environmentalists and architects discussing important topics across music, sport, fashion, and of course the weekend.

Kicking off the talk series, Melissa Tutesigensi, Interviews Producer at Sky News, will be joined by Salford and Eccles MP Rebecca Long-Bailey to pay homage to the heritage of the weekend with a discussion of the impact of free time on our wellbeing, taking inspiration from the workers’ fight for the right to the weekend and looking ahead to the future to ask: How can we make work, work for everyone?

Salford City Mayor, Paul Dennett, will join walking artist, activist and academic Dr Morag Rose, and architect and Strategic Lead for GreaterSport Manchester Kelly-Marie Rodgers, to discuss Salford’s accolade as the most sustainable place to live in England and Wales, and ask how a green city can also be a more equal city during The Grass can be Greener in Salford.

Other talks include How What We Eat Shapes Who We Are, which will see the Founder of Incredible Edible, Pam Warhurst CBE, Chef, Writer & Co-Founder of Eat Well MCR Mary-Ellen McTague and Founder & CEO of Blend Family, Matt Bigland discuss how food shapes the way we see the world, the role it plays in communities and what can be done to create a food system that is sustainable and accessible for all. Let’s Have a Kickabout, chaired by Digital Creative and Presenter Michael Andrew James Sheridan with panellists including John Shiels, CEO, Manchester United Foundation, will grapple with the power of sport in our society.

Audiences can also consider the future of travel during Travelling the World Without Costing the Earth, while The Devil Wears Fast Fashion will delve into how we can squash fast fashion and cultivate a sustainable closet through charity fashion, thrifting and upcycling during. Attendees will also be able to hear about how music shapes Greater Manchester during Happier Mondays - Music Driving Change. 

Beth Hewitt, Director of the University's MediaCity Campus, said: “We Invented the Weekend is such a fantastic festival and as one of the major partners involved, we are thrilled to be hosting and producing some exciting festival events. Expanding our contributions over the coming years will provide great opportunities for the University of Salford to further develop creative collaborations with regional, national, and international communities. 

“We're delighted to be hosting We Think Big, in our MediaCity Campus and look forward to welcoming panel guests and hosts from across the UK, who will be discussing a wide range of topics from sustainability and the environment to music, sports, and fashion. We're also excited to be producing a series of animation workshops, open to all ages and families too.

“So, please sign up to come along to our fabulous MediaCity Campus where you can get creative and think big with us for the weekend.”

Wayne Hemingway MBE, co-founder of the We Invented the Weekend festival commented on the We Think Big announcement: “We’re just two weeks away from the festival and can’t wait to welcome our audience to We Invented the Weekend in June. The We Think Big series promises to be a great addition to a jam-packed festival line-up and will bring the community together to engage in insightful conversations around a variety of topics that really matter. We Think Big provides an opportunity for everyone to get involved, discover new interests and learn something new - whether it's about sport, music, fashion. The festival is the first of its kind in the UK and the ultimate celebration of our free time”.

The talk series will be compèred on Saturday 3 June by University of Salford students Sheba Param, a Broadcast Journalist, Radio Presenter at Unity Radio and Co-Founder of Coarsen Studio, Divine Amaefule, a Television and Radio Production student, and undergraduate Broadcast Journalism student Megan Bond, while University of Salford students Kira Donovan and Niamh Heaton will host the programme on Sunday 4 June.

The talks will also be accompanied by a range of workshops taking place on Saturday 3rd June. Children can get involved with the world of stop-motion animation using props, characters and pre-made scenery to animate their own scenes during the Make a Scene! workshop, learn how to turn anything into a keyboard with Makey Makey Phigital Jam and find out if you have what it takes to deliver a live weather forecast in the University's state-of-the-art greenscreen TV studio during It’s a Breeze!

For full details of each talk and to book your free place, please click here.