Arrivals: Migration Stories from Manchester

What does it mean to grow up between places? Debra was born in Lagos and came to the UK as a small child, arriving first in London before her family eventually settled in Salford. At school she was often one of the only Black girls in the room, and even her name sometimes made her feel like she stood out. She reflects on the long process of finding her footing, taking in faith, identity and the ex...

Growing up on a housing estate in Kraków where the world of art seemed impossibly remote, Magda developed a restless curiosity that pushed her beyond that environment, first teaching herself make-up artistry as a teenager and then working on Polish film sets. Eventually, this instinct led her to Manchester, where she arrived with no job and no clear plan. But she discovered a city full of creative...

Martin arrived in Manchester from rural Ireland in the 1960s, aged just 14. He looks back on a childhood spent on the small farm where he grew up, in a close-knit community where neighbours helped each other through hard times and life moved to the rhythm of the seasons. Manchester, when he first arrived, was a shock. The city felt overwhelming and unfamiliar and Martin wondered if he would ever s...

Raluca was born in Bucharest just weeks before the Romanian Revolution of 1989, part of a generation often described as the first to grow up free. In this episode she talks about how family history and identity have shaped her life, from stories of formidable women in her family to a childhood spent chasing opportunities to travel. This curiosity eventually brought her to the UK, where a scholarsh...

Hana grew up in Gujranwala in Pakistan, the youngest in a close-knit family raised by a single mother whose determination shaped the course of her life. In this episode she reflects on how a decision to ride a bike to her school eventually led her to Manchester, where she now lives. Along the way there has been homesickness, curiosity, the comfort of familiar clothes carried across continents and...

Arrivals is a five-episode podcast series sharing first-person migration stories from people who have made their lives in Manchester. Starts 10th March 2026. Across the series, participants reflect on place, memory, family, identity, work, belonging, and what it can mean to arrive somewhere new and begin again. Arrivals is produced by Levenshulme Old Library and is supported by the Windrush Commun...