Art With A Heart: Celebrating Salford's Centenery

Award-winning Salford based Arts company - Art with Heart - recently announced Salford Voices - the Word Premier of its Community Banner Exhibition at Salford Museum and Art Gallery from Saturday 21 February to Sunday 10 May 2026. This exhibition is set to kick start its creative celebrations of Salford’s centenary.

Nine banners make up this exhibition - one large designed in the style of a modern-day coat of arms for the City of Salford and eight smaller text-based ones capturing the heart of the city and each marking Salford’s 100 years. They have been created by textile artists Chris Alton and Emily Simpson in collaboration with residents and attendees of Broughton Community Centre. The banners include visual references to its local history landmarks, its natural habitats and green spaces and waterways. They also encapsulate Salford’s industrial heritage as well as the city’s thriving technology and media businesses. All nine banners represent a visual celebration of Salford’s renowned community spirit.

Through artist-led workshops and conversations on textile and sewing techniques, plus visits to The People’s History Museum to explore the powerful history of protest and community banners, the creative teams and the residents of Salford behind each banner will each illustrate how their city is very much a community for the people and by the people. A shared local pride will be evident through their artwork.

One of the artists behind the banners is Salford born Emily Simpson - who found her love of art and creativity through attending free workshops at the Salford Museum and Art Gallery with her Mum! She says: “I've always been proud to be from Salford, so this project has been really meaningful to work on - to celebrate and examine our city with other members of the community. I'm really excited that the banners will go on display at Salford Museum and Art Gallery. I have lots of happy memories of visiting whilst I was growing up - my parents took me regularly to art workshops and even a murder mystery in Lark Hill place. My favourite painting has always been 'Famine' by John Charles Doman. It used to fascinate and terrify me in equal measures, but I've spent a lot of time looking at it over the years. This was the first gallery I visited, and probably one of the places that made me fall in love with art."‍

Alongside the Banner Exhibition, Art with Heart will also display their Centenary Celebration Book. The book has been created by bookbinders Walker Print, a family firm founded in Salford, and its design is a tribute to the old corporation buses of Salford, fusing bottle green with a gold coat of arms. Throughout 2025 the book travelled across all 8 neighbourhoods of Salford for local residents to sign. The book travelled to schools, food banks, community centres, libraries, museums, festivals and fayres, during which time residents left messages of hope and resilience, celebration and joy for and about their community.

Book signatories to date include Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett, Coronation Street favourite, Cath Tyldsley, members of the Salford Red Devils supporters club, casting director Sarah Leung and members of Salford’s Local History Society. The book will remain open for the duration of the banner exhibition, to enable visitors to sign and reflect on what kind of place they would like Salford to be in 100 years’ time - for its people, its communities, and its future. The book will then be deposited in the Local History Library at Salford Museum and Art Gallery for future Salfordians to enjoy for years to come.

To ensure their work and this community celebration is accessible to all - Art with Heart are excited to collaborate with visually impaired writer, performer and access consultant Ada Eravama to enhance the experience of blind and partially sighted visitors. Ada’s work opens the arts for blind audiences, reimaging access as a creative act and catalyst for artistic innovation.‍

Amy Brunn, Salford Museum & Art Gallery Exhibitions Manager says: "We are delighted to work with Art with Heart on our first exhibition in our Community Cases. Banners are such a good way to communicate visually and we can't wait to see the work that the artists will produce with the Broughton Community Group."  

Art with Heart’s Salford Voices Exhibition at Salford Museum and Art Gallery is free and drop in – running from Saturday 21 February to Sunday 10 May 2026.

This exhibition will also be the first for the gallery’s new Community Cases. Located in the museum cafè, the new exhibition space will showcase artwork created by and about the communities of Salford.

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Header Image: A Salford Art With Heart Banner. (Joe Smith)