This website is the first phase of Manchester : Peripheral, a new project curated by Futuresonic and commissioned by Manchester International Festival, Futuresonic and The Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester. The full project will be debuted as a large-scale installation at the inaugural Manchester International Festival in summer 2007.

All the recordings feature local residents and ambient sounds taken on location in four wards across Manchester, identified through chance encounters on the streets and suggestions from members of the local community. The project is ongoing and open and we welcome any resident to submit further sounds for inclusion. If you would like to get involved, or be informed of future developments, sign up to our mailing list .

This project would not have been possible without a large number of people and organizations around the region, and we thank them all for their support and participation. If you are interested in learning more about any performer or group, please contact the Folk Songs Team (Alastair Dant, Tom Davis and David Gunn) at .