And a gig putting theory into practice

A day of panels and live performance exploring comedy’s role in social change is coming to Salford next month, with a particular focus on working-class women’s voices and local history.

The event, on June 12, is organised by the Comedy for Social Change Research Network, a group that brings together comedians, academics and industry figures to examine what comedy can do beyond making people laugh.

Laura Minor, who teaches television studies at the University of Salford and has written about working-class voices and women’s authorship, is one of the organisers.

’It’s the kind of conversation about what comedy can actually do that the network exists to have,’ she says.

The day is divided into two parts. From 1pm to 5pm, a panel discussion at the university’s Peel Park campus will look at how comedy handles questions of identity and power. Minor will be joined by comedian and academic Sam Beale and sociologist Simon Weaver. The session is free to attend and will also be available online.  Register here.

In the evening, the focus shifts to Salford Arts Theatre, where We Are Salford: Celebrating 100 Years of Women Through Comedy, runs from 7pm to 9pm. The show was developed through a series of workshops and marks a centenary of Salford’s status as a city.

Dr Minor says the evening performance is intended to put ideas about comedy and social change into practice rather than just discuss them. ’It brings together women’s voices, local history, and the comic form,’ she says.

The event is open to anyone with an interest, whether academic or not. Free tickets for the evening show are available here.

Published: 1 Jun 2026