Doodle Den: Playful Protests Online

Sarah Gaffney-Lang, Families Editor
doodle den at people's history museum, young girl using thick marker pen to drawer on a glass panel

Doodle Den: Playful Protests at People's History Museum at People’s History Museum (PHM), City Centre 31 January — 31 December 2021 Entrance is free — Visit now

People’s History Museum invite you to pick up a pen and explore your creativity in your very own Doodle Den.

Throughout the course of the coronavirus pandemic – with lockdowns and other restrictions, many of us have been getting creative at home. Interest in many art forms has boomed, encouraging new immersive hobbies galore. It’s fair to say that getting creative has provided solace for many during such trying times and programmes like Grayson’s Art Club and the Great British Sewing Bee have been excellent company.

The People’s History Museum has created a range of online resources (which are available on their website) to get you scribbling, sketching, and joining in the arty silliness.

There are three simple steps: create a den – anywhere in the house, using whatever you have to hand, think bedsheets, cushions, or behind pieces furniture. Arm yourself with materials to draw, paint or stick with – felt tips, crayons, paint – even flour (if they are reused or recycled then you get extra points!) and then choose one (or more) of the six themes to explore using various mark-making techniques. Topics include climate change, equal pay, votes for all, migrant rights, and LGBT+ Pride.

Art and drawing are a peaceful, but highly effective way to protest from the comfort of a cosy Doodle Den.

Once your creations are complete, do share them on social media (just use the following handles: Facebook, Twitter (@PHMMcr) or Instagram (@phmmcr) and they may even make it onto PHM’s website highlight reel).

This is an online activity, suitable for kids aged 5 and up.

Recurring dates

Where to go near Doodle Den: Playful Protests Online

Open Kitchen Cafe and Bar
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Enjoy a sustainable, ethical, and delicious food experience at Open Kitchen Cafe & Bar, the in-house restaurant and bar at People’s History Museum.

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Scene Manchester

A stunning restaurant full of wood panelling and designer lamps, specialising in Indo-Chinese street food-inspired dishes.

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The Kitchens

Five street food vendors make up Spinningfield’s The Kitchens; Bangors and Bacon, Chaart Cart Indian food, The Hip Hop Chip Shop, Dim Sum Su Chinese food and Well Hung Steaks.

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Albatross & Arnold

Albatross and Arnold is a smart and modern bar-restaurant in the Left Bank area of Spinningfields, with an impressive selection of high-quality cocktails.

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Menagerie

Based in Salford, Menagerie is a bar and restaurant with a focus on luxury and theatrical thrills.

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A bright, well-lit restaurant in Spinningfields, specialising in local produce and hearty dishes.

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Neighbourhood

I was prepared to be disappointed by Manchester restaurant, Neighbourhood. As a New Yorker living in Manchester, it seemed kind of like my solemn duty to be irked by a new restaurant here, in Spinningfields, that so aggressively marketed the fact that it was inspired by the restaurants of my former home.

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Was once pub dining at its very best. Modern British, locally inspired and sourced by acclaimed chef Robert Owen Brown.

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Australasia serves up modern Pan-Asian cuisine, underneath the Spinningfields district in one of Manchester’s most stylish venues.

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Taking over the space formerly occupied by Neighbourhood, BLVD promises ‘exceptional food and drink’.

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