To celebrate LGBT history month we are excited to welcome artist Greg Thorpe to lead a workshop on his interactive artwork ‘A Mile of Black Paper’. Greg will be giving a talk about the history of HIV/AIDS activism in Manchester and beyond and then leading a workshop where attendees can make their own contribution to the piece. Greg explains:

'“When The New York Times bought its first fax machine, ACT UP faxed them a mile of black paper to protest their silence on AIDS, effectively shutting down the machine.” – Greenwich Village History

‘A Mile of Black Paper’ is a collaborative artwork and teaching tool inspired by this action. The work inverts the original activist action from an effective method of shutting down communication to a means of personal expression – a place to talk, write and make work about HIV and AIDS of the past, and ongoing HIV and AIDS.

As an artist, activist and historian, I visit universities, arts festivals, theatres, galleries, film screenings and museums, delivering ‘teach-ins’ about HIV and AIDS. In these often emotive exchanges, I invite audiences to make a piece of work for the collection. These are sometimes entire sheets of black ink, sometimes memorials, imagery, abstract expressions of feeling, pledges, questions, words. The work is gathered and exhibited and the collection grows.'

Attendees must already be known to George House Trust. Light refreshments will be provided.