An equality campaigner in Salford has described the council’s anti-hate crime training scheme as ‘a starting point’ for social change.
The free scheme has been set up ahead of Greater Manchester Hate Crime Awareness Week.
Odd Arts, a Manchester-based theatre group dedicated to challenging inequalities and increasing opportunities for people facing discrimination and disadvantages, are also involved in the project.
The training will seek to encourage a greater understanding of radicalisation, providing attendees from voluntary, community and social enterprise groups with new communication techniques, that can help to increase cohesion within Salford’s communities.
Owen Power, a Jewish, disabled and queer local equality campaigner, says Salford must start the conversation.
He said: “Can we encourage community cohesion? To me, that should be the starting point to get the conversation going.
“As someone who’s deaf, gay and Jewish, I would be really keen to attend the training.”
In 2024, Mr Power opened an exhibition in Pendleton called ‘The Jewish Living Experience’, a project aimed at highlighting Judaism to Salfordians in a unique way.
He hopes the training can have a similar impact on Salford, he continued: “I made sure that it represented all the different shades of Judaism, and that absolutely surprised people.
“It really is about trying to break down barriers, but by bringing in ordinary people.
“We need to get away from the usual group that are organising diversity and equality, because it is just a case of convincing each other what we’re already convinced of,” he added.
Odd Arts and Salford City Council hope to foster an environment where people are allowed to share grievances, feel heard, build trust and explore possibilities within Salford.
The theatre group will stage a production of their play Here & Now, a play which explores hateful extremism and the process of radicalisation.
In 2024, Greater Manchester Police recorded an average of 86 hate crimes per month in Salford, demonstrating a near tripling of recorded hate crimes over a 10-year period across the city.
Although the number of recorded hate crimes in the city is now falling from a peak in 2022, Mr Power said it was still vital to build self-confidence regarding identity.
He said: “I think somehow, we’ve got to try and create an environment where individuals feel safe enough with their identity to come together as neighbours.
“Living in tower blocks without a real sense of belonging is difficult. People want to feel safe, rather than risking drawing attention to themselves.
“We have to reach out to the rank and file community members. The issue is how we do it. It’s just a case of trying and keeping on trying.”
The event will take place on Monday February 3, from 10am at Eccles Gateway, Barton Lane. Anyone interested in attending can register here.
Recent Comments