The Listening Programme is well underway!

We wanted to understand the journey of making emerging work and surviving on the fringes - where are the support and platforming opportunities found? How are artists growing their practice post-pandemic? We’ve had our listeners write blog posts about what they discovered. Find out more here!

Read our first Listener blog post of 2026!

IMPACT REPORT 2024/25

OUR IMPACT REPORT IS NOW LIVE!

READ IT HERE

You can now support STAF using
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When you shop online with participating retailers, they'll donate part of what you spend to your chosen cause. Whether you shop on your phone, laptop or tablet, you can earn free cashback donations for your cause.

Watch the explainer video for more information and click below if you’d like to support STAF!

JOIN EASY FUNDRAISING!
 
We did some Listening at @other_peoplespoetry hosted at @seesawspace this week. "Each poet sharing 4 poems by others and 1 of their own. A range of experience in the room, though one poet said they hadn’t read their work out loud in over
A Listener popped along to the performance of Clothes Swap last week @watersidearts_ "There is a real sense that rawness is needed in telling queer stories. That the dingy places we meet and the lack of glamour in actually curating community a
A summer of listening has begun with a trip to @weinventedtheweekend "Events like this cultivate a sense of humanness that is never visible in colder weather. The word 'gallivanting' was designed for situations like these. I learnt fingerspell
ANNOUNCING OUR FABULOUS SUMMER 2026 LISTENERS We'll be sending this new cohort out to discover new events, locations and artists across Manchester. Looking to understand how the different scenes are growing, the artist journeys, who the audiences ar
We're really proud of the change of direction STAF began in 2024/25, which led to so many important projects and a year of working alongside GM Arts, Manchester City Council, HighRise Theatre and many community organisations. We made sure we did as
We were honoured to be invited to speak to the Graphic Design and Illustration students at University Campus Oldham this week! Connecting with Arts Emergency to bring graphic designer, educator and mentor Kevin Darton @kdarton to speak alongside STA
"Executive leadership involves decisions far beyond creative practice: governance, financial risk, organisational strategy, people management. For many, these demands arrive suddenly, pulling time and energy away from artistic thinking, creative
Sharing some of our achievements and how our methodology makes our way of working unique. Plus a reminder, you can support us by signing up to easyfundraising and have companies you shop with donate! Use the Linktree in our bio to find out more!