Creativity, making and innovation have long shaped the city of Salford. From roots in manufacturing and industry, through the University’s origin in 1896 as the Royal Technical Institute of Salford, to today’s thriving community of artists, makers and designers, Salford has always been a place to experiment, invent and imagine.

This display brings together work from the University Art Collection, material from the University Archives, and new work by staff from the School of Art Media and Creative Technology. Created to mark the city’s 100th anniversary in 2026, it celebrates the role of makers and making in Salford’s past and present.

Prints, sculpture, drawing and mixed media works explore the act of making in different ways. Some focus on process, experimenting with form, material and function. Others use recycled materials or touch on environmental themes, considering the balance of production and sustainability. Several reflect on the relationship between humans and the material, technological and social worlds around us.

Many of these works were developed and acquired through local and regional partnerships, including Hot Bed Press, Islington Mill, Paradise Works and Salford Museum & Art Gallery – collaborations that reflect a shared commitment to supporting creative practice in the city and beyond. Materials from the University Archives add further context, highlighting our long-standing role in providing technical skills and shaping the workforce of the future – a commitment that continues today and aligns with the City Council’s strategy for culture, creativity and place.

Together, these works reflect on the sense of joy and purpose that can be found in making, as well as encouraging careful consideration of our past, present and future as makers of objects, stories and histories.