Cosgrove Hall Films’ internationally acclaimed animation collection is now on permanent display in a new, purpose-built space which opened on Friday 16 January 2026 in Sale Library.

Sale Library Opening Times:

Mon & Fri 10:00-19:00

Tue, Wed, Thu 10:00-17:00

Sat 10:00-16:00

Sun CLOSED

Danger Mouse, Count Duckula, Chorlton and the Wheelies, and friends will have a forever home in a dedicated gallery within the newly refurbished Sale Library, Trafford.

This remarkable collection celebrates a unique chapter in British animation film and TV history and holds a special place in the childhood memories of so many.

Featuring much-loved and iconic characters created by the award-winning Manchester studio, the exhibition will add an exciting new visitor experience to the library.

The exhibition features original puppets, props, sets, and scripts, displayed alongside the storybooks that inspired classics such as The Wind in the Willows and The BFG. As visitors meet their favourite characters – Postman Pat, Noddy and many more – they’ll discover the fascinating history of the studio, explore the artistry behind the animation process, and celebrate a creative legacy that continues to inspire generations of storytellers and animators.

Visitor Info

Exterior of Sale Library in the corner of Waterside Plaza, image credit: Jason Lock Photography

• The space is wheelchair accessible

• There is a Visitor Map in the Atrium of the Library

• Follow the Danger Mouse signage towards the back of the library

• The Exhibition is at the far left hand corner of the Library, through the Children’s Library (if you enter via Waterside Plaza)

• Gift Shop and Sup Cafe at Waterside Arts, next door to Sale Library: Eat, Drink & Shop | Visit | Waterside

• Library Address: Waterside Plaza, Sale, M33 7ZF.

FREE Exhibition | Lauriston Gallery - Waterside | Mon - Sat 10:00 - 17:00

An exhibition of portraits and interviews by photographer Steve Reeves, highlighting the personal histories of older members of the LGBTQ+ community with lived experience before the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967.

As a member of the LGBTQ+ community before 1967 there was not only the risk of physical and verbal abuse, but there was also the risk of arrest and imprisonment. Though Britain is slowly becoming a more open-minded country, members of the LGBTQ+ community still endure prejudice.

Every year, the Pride March has become a celebration of LGBTQ+ culture, but many people don’t realise that it started as a protest, and those brave enough to attend back in the 1960s took considerable risks.

Before We Were Proud is an ongoing project aiming to tell the stories of these courageous people.

Before We Were Proud launches as part of Pride in Trafford 12 – 17 May.

Presented by

Creative Industries Trafford

A solo exhibition of the work of artist weaver, Jenny Waterson, whose recent projects reflect her experience as the mother of a young adult changing their gender identity.

Throughout her distinct collections of work for Transitions in Thread, Jenny has created her own vocabulary of symbols in weave around themes of ambiguity, generational geographies and human experience.

Jenny weaves transitional pattern and colour sequences to explore an evolving narrative of identity, belonging and motherhood. Through weaving she questions her assumptions and certainties about her child and her mothering, unpicking what she thought she knew and what she took for granted. She unlearns reflexes and slowly creates new neural pathways as a new narrative takes shape. Her weaving holds love and discovery and hope, side by side.

Jenny is a member of the Textile Study Group of artists and tutors sharing ideas, imagination and skills. Alongside her weaving practice, she runs creative textile workshops in her studio in Altrincham. She also leads creative textile workshops for arts, community and heritage organisations.

Transitions in Thread launches as part of Pride in Trafford 12 – 17 May.

An exhibition documenting the quiet, yet powerful act of planting pansies at sites of homophobic and transphobic abuse worldwide by artist Paul Harfleet.

Since founding The Pansy Project in 2005, Paul Harfleet has been planting pansies at sites of homophobic and transphobic abuse. Each flower is documented, titled after the words of the abuse, and added to his website. Through this quiet yet powerful act, the ongoing project gently confronts hate crime and brings visibility to LGBTQ+ experiences that often go unreported. To date, Harfleet has planted more than 300 pansies around the world—from London to New York and beyond.

The exhibition here at Waterside will showcase selected photographs from the project, highlighting the experiences of members of the LGBTQ+ community both locally here in Manchester, and globally.

The Pansy Project launches as part of Pride in Trafford 12 – 17 May.

A new edition of Design-Nation's touring exhibition, which challenges our perceptions of material value through the lens of sustainability and contemporary craft.

What is Precious? was developed through Design-Nation’s Sustainability and Ethical Practice group, established in 2021 to explore issues of sustainability, ethics and environmental responsibility within contemporary craft and design.

Creative Industries Trafford is working with Design-Nation to produce a third iteration of its successful exhibition, bringing together a curated selection of Design-Nation members, whose practices explore the idea of perceived material value. Centred around recycling and repurposing, the exhibition looks to question what we as humans value in a throw away society and start to change the conversation.

Design-Nation is one of the UK's leading organisations dedicated to supporting contemporary craft and design.