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THE LRM

The Loiterers Resistance Movement

Forthcoming Events

The LRM believe psychogeography is more than a theory it is a practice and we need to take it to the streets…

First Sunday Derives with The LRM

On the First Sunday of every month The LRM organise some kind of communal wander. They are always free and everyone is welcome. On the First Sunday of every month we organise some kind of communal wander, public derive, or drift. This is a way of walking which ignores normal conventions of going from A to B. Instead your route is guided by playfulness, feeling and instinct.

A variety of methods are used to shape a wander and our explorations are different every time. Each month is an experiement, you may find your walk guided by dice, cards, an extraordinary map or something else entirely. The direction is shaped by whoever turns up on the day, but you can be sure of a warm welcome and a convivial atmosphere where we end up. We usually finish somewhere for a drink and a blether so we can swap travellers tales. All welcome, no need to book, and always free.

All you need to bring is a curious mind and clothing appropriate for the weather. Everyone takes care of each other but of course you need to be respectful of the space you are in. Occassionally we host more performative tours (see below).

If you have any particular access needs please get in touch and we will do our very best.

During the Covid-19 pandemic we have not been able to meet in person and so we have been experimenting with ways to walk together online using technology. You can join in wherever you are, inside and out.

Details of each First Sunday are shared on the blog section, by twitter @thelrm and on our facebook page “the loiterers resistance movement”. You can also contact me by email mlrose@thelrm.org or by whatsapp / SMS on 079 749 29589

Tours and Performance Walks

LRM tours blend fact, fiction and serendipity with performance, critical insights, personal histories and a little bit of enchantment to offer alternative visions of Manchester. This list includes some of my favourites, please get in touch if you are interested in learning more about them. I don’t have any scheduled dates for tours at the moment but I am available for freelance work. (Cost varies depending on who you are and what you want, if you are a community, campaign or voluntary group I will usually be able to help for free.) Most walks can also be adapted into talks, workshops or remote learning.

The Metaphysical Treasure Hunt
This game is a great introduction to psychogeography, walking art and different ways of thinking about space. We share a series of playful prompts which encourage you to move through, feel and engage with space in provocative ways.

What is Psychogeography?
This talk and / or walk explains what psychogeography is according to us. We share how walking can become a political and artistic act and why we care about how space makes us feel. It maps walks from Paris 1968 to contemporary Manchester with deviations to discuss poets, punks, mystics and everyone who fought for our right to roam

The Meta Walk
This is a walk about walking in Manchester and how our footsteps can shape cities. We will meet writers, artists, map makers and activists whose work has focused on the pedestrian.

Manchesters Rivers and Waterways
This is an ongoing project and The LRM have a range of walks exploring the waterways of Manchester. They include tracing the route of the lost river Tib, following the Irwell and Medlock and their role in the city. Recurrent themes include access to towpaths, the commodification of water, public health, redevelopment and the flora and fauna that flourish along the water. We also offer an exploration based around the folklore, myths, ghosts and monsters that (maybe) lurk beneath the water

Regenerating and Reimagining Manchester
A critical, entertaining and enlightening look at how the city has evolved and what the future may bring. It discusses architecture, planning, politics, social policy and economics and asks who, and what Manchester is for. Its regularly updated to include contemporary issues, activism and challenges.

Monstrous Manchester
Manchester is home to a rich variety of monsters from boggarts to dragons, ghosts and sea serpents. They have been conjured by alchemists, magicians, capitalists and daydreamers and we share the impact they have on the landscape today This tour was originally developed with Dr Julian Holloway, MMU.

Drinking in the City
This tour explores the impact alcohol has had on shaping the city. It will tell tales of lost pubs, prohibition, famous raconteurs, class struggles, romantic encounters and comedy encounters facilitated by booze. It will also uncover the dark side of the morning after and fears of public health. Manchester has a long and complicated relationship with the bottle and because this is an LRM tour expect our history to be permeable, participatory and opinionated.

Wandering Around The Toilet
This tour explores the history of spending a penny and how lack of public loos impacts on who can use the city. There will be tales of public health, gender inequality, the blurring of public and private space and the fight for fair access to the toilet. It challenges assumptions and provokes a rethinking of issues of gender, ‘ability’, access, surveillance and the meanings of ‘public’ itself.  This walk was first developed with Around The Toilet https://aroundthetoilet.wordpress.com/

Get Lost in Liminal Spaces
A performative walk exploring thresholds, boundaries and in-between places across the city. Psychogeographers are often drawn to liminal spaces, but what actually does that mean and what do they look like? These are places of transgression, transformation, magick and entrapment. Our guide will make sure you are able to safely return from a trip that will include minor epiphanies, death, sex, music, special brew and complicating binaries. Expect a guided walk that is equal measures of performance, rant, tribute and tour. NB suitable for adults only

Manchesters Modernist Heroines
This walk celebrates the achievements of 10 inspirational women who shaped the twentieth century. From artists to aviatrixes, campaigners and designers, Their achievements, and complexities, are largely overlooked by the history books. In the absence of official monuments we will follow the traces they left behind and uncover their legacies. A collaboration between The LRM, Manchester Modernist Society and Shrieking Violet

Ardwick Green Histories
Uncover the secrets of one of Manchester’s most fascinating, but often overlooked, neighbourhoods. The eponymous Green has witnessed anarchists, pop superstars, community action, pioneering photographers and intense social change. This tour began as part of GMCVOs Ardwick Heritage Project and includes stories generously shared by particiants.

Everywhere is Interesting
We have researched and delivered bespoke explorations of many areas, including Oxford Road, Wilmslow, Hulme, Angel Meadow and beyond. We have also produced walks on themes such as Radical Manchester and Ways to Escape. 

We Shall Overcome on The Streets
WSO is pro community and anti-austerity, a raised fist and a helping hand and we have created a range of special tours, sometimes including music. Together wander the boundary between public and private space, exploring radical histories, DIY culture, and public/private space. These walks ask participants to bring a donation for a local organisation (tinned or non perishable food, socks or sanitary items) We will share stories of resistance, solidarity and creative mischief. Expect a few ghost stories, dark humour and passionate ranting too. This is a rallying cry to know your streets and be proud of your community

The Architecture of Fear
This tour looks at how policy shapes the shape of our city, with a particular focus on how architecture can work to keep us off the streets.

CCTV Bingo
A game which asks you to think about who is watching you and why. How does surveillance change how we relate to the city?

The Giant Cake Map of Manchester
This isn't actually a walk…. The Cake Map of Manchester invites you to take a bite out of the city, with each piece representing a place.  We want you to choose one to eat.  Is it somewhere special to you, are you consumed with love and what to keep it safe? Or is it somewhere you dislike and you want to get rid of it? Be a Godzilla and destroy your least favourite building!  Perhaps you just want to taste the canal without the risk of falling in. Please help us find the edible heart of our world. 

Manchester Lies
A tour that isn't true. We explore misconceptions, misunderstandings, myths, propaganda and lies that are commonly held about Manchester. Expect some fascinating yarns and provocative questions about what we believe about The Original Modern City.

Other Events and Random Shennanigans
We have organised many other special events. These range from academic symposiums such as "Beyond The Pedestrian" (Liverpool 2018) conference panels eg The Geographies of Doctor Who (London, 2019 with Phil Smith and Jo Norcup) and Desire Lines, Dawdles and Drifts (Cardiff, 2018) gigs for artists such as Chris Mills, Hannah Aldridge, Case Hardin and others and exhibitions /festivals such as Loitering With Intent (2016) and Get Lost! (2008). We have also participated in exhibitions, events and festivals across the UK and internationally. If you want a full CV please get in touch.