Eight years after the attack on the arena, commercialization of the Manchester bees symbol

If you visit Manchester, one of the first things you notice is a enormous number of photos of bees throughout the city. The symbol of “working bees”, born in the industrial revolution, captured the tireless spirit of the city and its heritage as the buzzing hive of the industry. Today, the symbol is more often associated with collective immunity and memory after the Manchester Arena attack on May 22, 2017.

The bee has become huge symbol “Spirit of Mancunians”, appearing almost immediately on wall paintings, on bodies as tattoos and public monuments. Over the past eight years, it has become the basic part of Manchester’s identity.

As part of my ongoing doctoral research, I decided to understand why the bee is everywhere in Manchester and what it means to people. I conducted interviews with 24 mankunians who lived in the city during the attack, including some who were directly affected.

These interviews, conducted in 2023, seven years after the attack, were aimed at capturing how the meaning of symbols evolved, when the city continued to process and commemorate the event.

For many, the bee is still a symbol of immunity, a reminder of how the city joined in the face of the tragedy. But for others, his presence in Manchester has become a greater burden than consolation.

Appearing in buses, shop windows and public space, it serves as a continuous and amazing reminder of events and the consequences of the attack. Eight of my interlocutors described them as memories of “trauma”. With time, what once comforted became more disturbing.

Fifteen of my interlocutors expressed discomfort from how a bee became more commercialized in the years from the attack. Some described the sense of “exploitation”.

Both independent companies and enormous companies adopted this symbol, integrating it with the brand in public spaces. Many sell presents about bees and souvenirs such as Magnets of refrigerators, stands and hats.

The Manchester City Council played a key role in this commercialization, promoting the image through various initiatives, including the bee network transport system and the cup – reusable Take -out cup Launched in 2023.

In June 2017, shortly after the attack, the council moved to a trademark several versions of bees as the official symbol of the city. This was made public in March 2018, after the period The objections are over.

Initially, the council allowed people and companies to utilize the symbol for free, but later introduced Licensing program. Now everyone who wants to utilize Marked versions Bees must apply for the consent of the Council, and commercial utilize contains a fee of £ 500. Companies that want to utilize bees are also asked to transfer a donation for charity.

The Council described the trademark of the bee symbol as a way to protect its utilize and support for local causes such as We love the MCR charity organizationwhich helps finance social projects and the possibilities of juvenile people throughout the city.

But some of my participants noticed that it transformed the bee from something personal and significant into something more corporate. In their opinion, the city itself formed an attack, not honoring.

This can be seen as an element of “shadowy tourism”, which includes visiting places where the tragedy has been commemorating or commercialized. In Manchester This manifests not through visits at the attack site, but by the symbol of bees, which was created in wall paintings, goods and public space. Tourists buy collective regret through consumption, transforming memory into transferable experience, and the bee as a managed and profitable goods.

Some who survived the Manchester Arena bombing, I said to feel that their personal sadness was repacked into a public identity, which does not necessarily reflect the complexity of their experiences.

The utilize of bees in products and souvenirs raises questions about how the city commemorates its identity, especially when considering layered stories that transfers the symbol.

Uncomfortable story

For some, discomfort around Manchester bees Deeper. Today, the bee symbolizes immunity and unity, but originally represented tough work during the Manchester industrial boom.

In this era she did not only seek progress – it also concerned Using and colonial trade Especially through the bush produced by enslaved people in the Americas. The role of Manchester in the industrial revolution would never be possible without slavery.

My participants drew attention to this hidden story, noticing that these stories rarely appear in manchester public housings in the city. The visibility of bees reveals how cities emphasize positive stories, while uncomfortable truths stay hidden.

Focusing only on the risk of immunity, creating a simplified version of Manchester’s past. This may exclude some people in the presentWith a view of how historical injustice, like the connections of the city with the transatlantic trade in slaves, still shapes their lives.

This selective story makes it challenging for some communities to commemorate Manchester’s identity. They cannot do this without the recognition of the past of slavery and the history of the division of the city.

While some perceive the bee as a proud symbol of unity, others believe that it erases their history. Because the bee still dominates in public spaces, Manchester faces an crucial challenge: making sure that this symbol really recognizes the various experiences and stories of all residents.

This can happen through dedicated tiles or exhibits that study some of these hidden stories and the sophisticated importance of bees. Only a confrontation with the past can ensure that commemoration covers everyone.