Revisited: Calabash film

Acting Up! 40 Years of HIV Activism — Film for George House Trust, Manchester

Working with charities and not-for-profits such as George House Trust in Manchester get's us to the heart of the stories that matter. This was an amazing project to be involved with in 2024 highlighting the remarkable work that GHT do for African men living with HIV in Manchester and Liverpool.

The film was included in the exhibition at Manchester Central Library, where it sits alongside archival material, photography, protest ephemera and personal stories that together trace the social and political history of HIV activism in Greater Manchester. The exhibition will be on display at Manchester Central Library from April 2025 to December 2025.

The Acting Up! exhibition is one of the standout events celebrating George House Trust’s 40th anniversary. Generously funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the exhibition explores how individuals and organisations came together, often in the face of stigma, fear, and silence to demand better healthcare, visibility and rights for people living with HIV.

From its earliest days, George House Trust has been part of a much wider network of grassroots activism. Importantly, this exhibition does not focus on a single organisation alone. Instead, it shines a light on the collective effort, the partnerships, volunteers, campaigners, and communities who have worked tirelessly to create a world where HIV holds no one back.

Being asked to contribute to this project was a privilege. It offered an opportunity to reflect on the role of visual storytelling within social history, and on the responsibility that comes with documenting lived experience.

If you’re in Manchester during the exhibition’s run, I’d strongly encourage a visit. Acting Up! is not only a look back at 40 years of HIV activism in Greater Manchester, but a reminder of what collective action can achieve.