Entangled Light : Talk, Exhibition Tour and Late Opening: Wednesday 11 November
As part of Being Human Festival 2026, join artist-researchers Helen McGhie and Anthony Hall for an evening exploring urban gardens as spaces for creativity, community connection and sustainable futures.
Explore Entangled Light during a special late opening at Islington Mill, featuring a roundtable discussion, exhibition tour and a pop-up soil-powered light installation.
As part of Being Human Festival 2026, join artist-researchers Helen McGhie and Anthony Hall from Manchester Metropolitan University’s School of Digital Arts for an evening exploring urban gardens as spaces for creativity, community connection and sustainable futures.
The event brings together reflections from the Entangled Light project, which explored relationships between photography, ecology, community and place through a series of creative workshops with local participants.
Free – Booking advised due to limited spaces
All events take place at Islington Mill, 1 James St, Salford M3 5HW.
Programme
5:00pm – 6:00pm | Creative Reflections from the Garden
An engaging roundtable discussion exploring the role of urban gardens as spaces for creative, community connection and sustainable futures.
The session will introduce the Entangled Light project and invite participants to reflect on the photographs and idea developed through the project’s garden-based workshops. It will include a guided walk through the garden and conversations around ecology cultural greening and the future of shared urban spaces
During this event, participants will:
- Reflect on the photographs and ideas explored through the garden exhibition
- Experience a pop-up soil-powered light installation
- Learn about the development of the project and its outcomes
- Share ideas about community gardens, creativity and sustainable futures
- Meet participants, creative practitioners and organisations connected to the project
- Enjoy light refreshments from the Deli Lama café at Islington Mill
Entangled Light participants include Year 5 pupils from St Philip’s CE Primary School, members of Islington Mill Art Academy, Incredible Edible Salford gardeners and local residents. Whether you participated in Entangled Light or are visiting the exhibition for the first time, everyone is welcome.
6:00pm – 7:30pm | Exhibition Tour and Late Opening
Continue the evening with a guided tour of the Entangled Light exhibition with the project leads.
The exhibition explores relationships between creativity, ecology, sustainable energy and place. Photographs include portraits of Salford communities made by Helen McGhie and still life images created by Year 5 pupils from St Philip’s CE Primary School, members of Islington Mill Art Academy, Incredible Edible Salford volunteers and local residents.
Visitors can also experience a pop-up soil experience a pop-up soil-powered light installation in More-Than-Human Photography Studio, located within the shipping container where the photographs were created.
During this event, participants will:
- Explore the Entangled Light exhibition with the project leads
- Learn about the creative processes behind the project
- Experience a pop-up soil-powered light installation
- Meet project participants and learn about their involvement with Entangled Light
Entangled Light participants include Year 5 pupils from St Philip’s CE Primary School, members of Islington Mill Art Academy, Incredible Edible Salford gardeners and local residents. Whether you participated in Entangled Light or are visiting the exhibition for the first time, everyone is welcome.
It is part of Being Human Festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities, taking place 5–14 November 2026. Being Human is led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy.
