Exhibitions

The Rylands hosts two temporary exhibitions each year to help visitors explore our Special Collections.

The exhibition programme is informed by University of Manchester research, and we welcome proposals from researchers who have used our collections. You can propose an exhibition as an output of a research project or suggest a collaborative or co-curated exhibition working with multiple projects or partners.

Our exhibition programme is planned two years in advance and proposals are considered by the Exhibitions and Galleries Programme Group on a bi-monthly basis. If you are interested in exhibition opportunities at the Rylands please contact Emily Tan or the curator responsible for the collections that your proposal relates to and they will help you to develop and submit a proposal.

If you plan to include an exhibition in a research bid, please get in touch at the early planning stage to discuss timescales, costings and how the Rylands can support your application. Exhibitions are supported by a programme of events, promotional campaigns and digital content, all of which can be developed to meet your impact goals.

Examples of recent and forthcoming exhibitions 

• Designing Dante, March-September 2022, curated by Dr Guyda Armstrong (Senior Lecturer in Italian Studies).
• Transitions in Print, October 2022-March 2023, featuring research projects by Dr Stephen Mossman (Senior Lecturer in Medieval History) and Prof Stephen Milner (Serena Professor of Italian Studies).
• Workers' Playtime, March-September 2023, curated by Dr Michael Sanders (Professor, 19th Century Writing).

Examples of impactful engagement at the Rylands by University of Manchester academics.

Further information about engagement at the University of Manchester.