18 May 2007
Clubbers go down in Haçienda history 
The Museum of Science and Industry (MoSI) is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Haçienda nightclub, with a reminiscence event at the former Factory bar, Dry, FAC 201, on Oldham Street in Manchester.

MoSI is appealing for first-hand accounts from regular clubbers at the Haçienda, which will be recorded on the anniversary night. The recording will help give context to the Museum's archive collection of Haçienda material, some of which is currently displayed in the Museum's Collections Centre. The event is free of charge but places are limited, so participants should call MoSI to reserve a ticket.

The Haçienda opened on 21 May 1982 and closed in 1997. The event at Dry Bar, on 21 May, aims to encourage former fans of the Haçienda to share their memories of the iconic Manchester club, which rose to international acclaim and put the city at the centre of Britain's dance culture. Favourite Haçienda tunes will be spinning on the wheels of steel while the microphone is passed around.

Later, fans who want to continue the nostalgia party have the option of free transport to a film night, Ghosts of the Haçienda, at One Central Street, which will celebrate the anniversary by showing films of club action shot by Ikon.

Jan Hargreaves, Senior Archivist at MoSI said: "The Haçienda is an important part of Manchester's identity, and attracted international attention on the dance scene through its championing of Chicago House and later as a focal point for the 'Madchester' scene. We have a number of collection items from the club, such as flyers, posters and copies of Ben Kelly's building design plans, but we wanted to capture some of the essence about why it became so successful. The best way to do that is to speak to the people who were part of that scene and add their voices to our collections. Please do come along and help us to put clubbers' stories of the Haçienda down in history. It should be a fun event, with a chance to catch up with old friends, listen to some favourite tunes and share memories of one of Manchester's most well-loved institutions."

Participants at MoSI's Haçienda Memories event at Dry will receive a complimentary drink, snacks, and optional transport to the Ghosts of the Haçienda event, at One Central Street. Ghosts is a ticketed event and tickets priced 5.00 GBP (3.00 GBP concs) can be obtained from Ticketline.

Haçienda-related items from the Museum's Factory Communications archive include guest lists, details of records played, building design plans, posters, flyers and membership cards. Items from the collection are on public display from 3 May to 29 June in the MoSI Collections Centre.

To attend MoSI's Haçienda memories event at Dry Bar, please contact Sallyann Browning on Tel: 0161 606 0112 to reserve your place. Event runs from 6-8.30pm, 21 May at Dry Bar, Oldham Street, Manchester. Complimentary drinks and snacks will be available, and transport is available to the Ghosts of the Haçienda event at One Central Street at 9pm.

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