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.
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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.”
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‘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.”
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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.
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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.
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Everything you need to know about watching the solar eclipse in Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
People all across the UK will be able to see an almost total solar eclipse in the sky this evening.
For the first time this century, with the last one being all the way back in 1999, people in the UK and Ireland – including here in Greater Manchester – will get to see 90-96% of the sun covered by the moon today (12 August 2026), and if that wasn’t exciting enough as it is, this will be the last chance to do so until 2081.
NASA and Royal Museums Greenwich has confirmed that tomorrow’s solar eclipse will be the most coverage seen from the UK and Ireland since the 1999 event.
But what can astronomy fans in Greater Manchester expect from today’s eclipse? When will it be happening? How much coverage is our region going to see? And where are some of the best places to watch?
First up, let’s get the basics out the way – what is a solar eclipse? A solar eclipse occurs when the moon moves between the sun and the Earth, blocking the sun’s light either partly or fully.
Although the UK will only see a partial solar eclipse this time, some other countries – such as parts of Iceland, Spain, Portugal, and Greenland – will be lucky enough to witness the spectacle of a total eclipse for a duration of up to two minutes and 18 seconds.
When will it be happening?
The eclipse is set to start at 6:13pm in Greater Manchester, and will run right through to 8:03pm – with the peak happening at 7:10pm.
How much coverage can Greater Manchester expect?
Of course, we always have to preface anything we say about astronomical events like this by saying ‘it depends on the weather’, as we do like in the North West after all, and even though it is the height of summer, that won’t stop the skies from being overcast.
Luckily though, the Met Office is predicting some of the best weather conditions for an event like this in a long time, so it really is worth watching.
Spectators in Manchester will see 91.9% coverage, according to expert sources.
Where are some of the best places to watch the solar eclipse in Greater Manchester?
As a general rule, any open and elevated position with a view to the West will be the best place to catch a glimpse of this rare spectacle.
But across Greater Manchester, we have plenty of those, so some of the most recommended places to see the solar eclipse include Werneth Low, Rivington Pike, or even Salford Quays. There are also a number of dedicated viewing events happening in places like Heaton Park, Platt Fields Park, and Barton Aerodrome to make the most of.
How can I watch the eclipse safely?
If there’s one thing experts are stressing, it’s the need to take correct precautions if you are planning to watch tomorrow.
The most important thing is to wear eclipse glasses and avoid looking directly at the sun.
It’s true that during an eclipse, the sun does appears dimmer therefore making it easier to look at directly, however solar radiation can still reach and damage the retina, often without causing any pain, so you may not realise harm is occurring until it’s too late.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) advises that there are two safe approaches – specialist eclipse viewers, or indirect viewing methods.
Eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers must be genuine, sold by a reputable retailer, and have specially designed filters that meet the international safety standard ISO 12312-2:2015(E). They must also have no scratches, tearing, or damage to the lens.
Old pairs may not be reusable, and sunglasses should never be used.
Indirect view methods include viewing the sun’s image projected through a colander or the gaps between tree leaves on to white paper, or using a pinhole pierced in one sheet of card and projected on to another.
Featured Image – Mathew Schwartz (via Unsplash)
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A rare piglet born at Chester Zoo could help save an entire species from extinction
Danny Jones
A very cute and rare new arrival at Chester Zoo could potentially save the animal’s future, and she might just be one of the cutest little piglets we’ve ever seen.
Say hello to Rana.
A tiny ‘babirusa’ – also sometimes referred to as the ‘pig-deer’ – Rana is an indigenous species found on just four small Indonesian islands, and one which is sadly on the verge of extinction, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Part of the threat to the population is due to African Swine Fever (not to be confused with swine flu), which reached these islands around half a decade ago and could see these precious little pigs considered ‘critically endangered’ very soon. But Chester Zoo are working hard to prevent this outcome.
Born this summer, Rana is the baby of mother babirusa Matano, who was herself born at Chester Zoo over a decade ago.
Fast forward 11 years, and she has descendants living in zoos all across Europe, as well as a whole new generation of children here in the UK.
However, she is the first one born in some time, with this particular phylum only ever birthing one or two kids at a time as opposed to a litter like most other pigs.
Described as being like grapefruit “only with legs”, she may be small for now, but she’s growing fast and carries the weight of big hopes and expectations for the rest of her kind.
Chester Zoo conservationists are currently working with partners to protect wild babirusa populations through Action Indonesia‘s Global Species Management Plans.
Helping design camera-trapping projects to monitor babirusas on Sulawesi, and working with other organisations to locate and protect surviving numbers, the aim is to share conservation breeding expertise, with results so far having bred at least 17 babirusas towards national cooperative targets.
For context, only on two occasions were babirusas photographed in the wild during the entirety of 2023-24, hence why efforts have been ramped up even further over the past year or so.
Amy Humphreys, a conservationist at the zoo who is working with Action Indonesia, the country’s government and other groups to combat their decline and rescue this species, says we are in “a race against time” to save these omnivorous, ‘charismatic’ and intelligent pigs.
She goes on to add that “babirusas are important to island ecosystems as they drop seeds as they forage, helping forest regeneration, and they are a key indicator species for overall environmental health, but their situation is bleak.
“We risk losing a truly unique species, one that’s an important part of Indonesia’s cultural and natural heritage and one of the oldest pig species still living […] Rana’s arrival is worth celebrating; her birth is a chance to shine a light on babirusas and show people why they deserve protection.”
It’s uplifting and inspiring stories like this that constantly remind us why we’re fortunate we are to have the award-winning zoo and conservation centre in our region; and if you were wondering whether we’ll be booking a trip soon just in hopes of seeing little Rana running around, you’d be absolutely right.
Gemma Bradley -
30th November 2020 
