Manchester’s Melanin Markets Will Return This May To Celebrate The City’s Black-Owned Businesses

Following success at Manchester’s Contact Theatre back in December, the city’s Melanin Markets – organised by Bianca Danielle and Kelly Morgan – will return this May, this time at Royal Exchange Theatre.

Attracting over 1,000 shoppers and resulting in a whopping £25,000 made across the 42 traders, this May’s event will be held on a larger scale – with the markets taking over the theatre’s Great Hall. There, the organisers will combine art, music, food and so much more – all created by the city’s talented Black community – whilst showcasing some of the best Black British owned businesses in the UK.

This spring, visitors can expect exceptional pieces of artwork, beautiful hand-crafted homeware, independent designers and talented chefs – with over 50 traders confirmed to be in attendance this May 8th. Confirmed traders so far include artist Natasha Marianne, African street food trader Gwafu Vegan, kid’s clothing boutique Leyley’s Secret Boutique and health food traders, Yamm Tree.

Bianca Danielle, co-founder of the Melanin Markets said: “We are really excited to have Melanin Markets takeover such a huge, history filled and resilient space as The Great Hall. We created this event to provide a place for EVERYONE to actively support and engage with Black-owned businesses and to be able to do this slap bang in the City Centre is monumental”

Kelly Morgan, Melanin Markets co-founder explains: “Black-owned businesses in the UK face a variety of challenges such as underrepresentation, limited access to start-up funds, and barriers accessing wider markets. Recent reports have shown that 88% of Black-owned businesses have been self-funded and quite relevant to this figure studies have shown that Black-owned businesses are 5 times more likely to be rejected for Loans and Grants. These figures highlight the need for change so that Black businesses are able to imagine, actualise and succeed fairly in the UK.

“In alignment with the Black Pound Day movement, which aims to address the economic inequalities and imbalances affecting Black businesses and entrepreneurs in the UK and global diasporic communities – Melanin Markets Manchester celebrates and promotes Black-Owned business vibrantly, within unorthodox spaces not usually frequented by the Black community. We want to normalise seeing and spending with Black Businesses.”

The free to attend event will take place on Sunday May 8th, from 12pm-5pm at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre.