Manchester HIV Activists continue the fight to eradicate AIDS by 2030
Right here in Manchester, a community-led outreach program called ‘In Equal Parts’ is taking on HIV - aiming to eradicate the disease within ten years whilst ending the shame and stigma surrounding it.
Community Exhibition on HIV presented alongside the original production of ‘First Time’
As scientists across the world have spent 2020 scrambling to find a vaccine for the virus putting life on pause – another group much closer to home have been fighting a battle against a very different beast.
Right here in Manchester, a community-led outreach program called ‘In Equal Parts’ is taking on HIV – aiming to eradicate the disease within ten years whilst ending the shame and stigma surrounding it.
This incredible project also has an incredible origins story. It all began with a play.
First Time was a performance written by the Mancunian creator of the project Nathaniel Hall (who describes himself as an ‘accidental activist’). Premiering in 2018 and appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, it documents the protagonist’s difficult journey with HIV, whilst also keeping the audience laughing.
After two successful sold out tours of First Time, the 2020 Autumn tour was cancelled due to coronavirus, which spurned Nathaniel to create and curate In Equal Parts instead.
Nathaniel Hall at Edinburgh Fringe Festival
The goal of this project is to help with the global aim to end all new transmissions of AIDS worldwide by 2030, but also to open up a dialogue on a smaller scale about an issue that affects over 38million people.
According to Worldaidsday.org: “Each year in the UK over 4,450 people are diagnosed with HIV, people do not know the facts about how to protect themselves and others, and stigma and discrimination remain a reality for many people living with the condition.”
‘In Equal Parts’ combines artists and non-artists, people with HIV and people without, and educates them on modern healthcare and prevention, destigmatize the virus and empower people to understand their role in ending all new transmissions by 2030.
In preparation for World Aids Day on the December 1, Nathaniel Hall will be leading the project alongside Yvonne Richards, Paul Fairweather and Mark Holder. All four have different relationships with the virus, and all are determined in their plight to bring awareness to the disease.
Nathaniel said: “To date, In Equal Parts has engaged over 5.5k people in creative workshops, talks, exhibitions, rapid HIV testing and fundraising parties – over 18k people have been engaged online.”
Education and Outreach Workshops, In Equal Parts
The project is working in partnership with George House Trust, Positive Steps North West, Contact and Waterside Arts.
At 8pm on World Aids Day, a digital event hosted by Contact in association with George House Trust and Superbia will join Nathaniel and Jordan Roberts in a creative discussion panel about HIV stigma and shame, with Positive Speakers from George House Trust.
The panel will be open to all questions surrounding the disease, and the event will be closed by the premier of Jordan Roberts’ brand new film: HIV + Me.
Free condoms are provided at theatre venues
Coming soon, HIV+Me will also showcase the lives of three people in Greater Manchester currently living with AIDS, through three short films.
The project has also created ACTUP+Live, a free virtual learning resource for local schools and community groups that will help to raise awareness of HIV in the younger generation, and explores how everyday creativity can inspire radical change.
The activities continue into 2021, with events such as ‘a conversation with Russel T. Davies’, artist development workshops with Nathaniel Hall, and increased promotion of sortHIVorg.uk, which encourages access to HIV testing and PrEP.
Community Exhibition on HIV displayed alongside the ‘First Time’ production
Tickets for the first In Equal Parts digital event can be found here.
More information on the In Equal Parts outreach program can be found online.
News
Police issue response and update after ‘shocking’ BBC documentary on The Moors Murders airs
Emily Sergeant
A response and update has been issued by the police after a new documentary on The Moors Murders aired on the BBC this week.
The Moors Murders: A Search for Justice is a two-part documentary series that takes a look back at what is, undoubtedly, one of the most heinous crimes in British history more than 60 years after it happened in the hopes of discovering new evidence and finding answers to the questions that are still left open.
The show aims to document the six decades of suffering that the victims’ families endured in the case that shook the nation.
A synopsis for the two-part documentary series on the BBC website reads: “The Moors murderers, Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, were sentenced to life in 1966 for killing three children. In fact, they had killed five children, and 12-year-old Keith Bennett has never been found.
Moors Murders victim Keith Bennett / Credit: GMP
“But now a team, including author and film-maker Duncan Staff, former murder detective Martin Slevin and forensic archaeologist Professor John Hunter, has examined past investigations, rediscovered files and delved into Ian Brady’s archive.
“They reveal possible grave sites, uncover critical material and perhaps help to solve a case that’s remained open for nearly 60 years.”
The first episode of the documentary aired on BBC Two on Wednesday night (30 July), and the next episode is due to hit TV screens next Wednesday 6 August at 9pm – with more ‘revelations’ and ‘newly uncovered evidence’ expected to be presented.
Public interest in the case has hardly been lost over the past six decades, but given the recent attention the documentary has brought, this has led Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to issuing a statement and update on their ongoing investigations, and assuring that the case is still very much open and and being looked into.
Myra Hindley and Ian Brady – the serial killers behind the Moors Murders, including Keith Bennett / Credit: GMP
“Greater Manchester Police’s investigation into Keith’s disappearance has remained open since 1964,” the statement begins.
“While visible searches have paused over time, with the most recent taking place in 2022, an investigation team within our Major Crime Review Unit, continues our work to find the answers Keith family deserves.”
GMP confirmed that most of the case’s investigative activity continues ‘outside of public view’, revealing that this is done in the hopes that further evidence relating to this case can be uncovered.
The Moors Murders: A Search for Justice is currently airing on the BBC / Credit: BBC
The update continues: “We are in regular contact with Keith’s family, who are central to any action we take. They are kept updated on the ongoing lines of enquiry – some of which, could be jeopardised by public disclosure, and no further comment on these matters will be given.”
Police say they remain ‘very interested’ in any information that could lead to the discovery of Keith.
“We will be seeking to obtain, review, and establish the relevance of all the information held by the documentary team,” GMP’s statement concludes.
The second part of The Moors Murders: A Search for Justice will air on BBC Two next Wednesday 6 August at 9pm.
Featured Image – GMP
News
New free app launches to help people find the best nature spots in and around Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A new free app has launched to help people find, discover, and visit nature on their doorstep.
Wildling is aiming to be a simple one-step solution to the growing mental health crisis and the urgent need to care for the natural world.
By helping people visit nature more easily, and giving them tools to truly connect with it at this same time, Wildling is well on its way to supporting personal wellbeing and the joy of easily discovering nature across the UK, all while nurturing a sense of care and action for the planet.
Supported by partners including the RSPB, Marine Conservation Society ,and Forestry England, and backed by advisors and environmentalists like Ben Goldsmith, Eden Project founder Tim Smit, and Dragon’s Den’s Deborah Meaden, the new app brings the UK’s wild spaces and hidden green spots together in one place.
A new free app has launched to help people find the best nature spots in Manchester / Credit: Kitera Dent | Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)
Featuring more than 1,500 locations across the country, from coastlines and woodlands, to nature reserves, the app also includes a wide range of tips to help you make your time in nature easier, more enjoyable, and more meaningful.
The app has been created with the input of research carried out by the University of Derby, based on responses from more than 68,000 adults across England over two years.
The study found that people who spend time in nature every day report up to 22% greater life satisfaction, 17% higher happiness, and an average uplift of around 19% in overall wellbeing, compared to those who rarely go out.
Regular time in nature was also found to have a ‘striking’ effect on pro-environmental behaviour too, according to the survey.
Wildling was created by impact entrepreneur Ant Rawlins who wanted to make accessing nature ‘easier’ for everyone.
“We wanted to give people the tools to engage with nature by making it genuinely easy to visit, by showing them nearby nature places and giving them everything they need to make it happen,” says Ant Rawlins commented.
Wildling connects Mancs to the outside world and all it has to offer / Credit: Sol Stock (Supplied)
Ant said the study shows that spending more time in nature just a nice idea, it makes you happier, increases your satisfaction with life, lifts your overall wellbeing, and encourages you to look after the world around you.
“That’s exactly why Wildling was created,” he concluded.
Gemma Bradley -
30th November 2020 
