A Centre is Made

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Contains outdated ableist language

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From the collection of

North West Film Archive at Manchester Metropolitan University
Established in 1977, the North West Film Archive preserves moving images made in or about the North West of England for the education and enjoyment of the region’s people. Part of Manchester Metropolitan University Library’s Cultural Collections, and based within Manchester Central Library’s Archives+ partnership, we are a specialist resource dedicated to saving and growing our region’s rich filmed history.

A Centre is Made


In this film from Oldham, the builders of the new Female Industrial Centre for the Mentally Handicapped include men with learning difficulties from the local Arthurs and Kenyon Centre. This was a well-intentioned initiative to promote independence for people with mental disability, and though the terminology used seems startling today, the film simply reflects the era in which it was shot.


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