Eighty years after the historic Fifth Pan-African Congress brought together visionaries, freedom fighters, and thinkers from across Africa and the Caribbean to Manchester, a bold new play is set to retell their story for a new generation. LIBERATION, written by Ntombizodwa Nyoni and directed by Monique Touko, will premiere at this year’s Manchester International Festival (MIF25), running from 3 to 20 July at the Royal Exchange Theatre.
This landmark production breathes life into the people, politics, and passions that shaped one of the most significant moments in the global Black freedom struggle. Against a backdrop of colonial rule, racial inequality, and post-war uncertainty, the 1945 Pan-African Congress offered a vision of self-determination and unity that helped ignite independence movements across the African continent.
The Congress That Changed the World
Held in Manchester from 15 to 21 October 1945, the Fifth Pan-African Congress was a turning point in the fight against colonialism. It brought together a new generation of leaders—Kwame Nkrumah, Jomo Kenyatta, Amy Ashwood-Garvey, Ras Makonnen, and W.E.B. Du Bois among them—who would go on to shape the future of Africa and the diaspora.
The Congress made radical demands: the end of colonial rule, the right to self-governance, and the full recognition of human rights for African peoples. It was not just a gathering of intellectuals but a rallying cry for mass mobilisation. Hosted in the industrial city of Manchester, then home to a vibrant Black community, the Congress echoed through history, setting the stage for the wave of African independence that followed in the 1950s and ’60s.
The Play
LIBERATION is more than a historical re-enactment. It captures the emotional heartbeat of the people behind the politics—the tensions, dreams, and disagreements that defined the movement. At the centre is Trinidadian activist George Padmore, a key organiser, torn between passing the torch and preserving the vision. The play introduces us to young idealists like Kwame Nkrumah, determined to liberate the Gold Coast (now Ghana), and Alma La Badie, a Jamaican social worker wrestling with the ethical cost of revolution. Amy Ashwood-Garvey demands space for Black women’s voices, while generational tensions and gender politics come to the fore.
The setting moves between town hall meetings and late-night debates in local pubs, reminding us that revolutions are forged not only in formal speeches but also in quiet moments, fierce friendships, and moral dilemmas.
Artistic Vision
The staging of LIBERATION is immersive and symbolic. A powerful visual centrepiece—a collage shaped like Africa, filled with historical figures and liberation symbols—dominates the set. Composer Ife Ogunjobi (from the Brit Award-winning Ezra Collective) provides the score, bringing a contemporary edge to the play’s historical themes.
This production is not only a celebration of resistance but a reflection on its costs. As 2025 brings new struggles and shifting political landscapes, LIBERATION asks us to examine the legacy of the Pan-African ideal: What does freedom look like now? Who holds the baton today?
Event Details
Dates: 3 – 20 July 2025
Venue: Royal Exchange Theatre, St Ann’s Square, Manchester M2 7DH
Tickets: Standard: £22 – £40 Concessions: £11 – £22
Aviva £10 Tickets available
A booking fee of £1.50 per ticket applies Don’t miss this unmissable theatrical event that connects past to present, Manchester to Accra, and protest to poetry.
Book Tickets