"It's the sound system culture for me lad. You can go anywhere on earth but that feeling you get when you go to a rave in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night and you're losing hope fast and you hear the faint sounds of music. Then spending the next unforetold amount of time having an absolute mad one. I'm not sure but I'm pretty confident that feelings are exclusive to Manchester."

"Growing up in Manchester was really hard, but there really is no place like it. The north is special, whether people like to admit it or not. No matter where I end up in the world I always find comfort coming back here. The people, the atmosphere, the history. I’m proud to be northern and proud to be made in Manchester."

"I was born northern and I’ll die northern.. that’s all I can really say, it’s in your blood. I couldn’t be more proud of anything than I am to be northern (specifically Selby). Had to name drop my tiny little town. Couldn’t leave it out"

"I’m a creative writing student originally from Birmingham, but I’ve been living and studying in Manchester for the past three years. I mainly write poetry, but I am also a visual artist and enjoy working in a variety of mediums ranging from paint to embroidery. Over my three years at uni I have found myself networking and connecting with likeminded artists almost accidentally. Manchester is an easy city to love, especially for young creatives like myself who want to take their first steps into the scene. It’s a creative hub that attracts artists from all across the country, something that’s reflected in the vibrancy of the city itself as well as the people that live in it. There’s inspiration around every corner, and every day is a new opportunity to find it"

"I came to Manchester for university. I stayed for the Music"

‘Modelling is another part of me I don’t get to express anywhere else. My degree, Banking and Finance (and nobody likes a banker), is all numbers, calculating, logic - and part of me loves that! But only part of me - that’s not who I am completely. Cos on the other hand there’s a girl who likes to be wild and free - who likes high heels and feathers and dancing on bars and strutting around like she owns the place - and that’s also me - that’s model Beth. I don’t paint, I don’t draw, but modelling is my creative outlet. Behind the camera there’s no better feeling . Hell, I’m small time but I feel like a super model. I bring energy to every shoot - I don’t hold back and I love it. I get to be myself after suppressing all the loud, boisterousness to appear ‘professional’. When I moved to Manchester I got to build a new life for myself. Gone was the bad blood of small town life. I could wear what I want without feeling the judging eyes of small minded people who have no knowledge of the world outside their bubble.God that’s cheesy - but it’s from the slightly tipsy, genuine part of my heart. I love my art - it made me"

"I love Manchester, you don't notice it but everything is here somewhere"

"Manchester has such a great network. You're going to pick up on this as you go about making this book. But it's so rapid how quickly you can find someone who knows someone you know. and once you start running in certain circles the same certain people will start turning up."

"Spread peace and love"

"Manchester has a soul and spirit like no other. It can put you on edge, test your character, send some over the edge and elevate some to the highest. I grew up in a school where some are working as physicists, politicians, some studying masters at Cambridge and oxford, some travelling the world but also some in jail for murder. In this city there is a mix of everything, cultures, passions, attitudes.. But what we all have is a northern soul, seeing the funny side of most and an openness to accept like no other city I’ve seen"

Where the North Begins

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Where the North Begins

Upon moving to Manchester amidst the pandemic I quickly realised how few people I knew here.

I started thinking to myself, I wish there was a directory of sorts, a who's who Manchester's movers and shakers.

I started hunting for a book but I genuinely couldn't find one.

See a need you fill a need.

And so I started my journey documenting the people up north. The aim of this project is to build a print book as soon as I have collected 500 people.