Dave Moutrey, HOME’s Director and CEO, said: “It is exciting to be able to announce details of our fantastic reopening programme of exhibitions and film screenings at HOME just a week after we told everyone about our plans for theatre at our temporary outdoor venue, Homeground. Between HOME and Homeground, we promise a Summer of brilliant film, art and theatre for the people of Manchester.”

Award nominees and films you may have missed

In its opening weeks, HOME will be showing a number of nominees for the Best Picture Oscar – Minari, Sound of Metal and Judas and the Black Messiah amongst them – plus key films previously available to audiences for online viewing only.

Minari follows a Korean-American family that moves to a tiny Arkansas farm in search of their own American Dream, while Judas and the Black Messiah tells the story of Fred Hampton, the gifted civil rights leader who rose through the Black Panther party to became chairman of the Chicago chapter. Sound of Metal stars the mercurial Riz Ahmed as Ruben, whose precarious, nomadic rock life is threatened when he suddenly goes deaf after a gig.

Image: Sound of Metal part of HOME Manchester May 2021 reopening programme

Francis Lee’s Ammonite, which previously had one screening at HOME to close the BFI London Film Festival, is a fictionalised account of the life of the 19th century paleontologist Mary Anning, played by Kate Winslet with Saoirse Ronan as the gentlewoman who falls in love with her while staying in Mary’s beloved Lyme Regis.

Also on the big screen for the first time will be County Lines, Apples, Muscle, Undergods and the brilliant and BAFTA and Academy Award nominated Quo Vadis, Aida? There will also be a chance to see the documentary Poly Styrene: I Am Cliché, examining the life of Marianne Joan Elliott-Said, the first woman of colour in the UK to front a successful rock band. Co-directed by Celeste Bell, Poly Styrene’s daughter, the film was previously available to stream via the HOME website.

HOME’s Q&A series will also continue, including a chance to hear Billie Piper talk about her first film as writer-director, Rare Beasts, which opens on 21 May.

Details of all the films to be screened at HOME this May can be found via homemcr.org/reopening2021.

A season of films on filmmaking

From 7 to 30 June, audiences will have their first chance to enjoy a new film season at HOME since FilmFear in October.

The process of making films, with its trials and tribulations, power struggles and self-doubt, has been a rich subject for numerous filmmakers, both established and emerging. The Reverse Gaze: Filmmaking on Screen will look at the act of creating images and more generally the process of artistic endeavour, offering along the way an analysis of the film industry and the personal struggles within it.  

The season will include Wim Wenders’ The State of Things, Atom Egoyan’s Ararat, with a recorded introduction from the director, and David Fincher’s Oscar-nominated Mank, which imagines screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz and his development of the screenplay for Citizen Kane.

Also in the season will be the 1960 classic Peeping Tom, and Fassbinder’s damming reflection on the process of filmmaking, Beware of a Holy Whore, introduced by Andy Willis, HOME’s Senior Visiting Curator: Film and Professor of Film at the University of Salford.

There will also be a special preview screening of Censor, set in 1985 where after viewing a strangely familiar "video nasty", Enid, a film censor, sets out to solve the past mystery of her sister's disappearance, embarking on a quest that dissolves the line between fiction and fact. This special preview screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Prano Bailey-Bond.

The full line-up for the season can be found on the HOME website.

All cinema seating will be socially distanced, meaning capacity is limited, and pre-booking is advised to avoid disappointment.

Two new exhibitions

In HOME’s main gallery space, Soul Journey to Truth, presented in association with Koestler Arts, will open on May 17.

The exhibition has been carefully curated by Lady Unchained (Brenda Birunji), who has selected over 130 artworks ranging from drawings and paintings, to pieces of writing and music. All the works are entries to the 2020 Koestler Awards, an annual scheme run by Koestler Arts, the UK’s leading prison arts charity, to promote artistic achievement in the criminal justice system and secure sectors.

Lady Unchained is an acclaimed London-based performance artist and poet, who is the Founder and Creative Director of Unchained Poetry, an artistic platform for artists with lived experience of the criminal justice system. Her mission is to prove that there is life after prison and challenge the ‘ex-offender’ label through creativity.

Admission to the exhibition is free, but tickets should be booked in advance as capacity will be capped to allow for social distancing.

The exhibition, which is sponsored by Timpson, is a trailblazer for the Ripples of Hope Festival presented by Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, which will bring together together the arts, business, communities, activists, NGOs and the public to tell a new local and actionable story about human rights - one that is rooted in communities and the everyday.

The festival will take place in Greater Manchester from 15 to 19 September, with Soul Journey to Truth providing an early opportunity to find out more.

An online launch event, Is there Justice in our justice system?, will see Jude Kelly speaking to Brenda Birungi, Baroness Helena Kennedy QC and Nazir Afzal about how people end up jail, the experiences inside, and then what the future holds for ex-offenders.

Elsewhere in the HOME building, the Granada Foundation Gallery, which can be found on the first and second floor of HOME, providing a way to combine art with a social visit to HOME’s restaurant or cinema bar, will feature Sarah-Joy Ford’s Feeling Backward: a quilter’s guide to The Lesbian Archive.

The exhibition uses quilt to look back at lesbian pasts and take pleasure in the return to the images, iconographies and symbols that have been used to invoke lesbian strength, power and community throughout the 20^th and 21^st century: Sappho, the interlocking Venus, the labrys and the Amazon woman. But it is also an act of mourning the disappearance of the lesbian archive, dyke lands, lesbian history walks and lesbian spaces.

Marking Refugee Week this June

Horizons Festival, HOME’s annual celebration marking Refugee Week, will also return from 12 June to 18 June.

This year’s festival embraces the national Refugee Week theme ‘We Cannot Walk Alone’, taken from Martin Luther King’s iconic I have a Dream speech; the speech that called for all people of all backgrounds to join together in the fight for freedom, a rallying call which resonates across time and space.  

Presented by HOME in partnership with Community Arts North West, the festival celebrates the enduring power of creativity and the incredible international artists who have made Manchester their home, with a provocative and stimulating programme of film, theatre, music, performance, and discussion, presented live and online.

Among the many highlights of this year’s festival will be a day of music and spoken work on the Manchester Stage at Homeground, HOME’s temporary outdoor venue, featuring performances from Luma Trio, North West Turkish Community Association Dance Group, Afrocats Youth Showcase, Gazelleband, Bayan Ensemble and Gemima Band.

More details of the festival programme will be announced in the coming weeks.

Restaurant reopening

HOME’s café and restaurant will also reopen on 17 May, with advance table bookings available online from today.

The news of the programme comes just over a week after HOME announced they will be opening a temporary outdoor venue for theatre and culture, Homeground, on Friday, 28 May. The new venue will host a series of events suitable for a broad audience, including A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Alice in Wonderland as well as collaborations with Contact, Trans Creative and Z-Arts.

The venue will allow HOME to provide theatre in a safe, socially-distanced and enjoyable environment before indoor theatre returns to the building later in the year.

For more information, visit homemcr.org/reopening2021

The Science and Industry Museum has been awarded £4.3m by the Government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to transform the museum’s environmental sustainability and place zero carbon technology at the heart of the museum’s visitor experience.

The museum explores how ideas can change the world, from the industrial revolution to today and beyond, on a globally significant industrial heritage site. In the 1800s, a well was built (in the lower ground floor of the world’s first railway warehouse, the museum’s Grade I listed 1830 Warehouse) to harness the power of the ground water. This natural resource will now once again be utilised by the installation of a new water source heat pump network including bore holes along with the latest green technologies.

This is a visionary, sector-leading project where the original and modern combine for a sustainable museum of the future.

The funding will enable an annual reduction in CO2 emissions for the museum of 515 tonnes (equivalent to the average C02 emissions of over 30 UK homes per year) on completion of the works, improving every year as the electricity grid decarbonises through increased zero carbon generation. It will support the Science Museum Group’s goal to reach a net zero target of 2033 (announced today as 17 years ahead of the national target) and Greater Manchester’s goal to become carbon neutral by 2038 (12 years ahead of the national target).

£2.6 million will enable the Power Hall (currently undergoing urgent restoration thanks to £6million from the DCMS) to reduce C02 emissions by 60% by 2030 through enhanced roof insulation and glazing to improve energy efficiency, an electric boiler and  water source heat pumps to heat the space and now power the historic engines sustainably, and a new building management system to monitor and control energy use of this iconic gallery.

The funding will place carbon literacy and zero carbon technology at the heart of the museum’s story and visitor experience. It will transform the Power Hall into a landmark symbol of the future, as well as of historic engineering.  As the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, Manchester and the industrial heritage buildings of the museum (including the Power Hall) were the catalyst for scientific innovation and unprecedented change worldwide. Powered by fossil fuel, past industry has been a major cause of climate change, the most pressing challenge facing our planet. Now, the Power Hall will help prime future progress through inspiring future scientists, entrepreneurs and innovators in developing careers and skills to help achieve a green economy and the next (green) industrial revolution.

£1.7 million investment site-wide will pave the way for total electrification of the entire museum’s heating system, through additional an air source heat pump and a new electricity substation, enabling the museum to increase power to its seven-acre site sustainably (with 100% of electricity already purchased from renewable sources). Additional measures include LED lighting for the historic 1830 warehouse and instant hot water and a new building management system to monitor and control energy use of the New Warehouse which will enable a 65% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030 of this key space which houses the main visitor welcome, Revolution Manchester, Textiles and Special Exhibitions galleries and the museum’s shops, café, bistro and conference centre.

Director Sally MacDonald said: “The museum’s site represents where science met industry and the modern world began - what happened here changed the world, triggering a revolution in trade, technology, travel and time. We are delighted that this funding will enable us to continue to innovate as we create an environmentally sustainable museum for the future.” 

Edward Clark, Programme Manager at Salix Finance, said: “We’re really pleased that the Science and Industry Museum has benefited from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. Installing multiple technologies, including air and water source heat pumps, roof insulation and glazing across several sites is a great step for the museum towards reaching their carbon management plans and net-zero target.”

The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme was launched in September 2020 and offered grants of up to 100% of the cost of upgrading public buildings in 2021. The £4.3m funding for the Science and Industry Museum follows the £78m Government funding announced to support energy efficiency upgrades to more than 150 public buildings across the city-region in March.

Due to the short deadline, appointments to deliver the project have been made by Direct Award, with approval from the DCMS from existing design and main building contractors, previously secured through competitive tender including building contractors HH Smith and architects Carmody Groarke.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Work originally begun in 2019 to restore the globally important Grade II listed Power Hall, thanks to £6 million from the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and additional funding from the Science Museum Group to facilitate urgent and major repairs to the roof and a redisplay of the gallery content to show how Manchester changed the world.

Built in 1855 as the shipping shed for Liverpool Road Station, the Power Hall is one of the most beloved industrial heritage galleries in the country. It houses Europe's largest collection of working steam engines, the majority of which were built in Manchester.

Scaffolding and securing some elements of this historic structure was completed in January 2020. The roof has undergone a critical drying out period, while the museum  worked on renewed sustainability plans to take every opportunity to de-carbonise the building before work starts on the roof and inside the building in the coming months.

Following this additional infrastructure work, scaffolding is due to be dismantled in 2022, internal work is due to begin in early 2022 with the Power Hall now due to re-open to the public in 2023.

In years to come, this multi-sensory gallery, full of the sounds of machines, the whistle and smell of steam and incredible personal stories will show how Manchester provided the power that changed the city and the world—from the way we work to the consumer society we live in. In revealing more about the human skill and ingenuity of the past, the Power Hall will inspire the engineers and innovators of the future.

The decarbonisation project is part of the Science and Industry Museum’s multi-million-pound restoration plan, which will conserve and further open up its globally significant buildings and bring to life the story of the site and past, present and future ideas that change the world. Housing the world's oldest surviving passenger railway station and world's first railway warehouse in the heart of the world's first industrial city, alive with science and technology today, a more sustainable museum is being created to provide inspiring experiences for everyone. Information on all current projects including the restoration of the Power Hall can be found on the We are changing page. 

On Monday 12 April England entered step two of the Government’s roadmap to reopening the economy, which means that some tourism, hospitality, leisure and retail businesses can now reopen. As restrictions lift we’ve compiled a list of suggestions for what you can now safely see and do in Greater Manchester.  

All businesses are following relevant government guidance. Please check if pre-booking is required before visiting. And when you go out, please remember to keep your distance where possible, wear a face covering, wash your hands regularly and seek spaces with good ventilation.  
 

1. You can now enjoy food and drink outdoor 
 

Come rain or shine, we’ve all been waiting for this moment – to enjoy a pint outside with friends, and there’s no better place to do than at The Trackside pub at East Lancashire Railway, where you can enjoy real ale besides a vintage steam engine. 

Restaurants have gone above and beyond to create safe, outdoor dining terraces, and Ducie Street Warehouse is one of our favourites, converting what was a dull unused space into a superb decked and covered dining terrace. Based inside Native aparthotel, you can also book self-contained overnight stays in one of its self-catered apartments.  

Elsewhere, another favourite The Refuge have opened up their tucked away courtyard between the historic Kimpton Clocktower hotel to offer a heated outdoor dining experience, recently refurbished and filled with plants, expect DJs to accompany the usual Refuge food and drink favourites.  

After you’ve visited the now open shops (see below), why not visit one of the restaurants at the Corn Exchange which have outdoor covered seating such as, Delhi House Kitchen, Vapiano or Zizzi, a full list and how to book a table is available here. 
 

2. You can now shop in person 
 

Indoor shopping is now open for browsing and buying, with stores in Manchester Arndale now open including the Arndale Market; and The Trafford Centre welcomes shoppers back with nine new stores, including Tommy Hilfiger, Rituals and Forever Unique, alongside its other well-known major brands. Indoor dining remains closed with some takeaway options at both shopping centres, and visitors are asked to shop with their household or support bubble only.   

The city centre’s Royal Exchange has reopened, including its historic arcade, with shops opening including Lush, Sostrene Grene, and Whittard. A short walk along New Cathedral Street will bring you to designer department store Selfridges who have welcomed shoppers back, also resuming its beauty, styling and gift consultation sessions.   

To support your independent makers and crafters, head to the gem that is Manchester Craft and Design Centre for handmade jewellery, ceramics, glassware, prints and more. The centre will be open every day until 5:30pm. Just around the corner, Oklahoma, Manchester’s favourite gift and homeware store at the edge of the Northern Quarter opens its doors selling an eclectic range of colourful homeware, stationary and curiosities. 
 

3. You can now take in the beauty of our abundant green spaces 
 

Greater Manchester has a surprising amount of green space, and you can easily fill a day hiking, picnicking or cycling in one of the Country Parks and stunning landscapes.  

For an escape to a green oasis in between the cities of Salford and Manchester, take a walk around Peel Park nestled next to the River Irwell, ideal for a socially distanced catch-up with a friend, or for entertaining the kids with a play area, and three Salford Tree Trail’s to spot  25 different varieties of tree. 

 
Visitors of Reddish Vale Country Park in Stockport will recognise it immediately from its famed railway viaduct. Designated as a Local Nature Reserve, Reddish Vale is your go to place for spotting a variety of birds including the Buzzard, Kestrel and Kingfisher, as well as a whole host of wildlife from rabbits to squirrels, butterflies and frogs.   

For panoramic views of Manchester and Liverpool, and over 200 acres of open space for walking, Werneth Low Country Park offers a space to escape and find some peace and relaxation. 

For more inspiration on Greater Manchester’s Green Spaces, be sure to check out our Find Your Space page.  
 

4. You can now join a physical walking tour  
 

Why not be a tourist in your own city? Tours are now available across Manchester if social distancing guidelines are practiced. This week you can join physical tours with guide local tour guides such as Jonathan Schofield, who is taking over the Discover Manchester tour (£12) on 17 and 18 April, offering a fun and informative walk around the city, which uncovers the exciting past, present and future of Manchester with one of the city’s most informed guides. 

From 16 April, Free Manchester Walks will begin offering their ‘just turn up’ tours of the city every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, starting at 11am at the Alan Turing Memorial, and tour guides Emma Fox and Sue McCarthy from Show Me Manchester are now offering private tours for groups of friends. 
 

5. You can now visit outdoor attractions and events 
 

Whilst we can’t all step aboard a plane to our favourite sunny destinations, we can still marvel at their take off and landing with a day out at the Runway Visitor Park, open every day from 8am – 4pm, expect fantastic views of Manchester Airport’s runway, alongside a children’s play area, aviation shop, and café available for takeaway.  

Admire the beautiful Ordsall Hall Gardens in Salford. Whilst the 15th century Hall remains closed, visitors can wander its landscaped Tudor style knot gardens for free, every Monday, Tuesday and Sunday, with a takeaway café operating from the old Hall. 

For something different, try Trafford Watersports Centre at Sale Water Park, where you can hire a paddle boat, try your hand at canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing or sailing. For a dryer approach to experiencing the outdoors hire a bicycle from Didsbury Bicycle Hire, who provide a pair of vintage bicycles, with options to add on an afternoon tea or champagne hamper which you can enjoy in the leafy suburban parks of Didsbury. 

And if you’re lucky enough to live in Cheshire, you can now visit Chester Zoo and see some of its 35,000 animals. Tickets should be booked in advance on its website, but hurry -weekend tickets are selling out fast! Why not also tag on a visit to Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet while in the area. 

Whilst the venue has faced inordinate challenges over the past year, Waterside has delivered a strong programme of online activity, engaging over 38,000 people with multiple digital performances and participatory events such as the Heroes in Motion challenge and a digital version of Pride in Trafford. Waterside has also supported a photography graduate exhibition, First Light, and has helped a number Greater Manchester-based theatre makers to create new work.

Manager of Waterside, Darren Adams says “The entire team at Waterside and I are beyond thrilled to be reaching this momentous milestone and finally re-opening the venue to the public on 17 May. Though we approach this date cautiously, we are busy planning for an exciting re-opening season. Over the past year, like businesses and our fellow cultural organisations up and down the country, we have faced huge challenges, but I am immensely proud of our team who have tackled them head on, with the resilience and good will we are known for. Our heartfelt thanks go to our audiences and friends whose unwavering support has meant so much to us.  We are now reaching out to ask for your continued support as we open our doors again and deliver what promises to be a fantastic summer back at Waterside.”

Kicking off on Mon 17 May to tie in with the venue’s opening week is the borough’s annual Pride in Trafford Festival (Mon 17 – Sat 22 May ‘21). This five day exploration and celebration of identity and LGBTQ+ life in Trafford commences with the raising of the rainbow flag outside Sale Town Hall to mark IDAHOBIT (International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia).  Throughout the week, Waterside will run a small programme of one off comedy, cabaret, storytelling, dance and theatre shows showcasing local and up and coming LGBTQ+ artists and performers. For those who love their LGBTQ+ entertainment to be that little bit “extra” – Thursday night’s Disco Tea Party combining disco and drag is one not to be missed!

Image Credit: DiscoTeaParty-MAC Birmingham, @EmwaJones

Waterside is also thrilled to be one of 40 venues taking part in Here & Now which is a national and local celebration of culture within communities, marking the National Lottery’s 25^th birthday. 40 brand new projects have, or are due take place, in and around 40 arts centres across the country, led by artists and co-created with local people.

We Are Collective will be a multi-media installation in the gallery spaces at Waterside, open from 17 May to 31 July ‘21. This project will promise to be colourful and immersive seeking to connect and reunite the local community through a process of collaboration with the people of Trafford.

In addition to a summer season of family theatre, comedy, live music and exhibitions – Waterside will be running its vibrant flagship ten day arts festival, Refract:21 – from 22 July inviting audiences to see and experience things differently.  Full programme details will be announced later this month, and audiences can expect a colourful, community-focused programme of experiential and celebratory work.

It is Waterside’s utmost priority to keep its audiences, artists, visiting companies and staff safe as the venue re-opens on 17 May.  Robust Covid prevention measures will therefore be in place – including mandatory use of face masks within the building with the exception of performers. In keeping with current Government guidelines, these measures will remain in place at least until 21 June.  During this period, Waterside will operate on a reduced capacity for both ticketed events and general admission to the gallery and venue. Where possible, Waterside will also offer a contingency to deliver some theatre shows online if venue access is suddenly restricted or for those who would remain more comfortable to access content digitally at this time.

A spokesperson for Trafford Council says “Having closed its doors 14 months ago, we know how much the Trafford community will be delighted to see Waterside opening again with a wonderful arts and cultural offer. With robust safety measures in place, and a mix of indoor, outdoor and digital events, we hope audiences and visitors will feel confident in re-engaging with this venue which we are so fortunate to have in the borough.  At Trafford Council, we know the significance Waterside and cultural venues will have in our economic and emotional recovery from the pandemic.”

See full summer season programme information at watersidearts.org

Pride In Trafford runs at Waterside and various venues around Sale from Mon 17 – Sat 22 May ‘21.  Tickets go on sale from Thursday 15 April ’21 at prideintrafford.org

Refract:21 runs from Thu 22 – Sat 31 July ‘21.  Full programme information will be available from Thursday 29 April ‘21.

As life slowly returns to normal in the uk, here’s a full list of where Mancunians can wine, dine and unwind at the Great Northern.

Looking for the best bars and restaurants in the city to celebrate lockdown easing with your pals? Look no further, as the Great Northern Warehouse, Manchester’s ultimate dining and entertainment venue for all the family, has options aplenty.

Platzki

Celebrating its brand-new home on the Great Northern Warehouse square, Platzki is offering the perfect Polish feast for you and your pals this spring.

Serving a range of alcoholic drinks on the new venue’s trendy outdoor seating spot, visitors will also be able to fill up on delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes. A firm favourite includes the Pierogi Dyni, famous Polish Dumplings filled with smoked cottage cheese and roasted butternut squash finished with sage butter and roasted pumpkin seeds. You can reserve a table here.

South Manny Flavaz

Following a successful opening earlier this year for food deliveries and pick-ups, South Manny Flavaz has officially opened in its new home on Deansgate.

Taking Manchester chicken fans by storm, the new restaurant will be dishing out everything from finger-licking chicken wings, to mouth-watering loaded burgers and milkshakes. For more information visit.

Alex’s Bakery

Welcome cake fans to its chic outdoor seating area this April, Alex’s Bakery, located on Great Northern Square is making our mornings even sweeter.

Enjoy a coffee and a mouth-watering sweet treat from the talented team of bakers, led by head baker and owner, Alex Furlan. From freshly baked cupcakes and scones, to slabs of gooey chocolate brownies and stuffed cookies, there’s something for everybody.

Impossible

To celebrate the reopening of one of the city’s best outdoor terraces, the ever-stylish Impossible bar will be serving up its famous bottomless brunch with tasty treats and free-flowing drinks, guaranteeing the city starts it week right.

Impossible will also be serving a new delicious terrace-dedicated menu which includes a lip-smacking blue burger – perfect for an Instagrammable moments. You can reserve a table here.

Lane 7

This exciting new addition to Great Northern Warehouse is also new to Manchester and raring to bring a whole lot of laughter and fun to the Manchester again.

While bowling and other gaming entertainment is paused until 17^th May in line with the Government roadmap, the site will kickstart its Manchester arrival with outdoor drinks and food aplenty, including an exciting menu collaboration with Fat Hippo on April 16^th. You can reserve a table here.

Revolución De Cuba

Manchester’s biggest Cuban cocktail bar, Revolución De Cuba, is set to bring the world’s finest cocktails and tastiest rums, along with the funkiest Latin vibes, to the Great Northern Square via its Daiq Shack; a pop-up, airstream caravan that’s set to dish up delicious cocktails including Mojitos, Pina Coladas and, of course, its famous frozen Strawberry Daiquiri.

The pop-up is available for walk-ins, dependant on the weather. For more information, please visit the Great Northern Warehouse website and the Revolución de Cuba website.

Great Northern Beach Club

Located in the Great Northern Square, the brand new Great Northern Beach Club is bringing you the best of the beach this spring, offering chilled feels with a distinctly laid-back bohemian vibe. 

Its undercover spacious terrace allows guests to order cocktails, award winning wines, ice-cold draft beer, kombucha and naturally infused drinks, along with great quality street food from Great Northern neighbours, South Manny Flavaz, Platzki and Alex's Bakery.

From 12^th April the hot-spot will be open Monday – Saturday 12pm until 11pm and Sunday 12pm until 8pm, with times set to change the following week. There’s a table, or beach hut with your name on it… Book a table at the terrace here.

Futon Company 

Find the perfect gift for your interior obsessed loved ones at Futon Company on April 12^th when the homeware shop reopens its doors. We promise you’ll find a bargain, or two!

Dormouse Chocolates

The multi award-winning luxury chocolate shop, Dormouse Chocolates is set to open on Saturday April 17^th ready to feed all of the cities sweet-toothed lovers. With a range of mouth-watering chocolate bars from only £6.00, you won’t want to miss out. Available for walks-ins next week, shop the range online before your visit here.

The Gym Deansgate

Show up to The Gym in Manchester Deansgate and leave feeling stronger and better. The gym’s kit is top-notch, with over 170 pieces of high-tech equipment including cardio and resistance machines, they’ve got everything you need to slim down or bulk up for the summer. For more information click here.

Deansgate Mews

Don’t forget the Mews, the hidden upper-level suntrap nestled up above Deansgate. Home to one of the coolest pubs in the square, Lion’s Den will be opening its sun terrace on April 12^th so the city can kick back, relax and enjoy a refreshing beer, or any other beverage of your choice.

The tastiest deli in town, 3Hands Deli will also be offering outdoor seating area, meaning you can relish in delicious fresh produce with the sun kissing your skin. Choose from incredible sourdough, amazing cheeses and a great selection of pickles and ferments.

And finally, fans of everyone’s favourite Spanish restaurant, Evuna and the tasty loaded burger joint, Almost Famous will need to wait just a little longer to dine outside (although Almost Famous hope to confirm plans shortly), but both are offering food delivery and pick up options including the ever-so-popular Evuna at Home box.

For more information on the Great Northern Warehouse’s mix of leisure, hospitality, and entertainment brands, please visit the website.

• HOME announces Homeground – a brand-new temporary outdoor venue on First Street offering the best in live entertainment across two stages.

• Featuring a 400-seat socially distanced outdoor theatre, and second stage with free live performance.

• Productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Alice in Wonderland with tickets just £10 for adults and £5 for children.

The site on First Street where HOME’s new outdoor venue, Homeground, will be built. Pic credit: Drew Forsyth.

HOME, Manchester’s largest multi-arts venue, are launching a massive temporary outdoor arts space this Summer. The new space, named Homeground will be located on an 80,000ft2 future development site on First Street, just next to HOME. It will feature a 400-seat socially distanced theatre space: the specially designed and purpose built, Covid-safe outdoor theatre. At the heart will be two magical, musical productions of classics: Filter Theatre’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and a brand-new version of Alice in Wonderland.

The new venue opens on Friday, 28 May, and run throughout the summer.

It will also host work by partners including Frog & Bucket, Contact and Trans Creative, as well as music, cabaret, and comedy.

The site near HOME where Homeground will be built

The project will create 450 new employment opportunities for freelance artists and creative practitioners, supporting the freelance economy which has been so badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

Thanks to generous support from partners, tickets for the two HOME productions will be just £10 for adults and £5 for children. HOME will also be offering free performances for school groups.

Dave Moutrey, HOME’s Director and CEO, said: “As we start to emerge from the strangest year many of us have ever experienced, arts and culture play a vital role in the recovery of the country. We all want to bring a sense of hope and joy back to our communities, and to provide more opportunities for an artistic freelance sector decimated by the pandemic. And we want accessibility for all to be at the heart of this project, which is why there is a low-cost or free programme, as well as free performances for schools. People in our city, especially young people, have been deprived of live theatre for the past year – we want this to be a celebration of Manchester’s creativity and resilience.

“I’m delighted to announce Homeground, which will be a safe and enjoyable space for the people of Manchester to have fun, reconnect and celebrate the city’s artistic talent in all its forms.”

A Midsummer Night’s Dream will open on Thursday, 3 June and run until Saturday, 26 June. The show is the third successful collaboration between Filter and Sean Holmes, following the success of Three Sisters and Twelfth Night.

Featuring original music from members of The London Snorkeling Team, this remixed and reworked version of Shakespeare’s tale of young lovers and warring fairies is given a unique and irreverent twist.

Tickets will go on sale on Tuesday 20 April, with early booking available for HOME Friends and members.

Then later this summer, HOME presents a brand-new version of Alice in Wonderland – written by Stockroom and directed by Lekan Lewal. It will be presented in association with Stockroom Productions.

An up-to-date take on the family favourite, the show features new and contemporary Manchester songs, it opens on Thursday, 15 July and runs until Saturday, 7 August.

Alongside the main performance programme, there will be a free stage in the food and drink terrace. The Manchester Stage will have a different curator from the city every week, including Manchester Folk Festival, Contact, and DJ slots curated by DJ Paulette.

There will also be food and drink from stallholders including Black Market Espresso, Brazilico pizza, Wolf to the Door cocktails and Tibetan Kitchen.

The site has been designed by Cordelia Ashwell, of Decordia Events.

She said: “The idea behind the overall site design grew from a collaboration with HOME's Curator, Bren O'Callaghan. From the outset, we felt that rather than try to disguise the brownfield nature of the site, we would lean into the detritus that accumulates in pockets of the urban fabric. Influenced by scrapyards, the neon graveyard of Las Vegas and remnants of stories that attach themselves to architectural salvage, we settled upon a method of display popularised by the Victorians and in municipal museums - the Wunderkammer, or Cabinet of Curiosities. In this way, seemingly random and otherwise ordinary objects become extra-ordinary.

“Bren and I have been hunting down key iconic artefacts, some of which we think the public will recognise, and others may come as a bit of a surprise.”

More shows and events will be announced over the coming months.

The project has been made possible thanks to support from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund, Arts Council England, Ask Real Estate, CBRE, the Garfield Weston Foundation, B&M Retail and Savannah Wisdom, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and the Granada Foundation.

For more information, visit www.homemcr.org/homeground

- New brands such as Gym+Coffee, Polestar and Chopstix will be joining favourites such as Selfridges, John Lewis and Primark

- Safety measures will continue to play an important part in making the centre a safe place to visit and work

Visitors will be able to safely enjoy The Trafford Centre experience from 12 April, with favourite brands such as Selfridges, John Lewis, Zara and Primark at Barton Square all reopening their doors.

Lots of new brands and promotions will also be joining the centre, including Gym+Coffee, Polestar, Chopstix, Tommy Hilfiger, Pop Specs and Forever Unique.

Dining-in at restaurants and indoor entertainment venues will re-open later, as part of the government’s roadmap. A wide range of restaurants, such as Tampopo, Five Guys, Archie’s, Barburrito and Slim Chickens, will be offering a takeaway service from 12 April - with visitors welcome to enjoy their food and drink on one of the centre’s many outdoor areas.

The Trafford Centre’s strong safety measures will continue to play an important part in making the centre a safe place to visit and work, including one-way systems, frequent deep cleans, hand sanitation stations, regular tannoy announcements and capacity limits. In addition:

• Everyone must wear a face covering on entry and indoors, unless exempt. Trained officers will be engaging with customers at entrances if they are not wearing a face covering.

• In order to adhere to the centre’s capacity limits and allow for social distancing, visitors may be asked to queue to get in, particularly at weekends when the centre can be more popular. People are advised to come prepared for the Great British weather, should they have to queue. 

• Our teams have undertaken additional wellbeing and customer service training, and we ask visitors to be kind and considerate to our colleagues and to others

• People should only visit the centre with people they live with or are in a support bubble with; the rule of six applies to indoor spaces from 17 May.

• A number of car parks and entrances will remain closed to help manage capacity. Visitors can check this information on the website before their visit: traffordcentre.co.uk.

Zoe Inman, centre director, said: “We’re more than ready to give our visitors a big welcome back from 12 April and once again provide people with the Trafford Centre experience they know and love, as well as welcoming some new and exciting brands.

“Our approach to re-opening will be cautious and we have lots of precautions in place as restrictions are gradually eased. We’ve invested in additional training and wellbeing resources for our colleagues, and teams have been working hard to get the centre ready.

“All we ask of visitors is to plan their trip, check our website and social channels for important information, and follow any safety measures in place. Our hardworking teams are here to help keep you safe, so please be kind and considerate if approached by one of our colleagues. Let’s all work together to ensure restrictions can be eased further, and we can go back to a more normal way of life.” 

Centre opening hours will be 10am–9pm Monday – Saturday and 12pm–6pm on Sundays.* From 17 May, the centre will remain open until 10pm. A full list of stores and opening hours can be found here: traffordcentre.co.uk.  

* Primark at Barton Square will be opening at 9am-10pm (excluding Sunday) for the first week of opening, and 10am – 10pm after this. Selfridges will be opening 10am - 9pm.  

Children can create their own laws of football with a series of online activities over Easter.

Three video activities for families will show them how to create their own laws of the game, inspired by the very first Football Association Minute Book.

The handwritten Laws of The Game are contained in a Minute Book which dates to 1863. That book will go on display at the National Football Museum when it re-opens in late May.

Over Easter families are encouraged to consider: Where do football clubs come from? What are the laws? And finally, how do we treat each other?

After completing all three activities children will have the beginning of their very own Laws of the Game book.

The three videos (each 15 minutes long) will be aired on the museum’s YouTube channel at 11am on 5, 7, 9 April.

Monday 5 April - Where do clubs come from?

(suitable for ages 7-11).

Some of the greatest football teams have come from all sorts of unexpected places - schools, factories, pubs, some even from churches! Have a think about your local community and the unlikely places that could be home to the next top team! You’ll need A4 paper and colour pens/pencils for this activity.

Wednesday 7 April – What are the laws?

(suitable for age up to 14)

There were lots of discussions and arguments when the laws of football were written in 1863, which continue today. Does hearing about VAR make you yawn? What would happen to your team if the ref allowed handballs? In this fun, interactive quiz you can decide what is really important about the game we love.

Friday 9 April – How do we treat each other?

(suitable for age up to 14)

What do you think football could do better? Does everyone have an equal opportunity to enjoy the game? Be inspired by some of the amazing objects in the National Football Museum and channel your feelings into your own protest poster.

More details here.

As long as government restrictions allow, the museum hopes to reopen on 27 May 2021, with tickets on sale early April.

For updates on planned opening hours, tickets and safety measures please visit www.nationalfootballmuseum.com. To receive prior notification of ticket sales, sign-up to the museum’s newsletter.

The museum has a new and improved access offer with both a BSL video guide and visual story helping visitors familiarise themselves before their visit.

Launching at Digital City Festival on 12th April, StreamGM will showcase diverse cultural events and acts from Greater Manchester.

StreamGM builds on the incredible achievements of United We Stream GM, launched on April 3rd, 2020, in swift response to the first UK lockdown. 

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, an early supporter of the project said: “United We Stream GM was an incredible success, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for people working in the culture industry at a time when through no fault of their own they were not able to work, and put smiles on the faces of people in Greater Manchester and across the world when they needed it most.

“Like everyone involved, I’m excited for the next stage of this journey as we launch StreamGM to showcase all the local talent we have right here in Greater Manchester.

“While we are all looking forward to getting back to live theatre, music and everything else our culture sector has to offer, this world class digital platform will play an essential role in our recovery throughout 2021.

“Many venues will not be able to reopen fully until the second half of the year so by prioritising digital development such as this, we can continue to support our culture sector so they can later support us all through our personal recoveries from what we have experienced through the pandemic.”

Andy Burnham Fundraiser DJ set on United We Stream

Through the remarkable legacy of United We Stream, StreamGM will continue to promote the vibrant culture within the region, and create new local, national and global audiences.

The established international collaborations will continue with StreamGM under the international United We Stream umbrella, ensuring the digital platform continues to benefit from the mutually beneficial worldwide partnerships that were established in 2020.

The opportunity to showcase Greater Manchester talent through the international United We Stream network will be a key element of StreamGM's talent pathway strategy.

This will include specialised ‘hands on’ industry experience for young people, in the production and promotion of digital broadcasting.

Poet Tony Walsh performing in Our City Speaks

Greater Manchester Night Time Economy Adviser, Sacha Lord said: “This time last year we were putting the finishing touches to our very first United We Stream weekend. There is no way we could have known back then, just how hard COVID would affect us all and how long it would last.

“In an incredibly hard year for many, United We Stream Greater Manchester provided moments of escape and joy and I’m incredibly proud of all we achieved. It’s now time to look to the future and, as we start to gradually unlock, how some of the partnerships and projects developed during 2020 adapt to complement live events. 

“StreamGM is a perfect example of this, providing a platform for emerging Greater Manchester talent to perform to global audiences, taking talent beyond venue walls, helping our amazing city-region emerge from the pandemic in the strongest possible position.”

With a desire to get the biggest digital audiences for the best talent, The StreamGM team are driven by a love of local music, art and Mancunian cultural heritage.

DJ Paulette on United We Stream LaDiscotheque

StreamGM  co-producer Marie-Claire Daly said: “We’re a small team driven by an immense shared love of music and culture, and will continue to bang the drum for Greater Manchester.

“Live streaming has been around for years, but worldwide lockdowns and social distancing meant no more in-person events or performances, so it became a source of escapism as audiences transitioned to live streamed experiences, connecting together, virtually.

“Despite the U.K roadmap into reopening, the exponential digital broadcasting boom will continue as we slowly move into recovery from the pandemic, and streaming will play a valuable part in both bolstering and enhancing the culture and live events sector for years to come. 

“It feels very fitting to launch our next chapter with Digital City Festival, an event with digital innovation, excellence and community at its heart. 

“We’re honoured to be part of this brilliant programme of events and can’t wait to see StreamGM come to life.”

Digital City Festival is an annual event series exploring what makes a leading digital city. 

Production for the festival is based at state-of-the-art studios in Salford’s Media City with all events broadcast online. StreamGM will kick off proceedings on April 12 with an explosive audio-visual DJ set themed around Mancunian music and culture.

Digital City Festival Director, Martyn Collins said: “We’re delighted to have StreamGM curating the entertainment for our delegates at Digital City Festival. Despite lockdown, the amazing United We Stream project showed that innovation, creativity, music and performance could still be created, shared and enjoyed by all. 

“Using digital as the core platform and reaching a global audience, StreamGM is perfectly in sync with Manchester’s digital city status and also recognising that people are at the heart of everything we do.”

DJ Woody - United We Stream The Hacienda 24 Hr House Party 

Digital City Festival will launch with DJ Woody, who combines live mixing with a visual storytelling journey. His unique style of DJ’ing made him a firm favourite with viewers on United We Stream GM, with his last performance on the platform as part of the smash hit finale show on New Year’s Eve with The Hacienda, which saw four million global views over the duration of the unique 24-hour online party.

On April 13th Sacha Lord will chair an exclusive StreamGM panel with VIP speakers: Lutz Leichsenring founder of the global United We Stream organisation and Club Commissioner for Berlin, renowned DJ and The Hacienda producer Graeme Park, Tom Besford from English Folk Expo, DJ Rebecca Swarray, Artistic Director of the Met David Agnew and United We Stream/StreamGM’s producer Marie-Claire Daly.

Topics for the half an hour discussion include: United We Stream, StreamGM and the legacy of lockdown live-streaming.

Manchester Jazz Festival

Manchester Jazz Festival, The Hacienda’s DJ Graeme Park, Showhawk Duo and Jodrell Bank’s Blue Dot festival favourites ’Science in the House’ will also be turning in special performances on the StreamGM virtual stage.

The festival finale on April 22 will host the first ever StreamGM talent showcase, platforming the best breakthrough acts from across the region.

This specially curated two-hour show will spotlight Greater Manchester’s hottest bands, singers, performers, dancers, artists and poets.

All Digital City Festival events will broadcast online from state-of-the-art studios at MediaCityUK, featuring a range of keynotes, panels, roundtables, an online exhibition and much more.

The festival aims to unite everyone working across tech, marketing, ecommerce, media and creative as one global community.

The international collaboration between the Greater Manchester and Berlin teams will develop new alliances, curate international live-streamed shows and build best practice models around ethical streaming. 

Berlin Club Commissioner Lutz Leichsenring, who founded the award-winning United We Stream project said: “Only through the perseverance and commitment of nightlife and cultural representatives such as the team from Greater Manchester, has it been possible to create a global platform for music and club culture.

“I am very pleased that we are consolidating the structures in order to build up an international solidarity network for club-cultural issues."

Chair of Berlin’s United We Stream Association, Anna Harnes said: “The birth of the United We Stream global network has enabled cities and their club ‘culturepreneurs’ to support each other through fundraising, engagement and exposure for performers and artists through this international, digital platform. 

“Through the United We Stream Global Association, both the teams in Greater Manchester and Berlin will seize the moment and lead collectively towards the shift from survive to thrive.”

To join Digital City Festival, register for access here.

For more information about StreamGM please go to: www.streamgm.co.uk 

The Lowry has confirmed details of its planned re-opening line-up.

In accordance with Step 3 of the ‘Roadmap out of Lockdown’ the Salford arts centre expects to re-start face-to-face performances week commencing Monday, 17 May - pending the final green light from government on Monday, 10 May.

The first show will be outdoor performances of the critically acclaimed production C-O-N-T-A-C-T at Salford Quays and in Manchester city centre. Delivered in partnership with Aria Entertainment and WEF Productions, it will run from Tuesday, 18 May to Sunday, 27 June.

From Saturday, 22 May, the galleries will re-open at weekends, with two exhibitions on offer: the permanent LS Lowry: The Art & The Artist and a physical display of the online Days Like These exhibition, which tells the story of Salfordians experiences of lockdown using paintings, photographs, films and poetry.

The first indoor, socially distanced performance will take place on Sunday, 30 May as comedian Michael Spicer brings The Room Next Door to the venue’s Lyric Theatre. Following this, Northern Ballet will present Dangerous Liaisons from Tuesday 1 – Saturday 5 June.

The Lowry has also announced a major new show for 2022 – with Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Boublil and Schönberg’s musical Les Misérables set to run from Tuesday, 29 March – Saturday, 23 April next year. Tickets go on-sale at 10am tomorrow, Wednesday, 24 March.
 

Commenting on the planned line-up, Julia Fawcett OBE, chief executive of The Lowry, said: “Words cannot express how excited we are to be putting plans in place for the re-opening of our building.

“I’m incredibly proud of the online and off-site activity we have delivered during the pandemic – and much of that style of delivery is here to stay for the future – but to be able to welcome people through our doors once again is an important and much-welcomed step in the right direction.”

Already announced for this Christmas, The Lowry will offer three hit shows: Stick Man (Tuesday, 30 November to Sunday, 9 January), The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Wednesday, 8 December – Saturday, 15 January) and SIX (Tuesday, 14 December – Sunday, 9 January.)

During lockdown, The Lowry launched #LoveLowry - a virtual theatre, gallery and studio space that presents performances, artworks, exhibitions, tours, workshops, comment and blogs, curated by their creative team and special guest curators.
 

Home to award-winning artisan drinks producer, Manchester Gin, The Spirit of Manchester Distillery is now taking May Bank Holiday bookings welcoming the start of a new term for its much-loved Gin School.

Rated the ‘Number One Thing to Do in Manchester’ on Trip Advisor, like regular schools across the country, The Spirit of Manchester Distillery had to switch to home-schooling during lockdown and hosted virtual tastings for gin-lovers to enjoy, even breaking a World Record for the World’s Biggest Virtual Gin Tasting. 

Now the Prime Minister has announced a roadmap back to normality, the distillery is thrilled to welcome Mancunians and gin fanatics back in the classroom for its immersive sessions and to enjoy a G&T or two. 

Reopening from the 20^th May and available every week, from Thursday to Sunday, the first available slots have been offered to those who had to rearrange bookings due to lockdown, The Spirit of Manchester Distillery is now opening bookings back up to the public for a range of different packages for its visitors to enjoy.

Pop down for a Distillery Tour and Guided Gin Tasting, priced at £20 per person for a 45 minute to one-hour session, and get lost in the world of Manchester Gin with a full tour of the distillery. See your favourite tipples being created and learn about the gin-making process all with a G&T in hand- and put your palate to the test by sampling Manchester Gin’s award-winning range in a guided tasting. 

Or why not see if you’ve got what it takes to become a Master Distiller with the Gin Making Experience. The two-and-a-half to three-hour session, priced at £85 per person, includes all the perks of the Distillery Tour and Guided Tasting, followed by a guided session in the distillery’s state-of-the-art Gin School. Explore the vast array of botanicals to create your own unique flavoured gin, bottle it in Manchester Gin’s iconic glass hexagon bottle and take your fabulous creation home.

Planning a post-lockdown date night? Book in for Gin Making for Two. Available on Thursdays and Sundays for £125 for two, partner up and enjoy everything the distillery and Gin School has to offer, but work as a team and create one bottle of gin to take home and enjoy. 

Manchester Gin co-founder and Master Distiller, Seb Heeley, said: “The Spirit of Manchester Distillery Gin School is one of our proudest achievements. Gin-lovers don’t just travel from across the city, but across the country, to come and try their hand distilling an incredible tasting gin.

“These past 12 months our distillery has looked much different to how our customers will remember. Our gin production switched to making hand sanitiser to support front-line workers at the neighbouring NHS Nightingale North West Hospital and our popular tastings had to take place virtually - a very different year to what we originally planned. We can’t wait to get back in the room with gin lovers and raise a glass to coming through the other side.”

Manchester’s ultimate dining destination, Corn Exchange, is set to reopen its much-loved outdoor dining area this April for Mancunian’s to grab a bite, share a glass and enjoy the spring sunshine. What’s more, there’s even outdoor fun and games to have with another household, or in a group of up to six.

Celebrate the end of lockdown by heading to the Corn Exchange and enjoying its diverse array of brands and their fabulous offerings.

DELHI HOUSE CAFÉ

The latest addition to the Corn Exchange family, Delhi House Café brings the streets of Delhi into the heart of Manchester with its café-meets-restaurant style cuisine. With a modern take on classic Indian street dishes, and a whole host of vibrant cocktails to enjoy, don’t miss out on coming to try this unique dining experience. Many Mancunians won’t have had the chance to enjoy this new independent restaurant yet, so book now to avoid disappointment.

BANYAN

One of the city’s most loved outdoor drinking spots, Banyan is ready to welcome the people of Manchester to come enjoy a springtime sip on its famous terrace. With cocktails, fizz and gin galore, a trip to Banyan is the perfect way to raise a glass to the end of lockdown. Feeling hungry? Check out Banyan’s delicious food menu filled with tasty nibbles and large plates too.

COSY CLUB

Lockdown has been filled with cosy nights in, so now it’s time to enjoy a cosy night out. Head down to Corn Exchange and pay a visit to Manchester’s most snug setting- Cosy Club. With a delightful lunch and brunch menu, excellent evening meal options and an impressive drinks menu to match, come and indulge in what Cosy Club has to offer.

GINO D’ACAMPO

A staple in Manchester’s Italian dining scene, Gino D’Acampo has been feeding the people of Manchester with its takeaway service throughout lockdown and is excited to greet its much-loved customers in person once more. Bask in the sunshine or cuddle up under the outdoor heaters as you indulge in the tastes of Italy with a perfectly chilled glass from its vast wine list in hand.

SALVI’S

Overseas travel may not be option for Brits quite yet so let the authentic taste of Salvi’s exquisite dishes transport you to Italy. With tasty charcuterie boards and delightful pastries freshly made each day from its traditional Italian deli, unwinding with an Aperol Spritz in hand won’t go a miss this April.

VAPIANO

With a delicious array of pasta, pizzas and salads galore, come and relax this April in the laidback atmosphere that Vapiano provides. With its pasta and pizza dough handmade with love each day, these scrumptious Italian classics will be sure to satisfy. Pair your main with a cold sip of beer, wine or a cocktail to round up a perfect post-lockdown meal.

ZIZZI

Last but by no means least of Corn Exchange’s Italian’s restaurants, Zizzi is firing up its stone bake pizza ovens, ready to welcome guests in April. With a tempting menu filled with everyone’s most-loved Italian dishes, spend your springtime dining on a rustic pizza with a prosecco in hand.

ESCAPE HUNT

Fancy some fun before you fill your boots? Manchester’s best escape room is now taking booking for its April Outdoor Adventures. Fun for all the family, Escape Hunt is challenging Mancunians to come and take part Operation Mindfall, where you have two hours to save the planet from a deadly virus, and Magic Portal, where humanity is depending on you to roam the streets of Manchester to locate magical crystals.

ROOMZZZ

Need somewhere to crash after a fun-filled day exploring the bustling city of Manchester? Roomzzz Aparthotel is now taking May bookings for you to come and relax in style. With the luxury of a hotel combined with the convenience of a serviced apartment, come and enjoy the simple pleasures of a super soft mattress, plump pillow and fluffy towels this springtime.

The Corn Exchange’s resident brands are now taking booking from 12^th April onwards and all venues will be following Government guidelines. Simply head to cornexchangemanchester.co.uk for more information. 

The reimagined Octagon has seen the complete modernisation of the entire building with updated performance spaces, brand-new participation facilities, improved front-of-house experience and expanded backstage facilities.

This exclusive inside reveal comes ahead of the finishing touches being made and the reopening later this year, with a date to be confirmed in the coming weeks following the recent announcement of the Government roadmap of when theatres can reopen their doors.

Octagon Chief Executive, Roddy Gauld commented: “After what has been a tumultuous 12 months, we are now excited to be looking to our future as we plan our reopening. The Octagon is an incredible creative and cultural hub for Bolton and we hope these first glimpses inside the redeveloped building will lift people’s excitement as we get ready to welcome the public back through our doors!

“The reimagined Octagon benefits from more internal space; is more environmentally friendly; has vastly improved accessibility; and enhanced customer and backstage facilities for everyone’s comfort. The building needed a new roof and major modernisation of its electrics and plumbing and I’m pleased to say is now fit for generations to come.

“This redevelopment wouldn’t have been possible without investment from Bolton Council and Arts Council England, other funders and the 12,000 donors who have supported us. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has backed us.

“The pandemic has hit Bolton particularly hard, and the Octagon is now ready to play a leading role in our town’s recovery and future. We know people are looking forward to live entertainment and I don’t think the theatre could be more needed or more capable than it is right now!”

Since theatre’s closed on 16 March 2020 the Octagon have continued to connect with the community by moving their programme to digital online platforms.

Audiences have been able to enjoy live performances and events including a live Zoom production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream; a broadcast reading of A Christmas Carol; a festive online quiz hosted by Mina Anwar and family StoryMaker’s readings.

Their engagement programmes have continued to provide creative opportunities online with over 3000 participants taking part in workshops, youth theatre, over 50’s Theatre Club and music sessions, as well as delivering Creative Care Kits to support wellbeing for those without internet access.

The venue have also continued to support local freelance artists through its Incubation Residencies, open auditions, participation in the Freelance Task Force and by teaming up with other local theatres to create Greater Manchester Artist Hub.

Thanks to public support their Future Fund public fundraising appeal has raised £84,697.48.

Watch video of the last 12 months at the Octagon

With the roadmap for theatres to reopen now looking clearer, the Octagon prepare to raise the curtain on the exciting next chapter in their story.

Artistic Director, Lotte Wakeham added: “Given that it is 12 months since theatres across the country had to close, it is heartening to be able to look back at what we have accomplished in such challenging and exceptional circumstances. From sewing scrubs for the NHS and lending our building to the rollout of the Covid vaccine, to developing projects to support local artists, to keeping our audiences entertained with our online content, we tried never to lose sight of our desire to bring our audiences and our community together.

“After what has been a difficult year we are really excited to now finally share pictures from inside the brand new Octagon which will offer a warm and welcoming environment for the whole community. We promised you we would be back, and now the building is complete we cannot wait to open our doors and welcome you back in person to your reimagined Octagon.”

Leader of Bolton Council and the Greater Manchester portfolio lead for culture, Cllr David Greenhalgh, said: “The new images of the Octagon are fantastic and showcase to residents the excellent facilities waiting for them once Covid-19 restrictions are lifted. We are proud to support the redevelopment of one of Bolton’s greatest cultural assets which is a key part of our town centre regeneration plans.

“I am looking forward to visiting once the Octagon opens and seeing the venue flourish with its impressive new design and features.”

Following its redevelopment and modernisation, the Octagon will be fit for purpose for decades to come, and ready to meet people’s hunger for bold, adventurous and popular theatre.

The Octagon is eagerly anticipating when they will be able open their doors for audiences and participants to fully appreciate and take advantage of all the new facilities and enjoy their reimagined Octagon.

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2021/03/octagon-theatre-reveal-first-glimpse-inside-ps12million-reimagined-building-b1524#comments1524 Wed, 17 Mar 2021 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2021/03/ducie-street-warehouse-announces-new-terrace-plans-b1523 Ducie Street Warehouse will reveal a new urban South-facing terrace for relaxed all day dining and drinking, opening on Monday, 12th April. Native Manchester will also reopen on the same day for all stays, be it leisure or business. Ducie Street Warehouse will reveal a new urban South-facing terrace for relaxed all day dining and drinking, opening on Monday, 12th April. Native Manchester will also reopen on the same day for all stays, be it leisure or business.

The eclectic 24/7 space is home to the new 80 cover terrace and 80 cover restaurant - an all-day kitchen headed up by Manchester-born chef Andrew Green; a bar and lounge that’s a place for work, play and everything in between.

The new heated and covered terrace will open daily for that first sip of tea, to that last cocktail; an all-day bar and kitchen where socialising is the order of the day. The terrace menu will serve a preview selection of dishes from the new all-day dining menu, of food that’s great to share, including signature Focaccia Romania flatbreads, small sharers and large plates.

Ducie Street Warehouse will see a collection of curated takeovers across sounds, inspired arts and cultural pop-ups. The first collaboration will launch in April, with 20k and a dead sheep, the independent Manchester based online shop selling zines, books and rare editions, which is ran by renowned DJs and selectors within the Manchester scene.

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2021/03/ducie-street-warehouse-announces-new-terrace-plans-b1523#comments1523 Wed, 17 Mar 2021 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2021/03/manchester-camerata-fuses-old-with-the-new-on-bbc-radio-3-b1522 In a vibrant and eclectic fusion of the familiar and the new, Manchester Camerata is delighted to present its brand-new concert on BBC Radio 3 on March 23 rd as part of the station’s Manchester Week series. In a vibrant and eclectic fusion of the familiar and the new, Manchester Camerata is delighted to present its brand-new concert on BBC Radio 3 on March 23^rd as part of the station’s Manchester Week series. Introduced by Linton Stephens and directed by Manchester Camerata’s Leader, Caroline Pether – this one-off concert features music from Schoenberg, Janáček and Mozart alongside music from the acclaimed, experimental and Ivor Novello award-winning composer, turntable artist and broadcaster, Shiva Feshareki.

As a turntablist, the British-Iranian experimental composer, plays her compositions solo and alongside classical orchestras. Born in London in 1987, she obtained a Doctorate of Music from the Royal College of Music and in 2017 she was honoured with the Ivor Novello Award for Innovation (formerly British Composer Award).

BBC Radio 3’s Manchester Week of pre-recorded and live concerts, broadcast as part of the In Concert slot, showcases some of the very best of the city’s orchestras, venues and musicians. The initiative highlights the station’s commitment to connecting listeners and performers with broadcasts of music as performed all over the UK – especially during the current global pandemic, when audiences have been unable to enjoy live concerts and artists have struggled to work. 

Manchester Camerata CEO Bob Riley comments: “We are so thrilled to be back on BBC Radio 3 where we are able to re connect with our regional, national and international audiences with this stunningly versatile and exciting concert. Supporting our freelance musicians and showcasing their extraordinary talents alongside the likes of the very brilliant Shiva Feshareki in a really diverse sums up what we are about as an orchestra – shaking up the classical music world and making it current, vibrant and relevant to musical lovers of all genres and all ages. It is also great to be part of a season which sheds a spotlight on the vast regional talent and all the great music that is available in Manchester”

Manchester Camerata features as part of Manchester Week on BBC Radio 3 at 19.30 on Tuesday 23 March 2021

You can expect a bunch of Refuge classics alongside a line-up of brand spanking new dishes and a cracking new wine list. And not forgetting Sunday Roast - because we all know it's still the platter that matters.

Be the envy of your mates and nab an outdoor table before anyone else. Just a little FYI that you can book online only. Unfortunately, if the slot you're after isn't available, that means it is fully booked. All you need to do now is hit the booking button - we'll see you back at Refuge soon.

Kimpton Clocktower Hotel re-opens

But it's not just The Refuge who's opening their doors on 12 April - Kimpton Clocktower Hotel are taking booking for essential business travel. Working away never looked so stylish.

Book a room here

Alongside their usual extensive by-the-glass menu, the team have curated a new specially selected range of wine flights for the occasion so that guests can enjoy Salut’s famous tasting experience direct to their table. There’s four flights to choose from, with each collection consisting of three different 50ml wines and covering a range of styles including a new natural wine flight. It’s a perfect way to explore Salut’s extraordinary menu and designed for those much missed catch ups over a glass of great wine.

As usual, Salut will be serving great food to compliment from local suppliers like The Crafty Cheese Man & Holy Grain Bakery. The menu will include Salut’s renowned cheese, charcuterie and mezze platters as well as even more  new vegan and vegetarian options.

Beers from Manchester’s best breweries as well as coffees, teas and soft drinks will all be served. Plus a new monthly-changing cocktail special - something the team have been experimenting with and refined during lockdown!

Until the inside can reopen, the seating will be walk-in only.

Salut will be open seven days a week: Monday-Wednesday 10.30am-8.00pm; Thursday-Saturday 10.30am-9.00pm and Sunday midday - 8.00pm.

The Salut Wine Shop is home to an extraordinary collection of over 400 wines, all of which will continue to be available for takeaway, click and collect and delivery nationwide.

Serving up Caribbean sunshine from breakfast until dinner and bringing back its famous 2’4’1 cocktails, Turtle Bay Manchester Oxford Road offers the perfect Caribbean getaway while sun-soaked holidays are still off the agenda. The al fresco space is big on Turtle Bay’s unmistakable island vibes, offering an outdoor dining experience that sets it apart from the average local.

Turtle Bay fans can look forward to a tropical take on that long-awaited catch up with friends, and this time around, guests can also opt for a more casual experience and just enjoy a few drinks from the restaurant’s famous rum cocktail menu (all 2’4’1 during the brand’s much missed Happy Hour). 

Turtle Bay’s all-day food menu boasts a wide selection of Caribbean soul food and grazing options from their island-inspired breakfast dishes to the Jerk Pit BBQ; comforting curries to clean-eating inspired Buddha Bowls; plus an excellent range of burgers, beach salads and sides.

Turtle Bay is also home to one of the biggest vegan collections on the high street with incredible plant-based treats in abundance across the entire menu- from breakfast to mains, desserts and snacks.

The reopening of Turtle Bay will also see the return of their Bottomless Brunch every single day, providing plenty of scope for guests to make their social debut all week long. A two hour long Caribbean cocktail and brunching experience, the Bay’s Bottomless Brunch is a sunshine-filled catch up event like no other and includes unlimited tropical cocktails, mocktails, Red Stripe, bellinis, prosecco or craft beer, all to a soundtrack of laidback reggae beats. It includes any brunch dish from the sunshine inspired Big Kingston Grill Down, to the infamous Vegan Yardbird or their twist on Avocado Smash, all for £27.50 per person.

For those booking for just drinks, enjoying Turtle Bay’s famous Happy Hour is essential. Happening every single day (Sun - Thurs: 10am - 7pm & 9.30pm - close; Fri & Sat: 10am - 7pm & 10pm - close), guests can enjoy Turtle Bay’s Caribbean social experience whilst taking full advantage of the 2-for-1 cocktails and mocktails.

Cocktail highlights include the Reggae Rum Punch (Ve, Wray & Nephew, strawberry, grenadine, lime, pineapple & bitters), Koko Kolada (Ve, Koko Kanu, dark rum, pineapple juice & coconut milk), and the Side Chick Martini (White rum, passion fruit, vanilla, orange juice & prosecco shot), which is also great with vodka.

Turtle Bay Manchester Oxford Road is open for outdoor bookings from 12th April and bookings for 17th May onwards are now being taken for inside the restaurant (up to 6 people):

While indoor areas at Turtle Bay restaurant remain closed, spaces are limited and reservations are required.

TREATS, TIPPLES AND TASTY MEALS; THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERY MANCUIAN MUM TO ENJOY

Mother’s Day will look a little different this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make amazing memories at home with the help of the Corn Exchange Manchester. Treat mum to amazing offerings from the city’s ultimate dining destination to ensure that this Mothering Sunday is truly magical.

And though we may not be able to dine out this year, this doesn’t mean you can’t dine in with these fantastic takeaway options that provide you a restaurant experience from home.

PIZZA EXPRESS

Give your mum the first-class treatment she deserves by treating her to a delicious At Home DIY Pizza Kit. Starting from just £14 for two people, these deliciously crispy, thin-based pizzas are available in either Margherita, American Hot or 50/50. Let mum put her feet up whilst your pizzas cook to perfection for the ultimate Mother’s Day feast.

SALVI’S

For mums with a sweet tooth, Salvi’s Cannoli Treat Boxes will make the perfect gift. Tuck into the crunchy pastries filled with a silky-smooth mascarpone filling for the most satisfying Mother’s Day treat. Made fresh each day in Salvi’s famous deli, these heavenly pastries won’t disappoint.

Still on the hunt for the perfect gift to put a smile on mum’s face? Corn Exchange’s amazing brands have you covered.

MOWGLI STREET FOOD

Feed mum’s passion for amazing, authentic cuisines with Mowgli Street Food’s cookbook, available for £25. Take a trip through the streets of India and learn about the delicious dishes found in the restaurant so that they can be recreated at home. Want to leave it to the professionals? Mowgli Street Food also offers gift cards so mum can be wined and dined when doors reopen.

ESCAPE HUNT

Bring the thrill of Escape Hunt home this Mothering Sunday with its Fizz & Fun package. Created in collaboration with Princess Prosecco, the package consists of a gift-wrapped bottle of rosé prosecco and comes complete with an Alice in Wonderland themed virtual game for the family to enjoy. Have fun falling down the rabbit hole trying to figure out the exciting puzzles, whilst enjoying a sip, for just £25.99.

Though your annual Mother’s Day meal at mum’s favourite restaurant may be cancelled this year, Corn Exchange’s is fantastic array of restaurants are offering gift vouchers so that mum can tuck into her favourite dishes when doors reopen.

Vouchers are also available at a range of different prices from several of the Corn Exchange’s other brands including Banyan, Cosy Club, Delhi House Café, Gino D’Acampo, Pho, Tampopo, Vapiano and Zizzi – so you can pre-purchase mum’s favourite dinner in advance, whatever her ideal meal.

GET LOST IN THE AROMA OF MUM’S FAVOURITE TIPPLE WITH GIN-INSPIRED SCENTED CANDLES AND GIN GIFTSETS

Manchester Gin has released a range of botanical-scented candles in time for Mother’s Day, to match their award-winning gins. Pair mum’s favourite tipple with a beautiful scented candle inspired by stunning gin botanicals - the perfect gift set that’ll be a sure-fire hit with mum.

The perfect gin excites both the palate and the nose, with a combination of flavours and aromas from a delicate blend of botanicals. Whether you prefer bursts of citrus, smooth and smoky scents of sage, or the freshness of raspberries, these tantalising top notes can all now be released with the strike of a match.

Created by fellow Manchester artisan company, Booze and Burn, these hand-crafted candles capture the essence of four of Manchester Gin’s most-loved tipples, Signature, Raspberry Infused, Wild Spirit and Blackberry Infused.

The eco soy wax, with 70 hours burn time, is beautifully encased in the same recycled glass used in Manchester Gin’s famous hexagon bottles, meaning that these homewares won’t just look beautiful on Mum’s mantel piece, but are also environmentally friendly.

For a sophisticated scent, choose Signature and enjoy the warming aura of dandelion and burdock mixed with liquorice and cassia this Mothering Sunday.

For Mum’s with a sweeter side, opt for Raspberry Infused to fill your home with the fresh fragrance of these delicious fruits.

Prefer a deeper, bold scent? Treat Mum to Blackberry Infused and indulge in the juiciness of this rich candle.

For the most homely of fragrances, Wild Spirt makes the perfect gift for those who love the savoury scent of almonds and sage.

For the ultimate Mother’s Day gift, these beautiful home accessories can be purchased along with a 500ml bottle of your Mum’s favourite gin for £55. Simply head to Manchester Gin’s website and enter the code mothermayi at checkout. Or purchase individually for £25 (and £35 for 500ml Manchester Gin).

Manchester Gin co-founder and Master Distiller, Jen Wiggins, said: “When our customers taste our award-winning gins, they don’t just experience the delicious flavours but also the smell of them. Smell is a powerful sense with the ability to bring back some amazing memories, so what better time than Mother’s Day to release Manchester Gin candles.”

NEW SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS GALLERY AT THE SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY MUSEUM REVEALED

A spectacular new 725 metre square flexible gallery is now complete and ready to originate and host some of the world’s best science exhibitions and experiences in the North, thanks to a generous £3.8 million grant from the DCMS and additional support from other funders.

Designed by award-winning architectural practice Carmody Groarke, working alongside Manchester building contractor HH Smith & Sons, the transformation of the lower ground floor of the museum’s Grade II listed New Warehouse reveals grand industrial beauty with stunning modern and sustainable design. It opens-up public access as a gallery space to this part of the much-loved museum’s globally significant site for the first time.

Director Sally MacDonald, says: “We are dedicated to inspiring audiences with ideas that change the world. This year has brought home to all of us how fundamentally science shapes our lives. As we all rebuild personally, socially and culturally, and look forward to better things in 2021, we can’t wait to share this phenomenal new exhibition space. Our new Special Exhibitions Gallery will deliver a real step change in increasing access to incredible science exhibitions and collections. It is the first project in our long-term multi-million pound restoration programme to conserve our historic buildings, open up new spaces for all to enjoy, play and learn in and to generate vital skills opportunities to support our innovators of the future. “

The New Warehouse was built in 1882 from brick, cast and wrought iron and sandstone to provide storage for the Great Western Railway and designed to support the weight of goods wagons entering the building and unloading cargo (which would have been moved through to the lower ground floor through ceiling hatches still visible today). Used as museum stores until recently, the historic fabric of the lower ground floor has been revealed and restored, allowing visitors to experience the grandeur and scale of the original warehouse space while enjoying new exhibition experiences.

The original and the modern have been combined to pave the way for a sustainable gallery of the future, setting a new design standard for the rest of the masterplan of the museum to follow in years to come.

Key features include beautifully restored Victorian industrial architecture, including thick red brick walls with blue brick detail, steel and brick “jack arch” ceilings, including a focal high section beneath the historic platform above (now the Textiles Gallery on the upper level).  These historic features have been enhanced with high quality contemporary materials and design including signature illuminated fibreglass panels (hand-cast by Streamline Fibreglass in Trafford Park) in the external and front of house areas which light the space with a warm glow.  In the gallery, new walls house all necessary services for the space and are a blank canvas for exhibitions.

An improved outdoor welcome area in the lower courtyard of the museum is fully accessible and provides stunning vistas under the historic Viaduct (also known as the Pineapple Line) with its monumental round cast iron and square sandstone pillars infilled with brick jack-arching. This beautiful Colonnade and area of the site will be incorporated in years to come in new connections and entrances between the Science and Industry Museum, The Factory and the developing St John’s and Castlefield neighbourhoods as this vibrant area of the city comes alive together.

This new gallery with its generous ceiling heights and apertures, dedicated object preparation and handling facilities, secure access routes and first-rate environmental controls will enable the museum to display larger collection items and set works as well as provide a better visitor experience and visitor facilities for audiences to explore science in all its forms.

The £5 million Special Exhibitions Gallery is being generously funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Wellcome and Garfield Weston Foundation, with further support from the Kirby Laing Foundation and The Zochonis Charitable Trust.

Carmody Groarke’s recent projects include the critically acclaimed Windermere Jetty Museum, and a temporary museum for Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Hill House near Glasgow. Andy Groarke, Director, Carmody Groarke, says “we were inspired by the powerful presence and character of the Victorian engineering and architecture when designing the new Special Exhibitions Gallery. By counterpointing the carefully restored historic building fabric with bold new materials, our architectural interventions reframe and repurpose the already wonderful spaces within the New Warehouse as a backdrop for exhibitions and visitor welcome.”

Culture Minister, Caroline Dinenage, says: "This new gallery opens up a wealth of opportunity for the Science and Industry Museum and demonstrates the importance of not only the heart of Manchester but the whole of the North West. This exciting space will educate and inspire visitors from their local community and beyond and I am pleased that with DCMS funding the museum has been able to complete this important expansion. I can't wait to see what fascinating exhibitions they have in store."

Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council, says: “The impact of this transformational project on our city will be immediate. The incredible new experiences that this spectacular gallery will bring will be integral to the cultural and skills recovery of our city through science, arts, technology and innovation for everyone.”

The museum remains temporarily closed and will re-open its doors when it is safe to do so in the coming weeks. The inaugural exhibition hosted in the Science and Industry Museum’s new Special Exhibition Gallery will be Top Secret: From Ciphers to Cyber Security, curated by the Science Museum Group with the help of expert advisors, GCHQ, the UK’s intelligence and cyber agency.

Visitors will uncover the remarkable world of codebreaking, ciphers and secret communications by exploring over a century's worth of communications intelligence. From the First World War to the latest in cyber security, fascinating stories will be explored through hand-written documents, declassified files and artefacts from the Science Museum Group's and GCHQ's historic collections. Manchester is also home to GCHQ’s newest avowed office located in the heart of the city, Heron House in Albert Square.

Discover more about the new gallery and sign up to the museum’s mailing list to be one of the first to explore it when the museum re-opens here.

From a Spanish feast to a mouth-watering Afternoon Tea bundle - both delivered straight to her doorstop – the Great Northern Warehouse has lots on offer to inspire your homage to Mum.

ALEX’S BAKERY

Let mum indulge in a selection of sweet treats from Alex’s Bakery. For Mother’s Day the bakery, thanks to its home to mouth-watering brownie boxes, is spreading the love with a delectable afternoon tea basket which can be collected or delivered locally. 

With a selection of tasty sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, brownies, blondies, quiche Lorraine and that all-important cup of tea all for just £29.90, it’s a real feast and guaranteed to impress on her special day.

EVUNA

Transport mum to sun-drenched Spain with Evuna’s heat-to-eat, ‘Evuna at Home’ meal box experience.

Evuna has hand-picked a selection of its favourite Spanish dishes to feature on the collectable feast, with plenty of veggie options including a delicious paella packed with a mixture of tasty vegetables.

Don’t forget the booze on mum’s special day! Evuna has a fantastic ‘Mother’s Day Trio’ deal to help her celebrate in style which features three bottles of fizz including the award-winning Navaren Cava. The trio is currently on offer for £35.00 – saving you £4.50 from the original price of £39.50.

Finally, as an extra special treat this year, Evuna is adding an extra £5 onto any gift cards purchased with £35 or more on! Perfect for when restaurants open up again

DORMOUSE CHOCOLATES

Let’s face it, nothing quite says, ‘I love you’ like Manchester’s most luxurious and indulgent Chocolatier’s Dormouse Chocolates. Your Mum will be in Chocolate heaven with an award-winning range that makes a perfect gift, she might even share! 

The Anatomical Heart chocolate is a unique gift she’ll simply love. Cast in a selection of our bean to bar chocolate origins and dusted with an edible shimmer. For a present that will last, grab her a Podmouse Pin. The small enamel pin badge with a glitter finish, will give mum 10% off all purchases when wearing in the shop, she will also receive a discount code valid for 1 year online.

THE LIFE CENTRE

Mums definitely deserve some time for self-care and a break away from the mayhem. The perfect gift this Mother’s Day is brought to you by The Life Centre who are offering a whole month of unlimited virtual yoga for £39, or treat to her a one-off drop-in session for only £5. 

Get in your Mum’s good books and treat her to this absolute gem of a deal that will add positive yoga vibes to the rest of her month.

3Hands Deli

The tastiest deli in town and the perfect place to buy delicious, fresh produce in preparation for the big day (not to mention grabbing yourself one of its famous toasties whilst you’re there!).

With the incredible sourdough, amazing cheeses and a great selection of pickles, ferments and home-baked goods, you can’t go wrong this Mother’s Day.

Forever Manchester

For every Mancunian mum there’s a perfect Mother’s Day gift from local charity, Forever Manchester. With a full range dedicated to all things Manchester and all proceeds going to support local communities across Greater Manchester, what more could mum want?

There’s a wonderful selection of gifts to choose from including a unique collection of 11 iconic designs of landmarks, buildings and spaces across Manchester, including Northern Quarter, Fallowfield and Hacienda.

Why not also grab the Great Northerners Postcard collection by Stanley Chow featuring a range of Manchester icons, all voted for by Great Northern Warehouse visitors, including Liam Gallagher, Caroline Aherne, Tony Wilson, Alan Turing, Emmeline Pankhurst and more. 

The set of 14 postcards, featuring all of the Stan Chow's 'Great Northerners' designs, retail at just £14.00 and all profits go to Forever Manchester.

The wonderful portraits also form a permanent exhibition at the Great Northern Warehouse.

PLATZKI

Spoil mum with a £25 gift card to Manchester’s favourite Polish eatery, Platzki’s, which she can enjoy now with collection or just save until Government restrictions are lifted so she can fully enjoy the delicacy.

She can choose from a range of tasty treats including a mouth-watering Polish baked cheesecake to the sweet pierogi, Polish dumplings filled with cottage cheese and blueberries topped with butter and village sugar – both superb as desserts and available for collection now.

For more information on the Great Northern, including updates on individual brand opening dates and safety procedures, please visit: www.thegreatnorthern.com.     

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2021/03/mothers-day-gifts-from-the-great-northern-warehouse-b1513#comments1513 Mon, 08 Mar 2021 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2021/03/manchester-literature-festival-spring-programme-announced-b1512 Manchester Literature Festival Spring Programme Announced with Kazuo Ishiguro & Jackie Kay in conversation and a series of exclusive new writing commissions to be performed at the Festival Manchester Literature Festival Spring Programme Announced with Kazuo Ishiguro & Jackie Kay in conversation and a series of exclusive new writing commissions to be performed at the Festival                                              

Manchester Literature Festival’s Spring digital programme launches with Kazuo Ishiguro and Jackie Kay in conversation about his new novel, Klara and The Sun alongside new writing commissions by poets Roger Robinson and Caleb Femi.

Kazuo Ishiguro & Jackie Kay in Conversation

19 – 26 April 2021

This event will be first broadcast at 7.30pm on Mon 19 April 2021 and available to watch for 7 days. The event will be pre-recorded and captioned.

‘Do you believe in the human heart?’ In his magnificent new novel Klara and the Sun, Kazuo Ishiguro asks whether humans are unique and, if we are, what makes us so? A story of connection, understanding and hope, seen through the eyes of an Artificial Friend, it is Kazuo Ishiguro at his finest. Manchester Literature Festival is thrilled to welcome Kazuo to the Festival to discuss his work, his characters, and his love of music with poet and MLF Patron Jackie Kay. Kazuo is the author of eight previous books including The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go, both of which have sold over a million copies and were made into acclaimed films. His work has been translated into over fifty foreign languages and he has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize four times, winning in 1989. In 2017, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for novels which ‘uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world’.

Tickets for this event are available on a Pay What You Can basis: £6 (low income / concession), £12 (standard ticket) or £20 (per household). Any ticket revenue received will help Manchester Literature Festival survive this challenging time and deliver its annual festival in October 2021.

Roger Robinson

Hosted by Malika Booker

25 March – 1 April 2021

This event will be first broadcast at 7.30pm on Thursday 25 March 2021 and be available to watch for 7 days. The event will be pre-recorded and captioned.

One of the most prominent voices in the Black-British writing canon, Roger Robinson is a celebrated poet and musician who has performed around the world. His 2019 poetry collection A Portable Paradise, which included heart-wrenching poems about the Grenfell disaster, being Black British in the UK, and fatherhood, won the T.S. Eliot Prize and the RSL Ondaatje Prize. He has previously created commissioned work for The National Trust, London Open House, BBC, The National Portrait Gallery and Theatre Royal Stratford East where he also was associate artist.

In a new commission written especially for Manchester Literature Festival, Roger will explore the idea of Black Lives Matter and how it pertains to the Black British experience. Roger will perform his new poems for the first time, followed by a conversation about his work with poet Malika Booker.

This is one of a series of New Commissions supported by an award from the DCMS Culture Recovery Fund and presented in partnership with the Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester.

Caleb Femi

Hosted by Vanessa Kisuule

8 April – 15 April 2021

This event will be first broadcast at 7.30pm on Thursday 8 April 2021 and be available to watch for 7 days. The event will be pre-recorded and captioned.

A rising star on the British poetry scene, Caleb Femi’s debut collection Poor considers what it is to be a young, working class Black man, living in South London in the 21^st Century. One of two poets shortlisted for the 2021 Rathbones Folio Prize, Max Porter describes him as ‘a poet of truth and rage, heartbreak and joy.’ Caleb is a poet and director and has previously been commissioned by organisations including BBC, Channel 4, Tate Modern and The Guardian. From 2016 – 2018, he was the Young People’s Laureate for London.

In a new commission written especially for Manchester Literature Festival, Caleb will explore the impact of solitude during the pandemic, touching on themes of the inner and physical self, friendship, imagination as a coping tool, and joy. Caleb will perform his new poems for the first time, followed by a conversation about his work with fellow poet and host Vanessa Kisuule.

This is one of a series of New Commissions supported by an award from the DCMS Culture Recovery Fund and presented in partnership with the Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester.

Jhumpa Lahiri & Kamila Shamsie in Conversation

20 May 2021

This event will be first broadcast at 7.30pm on Thursday 20 May 2021 and available to watch for seven days. It will be pre-recorded and captioned.

‘I’m both ablaze with energy and sapped of it.’ In Whereabouts, Jhumpa Lahiri’s stunning new novel, an unnamed woman, in an unnamed Italian city, assesses her daily life. Her friends, her work, her lovers, and the shadow of her father’s unexpected death. Jhumpa will be in conversation with novelist and MLF Patron Kamila Shamsie discussing her first novel to be written in Italian and translated into English by the author herself.

Jhumpa is the author of four works of fiction, including Unaccustomed Earth, Interpreter of Maladies and The Lowland which was shortlisted for both the Booker Prize and the Women’s Prize for Fiction. She is also the editor and one of the translators of The Penguin Book of Italian Short Stories which brings together forty writers that reflect over a hundred years of Italy's vibrant and diverse short story tradition. Kamila is the acclaimed author of seven novels including Home Fire, which won the Women’s Prize for Fiction. The event is presented by Manchester Literature Festival in partnership with the Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester.

Natalie Diaz

Hosted by Mary Jean Chan

22 April 2021

This event will be first broadcast at 7.30pm on Thursday 22 April 2021 and available to watch for seven days. It will be pre-recorded and captioned.

In a new commission written especially for Manchester Literature Festival, Natalie will present Radixes and Formations: a series of poetic sensualities exploring the words ‘origin’, ‘migration’, ‘freedom’ and ‘love’. A deeply lyrical poet, she will create linguistic maps of these words in English and Mojave, diving deep into their roots and the ways in which they echo in physical connection.

Natalie will perform her new poems for the first time, followed by a conversation about her work with poet Mary Jean Chan. Mary Jean is the author of Flèche, which was shortlisted for multiple awards and won the 2019 Costa Book Award for Poetry. This is one of a series of New Commissions supported by an award from the DCMS Culture Recovery Fund. Presented by Manchester Literature Festival in partnership with the Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester.

‘Natalie Diaz is a poet who calls out to us in so many ways, who reaches out to embrace her lover, her people, and her country.’ Her most recent collection Postcolonial Love Poem explores body and land as sites of desire and longing, but also pain and erasure. It was shortlisted for the National Book Award and the Forward Prize in Poetry. Born and raised in the Fort Mojave Indian Village in Needles, California, on the banks of the Colorado river, Natalie is Mojave and an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Tribe. She has received fellowships from The MacArthur Foundation, the Lannan Literary Foundation, the Native Arts Council Foundation, and Princeton University and was recently appointed to Academy of American Poets.

Tickets for these events are priced as pay what you can: £6 (low income/concession), £12 (standard ticket) or £20 (per household) plus some free for those without the means to pay. Any ticket revenue received will help Manchester Literature Festival survive this challenging time and deliver its annual festival in October 2021.

Tickets are available to book via the Manchester Literature Festival website from midday on Friday 26 February or via the MLF Eventbrite page

Join the conversation: #MLF21 @McrLitFest

Contact Theatre’s beloved celebration of queer culture returns for 2021

Originally planned for February 2021, Contact can now reveal the new dates for the festival - 29 April – 1 May.

Queer Contact began over a decade ago and has since become a staple of Manchester’s queer arts scene. The annual Vogue Ball, is a riotous head-to-head display of skills from Vogue houses across the North West, has become a legendary event. In February 2020, Vogue Ball was the last live event to be produced by Contact before the pandemic forced theatres across the UK to close down.

Tickets are already on sale for one of the highlights, a conversation with legendary TV writer Russell T Davies (It’s a Sin, Queer as Folk, Doctor Who) and It’s A Sin actor Nathaniel Hall. Nathaniel has already made waves in recent month around his activism on HIV, and together he and Davies will be discussing portrayals of HIV and AIDS on stage and screen.

As the Vogue Ball can’t return in physical format, Contact will be taking the party online. Cheddar Gorgeous, star of Channel 4’s Drag SOS, will be hosting an interactive cabaret featuring a diverse range of acts and faces, followed by a party with Manchester-based DJ collective RebeccaNeverBecky. Meanwhile author Dean Atta, named as one of the most influential LGBT people in the UK by the Independent on Sunday, will be reading from and discussing his Stonewall Book Award-winning debut novel Black Flamingo.

Contact Theatre is well known for its commitment to young and early-career artists, and Queer Contact’s line-up is no exception. Several films by young, queer Manchester-based artists will premier during the festival, each exploring different elements of queer identity. Meanwhile, writer, poet and performer Ella Otomewo will be hosting a spoken word event, and musician Deanz will chat to vogue performer Oskar Marchock about queering dance hall music.

All events are on sale from 12pm, Tuesday 23 February.

ONLINE EVENTS LOOK AT REPRESENTATION, IDENTITY AND MENTAL HEALTH

The National Football Museum is running three online events about representation, identity and mental health in football.

Create The Space sessions are free to attend. Join footballers, journalists, curators and experts as they explore key issues within the game.

The museum is working with Kick It Out and Football v Homophobia on the talks which are available to watch on Crowdcast.

Friday 19 February, 7pm

LGBT+ IDENTITY IN WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

Hall of Fame inductee Lily Parr is one of LGBT+ History Month's Faces of the Year. In the first of our Create the Space talks, the National Football Museum teams up with Football v Homophobia to discuss LGBT+ identity in the women's game, how it has changed through the decades, and our collective responsibility to tell the stories of those players.

Panel: Sky Sports presenter Jess Creighton (host); England and Aston Villa defender Anita Asante; Crystal Palace goalkeeper and Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Goal Diggers FC, Chloe Morgan; National Football Museum Curator of Women's Football, Belinda Scarlett; Director of Pride Sports, Lou Englefield; co-chair of Proud Lilywhites, Chris Paouros.

Register to watch here

Monday 8 March, 12pm

UNDERREPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN FOOTBALL

Football is one of the most popular (and lucrative) sports in the world, creating roles and opportunities on and off the pitch. So why do women often find themselves consigned to the sidelines? We discuss the historical and modern issues in two panel talks with Kick It Out.

Looking Back Panel: Kick It Out Raise Your Game Co-ordinator Crystal Davis; Leicester City Women captain Holly Morgan; National Football Museum Curator of Women's Football, Belinda Scarlett.

The Present Panel: Kick It Out Game Changers Zuleikha Chikh and Maria-Jose Martinez; freelance journalist Renuka Odedra; National Football Museum's Jessica Furness.

Register to watch here

Thursday 11 March, 8PM

TWELVE MONTHS FROM THE TERRACES

It's almost been a full year since the pandemic forced clubs to close their turnstiles. Players are plying their trade in front of little more than cameras and club staff, while supporters remain unable to share the matchday experience in person. Our panel discusses the effect on the mental health of footballers and fans alike, the game's response to events, and what more can be done within the game.

Panel: Heart's Emil Franchi (host); Crystal Palace Women forward Amber Keegan Stobbs; FSA Chief Executive Kev Miles; Get Your Head in the Game author Dominic Stevenson; cognitive behavioural therapist and writer Saiqa Naz.

Register to watch here

Create The Space more details.

Two brand-new digital works by Hot Brown Honey and Esosa Ighodaro will be available this Thursday, 11 February, via HOME’s website, homemcr.org.

The works are part of HOME’s Homemakers series, launched in April last year, which commissions theatre and live art markers to create work at home, for an audience who are also at home.

The Manchester arts centre are also launching five open-call commissions for the series, with £1,000 plus a split of the box office income available to each successful artist.

Don’t Touch My Hair is a five-minute flashback to one of the finest moments from Hot Brown Honey, the extraordinary stageshow created by director Lisa Fa’alafi and musical director Kim ‘Busty Beatz’ Bowers, blending together clips from performances across the world to create a defiant musical blast that’s equal parts social activism and earworm and entirely what the world needs right now.

Hot Brown Honey said: “Don't Touch My Hair is a reality that many Honeys around the globe have had to deal with. Hot Brown Honey have been performing Don't Touch My Hair live since 2014 and decided here in the new normal, we have the opportunity to show our live performance in a new artistic way, adding collective voices from authors Emma Dabiri, Phoebe Robinson, Jessica Williams and Sharee Miller to artists Solange and FUPU. Our Hair is personal. Our Hair is political. Our Hair is powerful. Do Not Touch Our Hair. Repetition is key!”

In Esosa Ighodaro’s Dear People of No Colour, commissioned by the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, a woman prepares for a performance that cannot happen. The work has dried up. There’s nothing for anyone to succeed or fail at; there’s no need to be competitive. But this doesn’t mean that suddenly the playing field is a level one. 

Esosa is an emerging writer who has been working professionally as an actor since 2014, with roles in film, TV as well as theatre. She secured Screen Ireland funding as part of their Actor as Creator scheme 2020, to turn her script, Round Boxes into a short film. Esosa created and wrote Believe, a ten-part sitcom for Grand Explorer Studios, set to go into production in 2021.

A sharp reflection on race and identity, Dear People of No Colour imagines a space where we can breathe together. 

Esosa said: “Dear People of No Colour came about as a result of feeling like my viewpoint never got to be expressed in an Irish context. Instead of complaining about not being represented, I decided it was time to represent myself. In creating the piece I wanted to show a unity between people, and at the same time highlight that it has taken a global pandemic for people of no colour to experience what it feels like as a POC when you are treated like an outsider.”

Over 30 Homemakers works now available

More than 30 new Homemakers works have been commissioned since the series was launched. These include David Ellington’s poignant and political BSL poem, Liberty, captured on film, Matty Gurney’s Dr Voxoff’s Sign Language School for Hearing Children, a dark, acerbic and witty dystopian vision of a world in which the roles are reversed – where hearing people are a minority, and Hester Chillingworth’s Them’s The Rules, a twenty-minute film that pushes to the edges of the new truth that, often, the only way to see a loved one is on a screen.

Hester says: “Them’s The Rules is a piece which absolutely comes from this new landscape of isolation and distance we’re in due to Covid - it was written during Lockdown 1 and made during Lockdown 2. But it also speaks more widely into life, asking questions about loss, the need for connection and the ways we process some of the core things about being human. I was super keen to work with Peter and Nicki on this, because siblings performing together opens up a really unique space, I think. There is an instant and irreplicable intimacy and shared history that holds everything, beyond the reaches of language and the usual negotiations of relationships between people.”

The series has received a swathe of four-and-five start reviews, with critics describing the shows as “audacious”, “frightening and funny in equal measure” and “a glorious antidote for our current terrifying and dull moment.”

Open call for new commissions

In addition to the new works, HOME are looking for five North West-based theatre or live-art makes to take on Homemakers commissions.

Jennie McCusker, Head of Talent Development at HOME, said: “We are delighted to be able to launch five more Homemakers commissions at the start of 2021 for North West artists to make some new projects and to connect with new audiences in new ways. The pandemic has been devastating for the freelance artistic community so we continue with our commitment to support artists by making as many opportunities available as we can to make and present work during these turbulent times.”

The selected artists will receive a fee of £1000, support from the team at HOME and a split of the box office income. The work needs to be new to the public, and will be made available online to audience’s via HOME’s website.

The commissioning process will follow HOME’s new application process, developed with the National Freelance Taskforce. The two-step process will require only a brief initial expression of interest for the first stage, with shortlisted applicants given financial and administrative support from HOME’s Talent Development team. The final works will be chosen by an independent panel of artists who are paid for their time, and all shortlisted applicants will receive detailed feedback from the panel.

Applications will open on February 11, with additional information available on HOME’s website, homemcr.org  

In ‘normal times’, our small team at Craft Beer Tour Manchester run tasting tours of the city, walking from one of Manchester’s finest craft breweries to the next. Unfortunately, our tours have not been possible since March 2020 and like many Manchester-based businesses, we have had to find ways to adapt to the new environment.

Since November 2020 we have been delivering live tasting sessions online so you can enjoy a craft beer experience from home. Each event runs in conjunction with a different craft brewery where we will explore four beers together in an interactive, guided tasting session.

Originally set up to explore the best of the Manchester craft beer scene, we’ve now been teaming up with breweries from all over the UK, as well as more from our home city. Each session includes four beers from one of your favourite breweries, who will guide us through each of them in turn. The sessions are intended to be very interactive and give you the chance to ask questions directly to the brewery.

We’ve now got events every Friday and Saturday evening to help get you through the rest of lockdown, and beyond!

Each event includes:

- Session ran in conjunction with a UK craft brewery.

- Four beers from the brewery delivered to each participant in advance of the session.

- UK delivery included in the price.

- A 1 ½ hour live tasting experience with the brewery as they guide us through the beers on offer via Zoom.

- Interactive session with the opportunity to ask questions about the beer direct to the brewery via Zoom chat.

- 50p from every person on the tour is donated to https://www.campaigntoendloneliness.org/

We have always donated part of our income to charity and for our virtual sessions in 2021, 50p from every ticket sold will be donated to The Campaign to End Loneliness. We believe it has never been more important to stay connected, when we have been forced to be disconnected in so many ways.

Join us for a beer (or four!) at one of our virtual sessions- can’t wait to see you there!

Tickets and full schedule available here:

https://craftbeertourmanchester.co.uk/virtual-tours/

All you need is love… but chocolate helps too. Who doesn’t go weak at the knees for Dormouse Chocolate’s deliciously indulgent bars of chocolatey goodness. With an award-winning range, there’s something for everyone and they’re even selling Insta-worthy chocolate ‘anatomical hearts’ for an extra dose of romance, available for £9.50.

Evuna has launched a brand-new service, Evuna at Home, so you can treat yourselves to a romantic, candlelit Spanish feast without the stress of cooking. Prepared fresh by its talented chefs for you, and simple to heat and finish in your kitchen. The full tasting menu includes, hams, cheeses and chorizo, with veggie options too, a choice of Tapas and a classic Paella. Prices start at £50 for two, or £60 with a bottle of your favourite Evuna wine. Click here to see the full menu and details.

Looking to sweeten up your day even more? It’s hard not to fall head over heels with Alex’s Bakery and its heartbreakingly good brownie and blondie boxes. And the love affair doesn’t stop there - it has a delicious selection of cupcakes and some Valentine’s themed sweet treats to really get you in the mood.

Single this Valentine’s Day? Don’t let that stop you! Now is the perfect time to treat yourself to a bit of self care and love and what better way to do it than by making the most of this incredible offer from The Life Centre, which is offering a whole month of virtual yoga for just £39, or drop in for £5. Light some candles, get on your mat and spend some time with the most important person in your life - you!

Nothing beats a cosy date night in with a takeaway and a good old-fashioned rom-com. Why not order your favourite feel good food from Siam Smiles, open for delivery and takeaway Thursday – Sunday, and snuggle up with Sandra Bullock or Julia Roberts for the night? Or grab yourself some comfort food from Almost Famous, pour yourself a glass of something large and red, and get stuck in to all three Bridget Jones films. We’re not judging.

For more information on the Great Northern, including updates on individual brand opening dates and safety procedures, please visit: www.thegreatnorthern.com.   

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2021/02/love-is-in-the-air-at-the-great-northern-b1498#comments1498 Thu, 04 Feb 2021 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2021/02/a-chat-play-and-read-campaign-hosts-a-digital-family-day-with-childrens-author-and-illustrator-nick-sharratt-b1496 On Wednesday 3 February at 10:00, the National Literacy Trust in partnership with Read Manchester will be going live via Zoom to host a digital family day. On Wednesday 3 February at 10:00, the National Literacy Trust in partnership with Read Manchester will be going live via Zoom to host a digital family day.

This digital family day is going to be introduced and headed by children’s author and illustrator, Nick Sharratt. Sharratt’s popular book The Whales on the Bus (written by Katrina Charman, illustrated by Nick Sharratt and published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books) will be used as a recurring theme throughout the day.

The session will be going live via Zoom, from 10:00 to 12:30 and is primarily aimed at parents, carers and early years’ settings with children aged 0-5. However, the invite is extended to all families who are welcome to dip in and out of the activities. All activities will be based on the themes of chat, play, read and sing and are designed for parents and carers to be able to follow along, in the comfort of their homes.

In Manchester, Jessica Eddlestone from the National Literacy Trust will be joining in the fun, using paint to create sea creatures and melting ice in a messy play session. Together with Martyn in Middlesbrough, a further seven areas across the country will be joining in the session, alongside local figures including ‘Martyn the Music Man’ in Middlesbrough, Lisa Clissett from Peterborough Reads and Claire Kelly from The Institute of Wellbeing (Croydon).

The digital family day is forming part of the Hungry Little Minds campaign, which is funded by the Department for Education and supported by the National Literacy Trust. This campaign provides families of children under five with lots of simple and fun activities to easily slot into their daily routines whilst building their child’s speech and language skills at home.

Ella Burns, Senior Project Manager at the National Literacy Trust, said:

“We are really looking forward to hosting this exciting day of interactive family fun, coming to you from all areas of the country. From a draw-a-long with Nick Sharratt to singing, stories and messy play, there should be something for everyone with young children to enjoy.”

Jessica Eddlestone, Hungry Little Minds Project Manager at the National Literacy Trust, said:

“We are really excited about running some lovely sessions for families, which are particularly needed in these difficult times when so many other activity opportunities outside of the home are not available. The session is inspired by the wonderful work Manchester Art Gallery has done with Hungry Little Minds, using materials and objects that are natural or found around the home to provide children with interactive messy play sessions that encourage investigation and exploration.”

A full schedule of the digital family day will be available on the National Literacy Trust’s Facebook page, but for now all families, carers and early years’ settings who would like to join the session please email Rebecca James: Rebecca.James@literacytrust.org.uk

For more information on the Hungry Little Minds campaign delivery in Manchester please visit: (Read Manchester | National Literacy Trust)

For more simple tips and activities that parents can do to support their children’s literacy at home, visit the national Hungry Little Minds website (https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/) or the National Literacy Trust’s Words for Life website (https://wordsforlife.org.uk/).

February and March online activities from the national museum of democracy

People’s History Museum (PHM) has a packed programme of online activities to bring people together through conversation, stories, music and creativity taking place in the coming weeks.  From the little radicals in your family to the grown ups, all of the Ideas Worth Exploring reflect the spirit of the national museum of democracy and are inspired by stories of the revolutionaries, reformers, workers, voters and citizens who have championed for change and rallied for rights and equality for all.

Family Friendly events

Helping the youngest members of the family to find their voices is My First Protest Song, a fun session in which babies, tots and their grown ups are invited to join singer-songwriter Matt Hill for an interactive online performance.  With guitar in hand Matt will perform toe tapping songs that have helped to lead calls for change that you can sing along to or add musical accompaniment, the noisier the better! Running on Thursday 4 February, 11.00am to 11.40am and Saturday 6 March, 11.00am to 11.40am, the event is bookable in advance via Eventbrite.  Places are £6, £2 or free.

Taking its place as a regular online event for families from March is PHM’s bedtime story, with one of a special selection of tales created by the museum the focus of the fun each month.  For March Bedtime story: Mr Ordinary’s Prize will be on Thursday 18 March, 6.00pm to 6.30pm. Join actor, author and storyteller Emily Capstick, find a comfy spot and settle down for this adventure with a twist.  Each session is followed by some creative ideas to explore with your grown up reflecting the themes from the story.  Suitable for under 5s, this is a free event and welcomes donations, with booking details available here.

Creative activities

Whether you are a beginner or a skilled sewer you are invited to join artist Helen Mather for a gathering where stitching and chatting make the perfect combination.  February (Saturday 27 February, 2.00pm to 3.30pm) and March’s (Saturday 27 March, 2.00pm to 3.30pm) The Fabric of Protest sessions will be taking their influence from the banners reflecting past and present migration movements in PHM’s 2020-2021 Banner Exhibition.  Taking place on Zoom the sessions are suitable for over 11s, and anyone under 18 must have an adult present. Booking is essential in advance via Eventbrite, with places £6, £2 and free.

Younger creatives are invited to step into the imaginative world of Doodle Den, which begins with building your own special den as a space to relax and lose yourself in the fun and freedom of doodling.  Pick up a pen and pencil anytime you have some free time and scroll through the list of Doodle Den resources to see what inspires you.  Climate change, equal pay, migrant workers and votes for all are just some of the ideas to get you doodling, with all free to download and designed for those aged 5 years to adult.  The full Doodle Den collection is available here.

Radical Lates

February is LGBT+ History Month, which PHM will be marking with an evening of online talks as part of the OUTing the Past Festival on Thursday 11 February, 6.00pm to 8.30pm.  The evening will particularly look at how migration, the museum’s headline theme throughout the year, has influenced LGBT+ history and the fight for LGBT+ rights.

In Migration, Race & Empire: LGBT+ histories tour Maggy Moyo and Jenny White will explore PHM’s galleries and collections virtually, discussing issues such as how British colonialism exported homophobia around the world.  This is followed by a talk by artist Youcef Hadjazi, titled Queer Journeys’ Project and Beyond, in which he will share more about a project to explore and illustrate queer migrant journeys through zine-making.  The evening will finish with a performance, Category Mistake, by performance artist Mandla Rae and a Q&A session with all contributors facilitated by Zofia Kufeldt, PHM Programme Officer.  The event is bookable in advance via Eventbrite; full details of the programme, which is suitable for 18+ are available here, with donations welcome.

March’s Radical Late event (Thursday 11 March, 7.00pm to 8.30pm) will be the first chance to find out more about People’s History Museum’s More in Common project, one of the focal points for its exploration of migration throughout the year.  Inspired by the legacy of murdered MP Jo Cox (16 June 2016), More in Common is made up of a group of over 30 people from different backgrounds who have each made Manchester their home, coming together to share knowledge, experiences, and conversations.  There will be the chance to hear Kim Leadbeater, Jo Cox’s sister, talk about Jo’s vision and if the museum is back open take a virtual tour of the exhibition co-created by the project group, More in Common: in memory of Jo Cox.

Jo’s words “We are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us” will be leading much of the work taking place at PHM this year.  This free online event, with a donation suggested, will take place online with further details and booking information available here.

Online learning

You can join more than 8,000 people who have taken part in online course Peterloo to the Pankhursts: Radicalism and Reform in the 19th Century developed by People’s History Museum in partnership with Royal Holloway, University of London.  Expert archivists, curators and historians present a series of learning resources that begin at the formation of modern democratic ideas and end with the campaign for votes for women.  Materials from the collection of History of Parliament Trust, Parliamentary Archives and The National Archives are also featured. 

The course, which has received excellent reviews, takes four weeks to complete, is suitable for those aged 16+, requires five hours of study a week, and is free to join on FutureLearn. 

At present the doors of PHM are closed due to the national lockdown, however, online activities continue with all listed as part of the Ideas Worth Exploring programme here, including a 3D tour of the museum and more learning resources.  Many of PHM’s events are free and some have a small charge, but are designed to be fully accessible to all with lower price tickets for those on low incomes and free tickets to those who are unwaged or seeking asylum.  Online orders are available from PHM shop, which features items inspired by PHM’s collection, where all purchases support the museum.  You can keep up to date with the latest news by signing up to receive PHM’s e-newsletter, subscribing to the blog, or following the museum on social media on Twitter @PHMMcr, Facebook @PHMMcr, and Instagram @phmmcr.

To help celebrate, The Spirit of Manchester Distillery, home to Manchester Gin, is launching the ultimate cocktail kit to shake things up for a date night at home. 

The Valentine’s Cocktails at Home Kit is the perfect way to spend Valentine’s Day, whether it’s to accompany a home-cooked feast or easy-peasy takeaway. The limited edition kit contains not only the ingredients for some amorous cocktails for two, but a step-by-step video guide from Seb Heeley and Jen Wiggins, Manchester Gin founders and Master Distillers. 

These extra-special kits will be available from £75 and contain a full-sized bottle of Manchester Gin Raspberry Infused, all of the ingredients to make three delicious Valentine’s cocktails each – including the much loved Clover Club and two other Three Little Words’ favourites – a video hosted by Seb and Jen, recipe cards showing you exactly how to make each drink, and a selection of beautifully paired chocolate truffles from local chocolatier, Cocoa Cabana.

Numbers are strictly limited, so sign up in advance to secure your set and get exclusive early access. Head to Manchester Gin’s website to place your order from Friday 22^nd January.  

Manchester Gin co-founder and Master Distiller, Seb Heeley, said: “2021 might not have given us the happily ever after we all wished for just yet, but that doesn’t mean we have to cancel the most romantic day of the year. The response to our at-home cocktail kits last year was phenomenal, so we decided to create an extra-special one for Valentine’s Day. 

“We are suckers for romance so we want to bring a bit of fun and some great cocktails to people at home. Just because we can’t reserve our favourite cosy table in a cocktail bar or enjoy a candlelit dinner in a romantic restaurant doesn’t mean there can’t be a bit of love in the air.”

If your loved one simply has a passion for good old G&T (we wouldn’t blame them if they did!), why not treat them to a bottle of Manchester Gin. From sweet Raspberry Infused to citrusy FAC51 Haçienda, herbaceous Wild Spirit to the classic Signature, there’s a flavour for all gin fans. All are available in a beautiful gift set containing tonic and glasses – perfect for G&Ts for two.

Signature: 500ml £35, 42% ABV

Raspberry Infused: 500ml £35, 40% ABV

Blackberry Infused: 500ml £35, 40% ABV

FAC51 Haçienda: 500ml £35, 42% ABV

Wild Spirit: 500ml £35, 40% ABV. 

Overboard – Navy Strength: 500ml £45, 57% ABV

Luxury G&T Gift Set - £56

All available to order from manchestergin.co.uk/

Conducted by the internationally renowned Pekka Kuusisto, this brand new concert by Manchester Camerata- All Time Is Eternally Present - packs a real punch with an eclectic and exciting programme – its first of many planned for 2021. The full programme features rising star Saxophonist and BBC Radio 3 broadcaster, Jess Gillam performing Michael Nyman’s Where the Bee Dances; and the new and very powerful style of composition from BBC Last Night of the Proms composer - Daniel Kidane - whose brand new piece commissioned by Manchester Camerata Be Still creates a sense of inner stillness and calm - something that is arguably much needed right now. Completing the programme are the gentle tones of Dobrinka Tabakova’s Dawn and the never ending expanse of Copland’s Appalachian Spring. It will premiere on Virtual Circle on February 26 and tickets for the online event are on sale from today: https://www.emusiclive.com/Manchester_Camerata

This live recording - which took place in private at the Stoller Hall on Saturday January 9^th in line with current government guidelines - will also broadcast in full on BBC Radio 3 on January 19^th at 7.30pm. Additional Manchester Camerata recordings captured at the Stoller Hall will also be streamed on Virtual Circle at a later date.

Manchester Camerata CEO Bob Riley comments: “It would have been so joyous had we been able to capture our first concert of the year for Harrison Parrott with a live audience but as it stands, to be able to work alongside the astonishing talents of Jess Gillam and Pekka Kuusisto and feature brand new work by the very brilliant Daniel Kidane, is something we are hugely proud of. We cannot wait to be able to share our brand new series of streamed concerts and we are also extremely excited that part of our very first one will receive its premiere on BBC Radio 3. We very much miss being able to reach out to and perform for our live audiences, and we are therefore committed and determined to keep seeking and curating these broadcasting opportunities where we are able to share our work far and wide and subsequently support our musicians and collaborators as much as possible during these challenging times.”

All Time Is Eternally Present streams on February 26^th via HarrisonParrott’s Virtual Circle.

Tickets are £10 per household and can be purchased here: https://www.emusiclive.com/Manchester_Camerata

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2021/01/manchester-camerata-joins-forces-with-brand-new-streaming-platform-virtual-circle-b1490#comments1490 Wed, 20 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2021/01/corn-exchange-manchester-is-taking-the-stress-out-of-the-health-inspired-weeks-b1489 Whether you’re kicking off this month going fully vegan, or just want to have a healthier diet, Corn Exchange Manchester is taking the stress out of the health-inspired weeks with a variety of mouth-watering dishes, all freshly prepared and ready to order, guaranteed to keep your taste buds fully satisfied. Whether you’re kicking off this month going fully vegan, or just want to have a healthier diet, Corn Exchange Manchester is taking the stress out of the health-inspired weeks with a variety of mouth-watering dishes, all freshly prepared and ready to order, guaranteed to keep your taste buds fully satisfied.

Corn Exchange’s Tampopo and Vapiano are offering a range of delicious healthy options to help you quench your vegan (or healthy eating) appetites. 

TAMPOPO

Experience authentic South East Asian vegan cuisine at Tampopo. Take the opportunity to explore the sizzling wok-fried dishes including tamarind tofu which boasts zesty tamarind sauce, served on a bed of Asian greens and topped with fried onion flakes. 

Also on offer is Jackfruit Rendang – a dish slow cooked in coconut, chilli and shallots, galangal and lemongrass, Served with roti slices, smacked cucumber salad, sambal, caramelised coconut flakes and peanuts.

Other delicious vegan snacks include cauliflower rice, edamame with sesame chilli oil or sea salt and hokkien noodles.

VAPIANO 

Think you have to give up pizza to enjoy Veganuary? Think again! The home of handmade pasta, Vapiano offer a range of tasty pizzas which can all be ordered with vegan cheese. The Verdure is filled with a bed of roasted vegetables, red onion, tomato sauce and mozzarella or the Marinara tomato sauce, fresh garlic, oregano (no cheese).

If you prefer something saucier, Vapiano has a wide range of homemade vegan dishes including the classic Pasta Arrabbiata, a tomato based sauce, garlic, onions and chilli. Or for something a little spicier the Pasta Pesco Rucola is Vapiano’s homemade rocket pesto dish with added onions, mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, pearl peppers, cherry tomatoes and fresh rocket.

So, what are you waiting for? Have a look online today to order these fantastic dishes right to your door.

The Lowry launches timetable of FREE creative activities to support positive mental health in lockdown
 

The Lowry has released details of a new timetable of free creative activities for children and adults to enjoy from home during the new national lockdown.

Launching on Tuesday (19 January) with ‘Under 7s Dance Yourself Happy’, the programme is entitled Creativity for Wellbeing and is led by professional artists and workshop practitioners.

Each activity will run on the same day and time each week for at least the next five weeks to enable those home-schooling to factor events into daily lesson plans.

Events will be delivered on Zoom or livestreamed on Facebook.

The full list of confirmed events are:

• Under 7’s Dance Yourself Happy: Every Tuesday at 9.30am for 30 minutes.
• Colour and Craft: Every Wednesday at 12.30 for 30 minutes.
• LS Lowry inspired drawing: Every Wednesday at 6.30pm for 2 hours.
• The Sea Within: Yoga & Mindfulness for children: Every Thursday at 12.30 for 30 minutes.
• Creative writing & poetry: Every Thursday at 6.30pm for 2 hours.
• Walkeoke: Every Friday at 11am for 45 minutes.

No experience or skills are required to take part. All are welcome.

For more information about the events on offer, please visit: www.thelowry.com/CreativityForWellbeing

Creativity for Wellbeing has been made possible thanks to funding from Arts Council England, Art Fund and Salford City Council.

Science and Industry Museum gears up to explore ideas for a better world as Manchester Science Festival line up is announced

Royal Photographic Society’s Science Photographer of the Year. Brian Eno and ClientEarth. Manchester Science Festival Young People Panel. Royal Society. Zamzam Ibrahim. James Lovelock. Helen Czerski. Samira Ahmed. BBC Planet North and more.

The Science and Industry Museum is preparing for 10 days of online scientific celebration as Manchester Science Festival goes digital between 12 -21 February 2021. Further socially distanced, onsite activities, including UK premieres and a dedicated special event programme for families will also take place later in the year, supporting Manchester’s cultural, economic and skills recovery. 

Manchester Science Festival has been a key event in the city’s cultural calendar since 2007. This year’s event is a cornerstone of the Science Museum Group’s major public programme focused on climate and solutions to the urgent challenges facing the world ahead of COP26, the 26^th United Nations Convention on Climate Change, happening in Glasgow this November, when world leaders and delegates will convene to develop an international response to the climate emergency. 

As the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, Manchester was the catalyst for scientific innovation and unprecedented change worldwide. Now, with Greater Manchester’s vision of becoming carbon-neutral by 2038, the city is primed to influence future progress. The festival will support this through a programme that encourages communities, scientists and activists to advance ideas for a better world.

The museum has unveiled a programme of free online talks, exhibitions, debates and activities to enjoy from home this February while it remains temporarily closed.

FREE ONLINE EVENTS THIS FEBRUARY

An extensive programme of digital activities will include a range of engaging and thought-provoking events.  

Track the global story of climate change with the The Royal Photographic Society’s Science Photographer of the Year competition, which will now be showcased digitally from Manchester for the first time in a captivating online exhibition that depicts how science, technology and engineering are addressing this urgent issue. It will exhibit stunning images, selected from over 1,000 entries taken by both expert and amateur photographers, including budding artists aged 17 and under, who submitted their photos as part of a specific competition for young people.

Hear from those at the forefront of the fight against our altering climate in Changing The System as renowned musician and climate campaigner, Brian Eno, joins ClientEarth founder, James Thornton, to discuss how to use the power of law to combat climate change, protect the environment and build a future in which people and the planet thrive together.

Join an expert panel in Earth, but not as we know it: Lovelock’s legacy and our future as they respond to specially-recorded provocations from Dr James Lovelock, the 101-year-old scientist who studied at The University of Manchester and created the influential yet controversial Gaia Hypothesis (the theory that organic and inorganic components of the Earth have evolved together as a single living, self-regulating system). The panel will be made up of a range of expert voices, each bringing a different perspective to the debate. This includes writer and broadcaster Gaia Vince, who has travelled the world extensively to research this unique time in Earth’s history, in which increasing human activities are changing the planet as never before; climate activist and scientist, Professor Chris Rapley, CBE, whose celebrated career has recently seen him focused on the role of climate scientists in delivering value to society through decision making, public policy and more effective communication; and Zamzam Ibrahim, who grew up in Greater Manchester and is now Vice President of European Students Union. Zamzam has led on a number of campaigns tackling social injustices, including climate justice specifically within the education system.

Manchester born physicist, oceanographer and BBC broadcaster, Dr Helen Czerski, will ask the question, ‘How can I be a good citizen of the world?’ during a series of three lively discussions about transport, food and social justice with communities and campaigners who are making a difference. Helen will be joined by a  wide-ranging panel of local guests, including the Mayor of Salford, Paul Dennett, and Director of Open Kitchen MCR, Manchester’s leading sustainable catering company, Corin Bell.

Manchester Science Festival’s Young People Panel are a team of budding Greater Manchester researchers and curators aged 14 - 24 who have been working across the festival to ensure the voices and interests of young people are represented. Join them at a special one-off online event, Let’s talk about eco-anxiety. Chaired by Nile Henry, founder and CEO of The Blair Project, the event will bring together the audience, a panel of young people and a number of climate enthusiasts, including Newsround presenter Martin Dougan, environmentalist Mya-Rose Craig and University of Bath Lecturer Caroline Hickman, for an insightful discussion about this contemporary challenge.

Home audiences can also tune into a livestream of the Royal Society’s You and the planet: air. Its expert panel will be tackling the important issue of air quality and how we can improve this and, subsequently, life on earth. Air pollution also has a major detrimental effect on our environment and without urgent action, global temperatures will continue to increase, as will extreme weather and damage to biodiversity. But what can be done to tackle the problem and how can clean, fresh steps forward be taken? The panel of expert academics and researchers will be attempting to clear the air by exploring solutions to this urgent issue, chaired by the Guardian’s North of England editor, Helen Pidd.

During The Electricity Revolution - Our Zero Carbon Future, a panel will examine the big changes happening around how electricity is generated and delivered. From low carbon electricity to heat our homes or charge our cars, to generating our own power through solar panels, an electricity revolution is in progress. Hear from the company that owns, operates and manages the electricity network that connects every home and business in the North West from Cheshire to Cumbria, and which is at the forefront of this revolution locally, Electricity North West. During this online event, audiences can discover more about its innovative work, discuss the future of energy and find out just how fundamental electricity is to how we live. 

How can we stop fossil fuels from harming our planet? That’s the question Professor Myles Allen will be answering during The Road to Carbon Zero online talk, alongside one of the museum's own expert Explainers. Find out more about what climate change means, hear about Professor Allen’s ideas for a Carbon Takeback Obligation and learn how his research could be used to help the UK achieve its net zero target by 2050. Viewers will also have the chance to ask their own question during a live Q&A session.

Our Hydrogen Future will help audiences to understand more about the universe’s most abundant element and how it holds the key to decarbonising our gas supply and achieving our carbon reduction targets. The event will be hosted by Cadent Gas, which bring gas to 11 million homes and businesses throughout the North West, West Midlands, East Midlands, South Yorkshire, East of England and North London. It is at forefront of developing the science and infrastructure that will enable low carbon hydrogen to heat our homes and power our transport.

There will also the opportunity to join Fazlun Khalid, author and founder of the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences, in A Liveable Earth: Climate change and faith community, to discuss the consequences of our lifestyles, how we can leave a liveable Earth for future generations, and whether faith communities play the role of bystander or agent of change.

The Science and Industry Museum has also joined forces with local BBC radio stations from across the North of England to launch Planet North, an initiative that has been shining a spotlight on environmental issues. Look out for content from Planet North Champions, a team of young people from across the North of England who are passionate about the environment and challenges facing our planet, exploring how the actions of young people, and us all, can help towards a better future.

Events are now available to book with more activities including activities families can do at home being added in the coming weeks. All events are free, with donations welcome to support the museum’s work. To view the full line up and to book, visit www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/manchester-science-festival

With daily exercise and getting outside making a come back for lockdown 3.0, here are some creative and covid safe ways to make the most of city centre living.

As the nation gets to grips with yet another lockdown, now more than ever it’s important to stay positive, get creative and make your one piece of daily exercise something a little bit out of the ‘new ordinary’. For those of us living in the heart of the city, finding spaces to exercise and get some fresh air safely is essential. Here are some exciting and Covid-safe ways to make the most of your time outside at Great Northern this lockdown, while adhering to government guidelines.

Fitness fanatics fear not! Gyms may be closed but you can channel your inner Gladiator or embrace the Rocky Balboa within by heading down to the amphitheatre at Great Northern and using the steps as part of your workout. Running is a great way of releasing those all-important endorphins and burning off frustrations (and mince pies).

For the art fans amongst us, why not take a leisurely stroll and soak up the culture by taking in the Messages of Hope Mural, or street artist Moze’s latest creation, located at the bottom of the steps on Deansgate. Great Northern’s best kept secret street, Deansgate Mews, also has an array of street art for you to enjoy.

Fancy making your own art? Camera phones at the ready – it’s competition time! The area is a photographer’s dream with stunning industrial architecture. Snap your favourite Great Northern sites and tag us to have your image shared on our social channels. We’ll pick our favourite each week, and the winner will receive a delicious box of Alex’s Bakery treats delivered directly to your door. The competition will run until 26^th February 2021, with weekly winners announced every Friday, starting on Friday 22^nd January. Get snapping!

We’ve all discovered the delights of Zoom, Facetime and long calls on our walks, but why not get creative and experiment with new ways to reach out and let your loved ones know you’re thinking of them. Grab a pack of Great Northern postcards from Forevermanchestershop.com and write a note to send to a friend and brighten their day - all proceeds go towards supporting Manchester communities. What’s more, Mail Boxes Etc have got it covered for all your worldwide parcel deliveries, courier or postal service needs.

Out for a stroll and fancy a treat? Alex’s Bakery is still open at weekends for take-out, so you can grab yourself a coffee to warm your cockles and something sweet if you fancy a much-deserved indulgence. Feeling generous? They’re still doing national and local delivery throughout the week so you can send a box of goodies to your loved ones (or treat yourself – why not?) From brownies to blondies, cookies to cupcakes, there’s something for everybody.

Fancy a night off from cooking? You can combine your daily walk with collecting a takeaway from Manchester’s best loved Spanish restaurant Evuna, who are offering special At Home boxes for you to enjoy over lockdown. Simply order on a Wednesday and collect on a Friday.

Thai restaurant Siam Smiles is also open for collection, or if you’re too famous to leave the house, you can get a sweet, juicy Almost Famous burger delivered to your door.

For more information on the Great Northern, including updates on individual brand opening dates and safety procedures, please visit: www.thegreatnorthern.com.

Join them as they delve into stories of football shirt design, technology and sponsorship, chat with key figures and experts within the industry and pore over the best (and worst) kits of all time.

Strip! The National Football Museum Podcast can be downloaded below:

Spotify

iTunes

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Google Podcasts

Amazon Music

Stitcher

2020 has been a year unlike any other – but amid the challenges there have been triumphs, celebrations and plenty of talking points. In this special film to mark the end of the year, join Young Identity as they discuss the year that saw an unprecedented use of the word “unprecedented”, give their unique take on some of HOME’s 2020 highlights, and present new work live from HOME.

Featuring:

The Manchester Open Exhibition

Insane Animals

Homemakers

Future 20: Last Place On Earth

Young Identity: Working From HOME

HOME BFI Film Academy: Living at a Distance

HOME Sound Sessions featuring Dorcas Sebuyange, Berry Blacc, To!u x Aden

Joy Yamusangie, Nick Burton and MSR FCJ

This film is available to watch on a pay-what-you-decide basis, with free, £2.50, £5 and £10 options available.

A link to watch the film will be sent after you have booked.

Date & Time details

This film is available online, on-demand.

BOOK NOW

Jason Orton said: “Christmas is going to be a little different this year. Without the smiling faces of guests and loved ones, it’s so important to make sure we really go the extra mile, and this includes dressing the table in a five-star fashion and making it a truly memorable celebration at home.

1. FESTIVE TABLE SHOWSTOPPERS

“Your choice of centre can really finish the table setting. As it’s Christmas a ruby red poinsettia plant and candles are always best to help make the atmosphere festive and appealing.

“It is tempting to go with a festive smelling candle, the likes of cinnamon or winter spice, but for your table, I would recommend scentless candles, so as to not impact your senses when eating your delicious Christmas meal.

2. GOLDEN CHARGER PLATES

“Mainly used for presentation purposes, having the charger plate pre-placed on the table will really set your table alight and look ready for the meal ahead. 

“Usually larger than a dinner plate the charger is placed on the table and remains on the table until mains have been served. The charger plate should be removed before desert, as it is regarded as bad etiquette as is using them for eating purposes. 

“I wouldn’t normally suggest a coloured charger plate, I like to keep it white and simplistic. But as it’s Christmas Day, and let’s face it, we all need a little festive sparkle this year, I would recommend a festive golden coloured plate to brighten up the table and give you that five-star look.

3. PINECONE NAPKINS

“There’s many different options and styles can be made here to aid in the presentation – I always recommend a simplistic five-star napkin fold, with as few folds are possible.

“As it’s Christmas Day, a simple but effective addition to the napkin fold is to add a pinecone to your place setting – a real five-star touch. You could attach a small white label to the pinecone and write a festive wish to those in your household.

4. PERFECTLY POLISHED CUTLERY

“For the perfect five-star Christmas Day meal, cutlery must not go unnoticed and should be perfectly polished and placed well. All cutlery on the table should be a thumb nail from the bottom of the table.

“My top tip is to place your main plate on the table while setting the cutlery, so you know how much space to leave. Cutlery should never have to be moved to place a plate down it should be in the right place from setting stage.

“When dining, the golden rule is to work from the outside in, and as you would in any restaurant, the same rules apply for Christmas Day at home.

5. CRYSTAL CLEAR GLASSES

“Crystal clear glasses and importantly, odourless is so important.

“After the glasses have been washed fill a bowl or ice bucket with boiling water use the steam and a polishing cloth to achieve the glistening five-star shine.

“There’s many different glass placement opinions but for me the rules generally are:

• Three glasses per diner – white, red and water

• The stem of the white wine glass (smaller glass) should be in line with the main knife on the right side of the plate set-up

• The water glass should be to the right and slightly lower than the white wine glass

• The red to the right and slightly higher

Heartbreak Productions, that stalwart of open-air theatre, is jumping into the Panto game with an original, live-streamed, online Panto (for grown-ups) Tinsel in my Pants!

Never content with being conventional, Heartbreak saw no reason to stage an ordinary Panto. The story follows Terri the theatre tech as she bah-humbugs her way through another Zoom quiz. She gets sucked into Panto-Land via a faulty signal and must find her way back, revisiting 2020s challenges while coping with dames, damsels, and The Donald. This is very hard to do when Puss in Boots is carrying a whip and thinks “50 Shades of Grey” is an instruction manual. Tinsel in My Pants is Heartbreak's first piece of live, online theatre and will be done in true Heartbreak style with songs, silliness, and audience involvement.

The script is written in collaboration between Peter Mimmack, Heartbreak’s artistic director, and Emma Hodgkinson, founder of Dripping Honey Poetry. “I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into a theatre project,” said Peter. “Hopefully the joy of rehearsals, creativity and sharing will bring some lightness and laughter into living rooms across the UK.”

While Heartbreak traditionally tours open-air theatre (2021 will be their 30th year), 2020 has necessitated a shift in focus. During lockdown they created Heartbreak at Home, showing past productions for free on their YouTube channel and produced an Arts Council funded film project called Escape From Lockdown. Heartbreak has been so successful at adapting that they won the Leamington Business Award in the category of Business Pivot. This live, online panto is the latest answer from Heartbreak to the persistent Covid-19 question: how do we continue to provide cultural engagement and entertainment to our audiences in these topsy-turvy times? The answer - with love and laughter, and of course, a bit of silliness never goes amiss.

Maddy Kerr, Executive Director of Heartbreak, had this to say, “This year has been one of the most challenging in Heartbreak’s history and we’re very grateful still to be able to continue work in the industry we love with actors and arts professionals - huge thanks to Cultural Recovery Fund/Arts Council England.”

Tinsel in my Pants is suitable for ages 15+ and will be live streamed:

January 9th 2.30pm and 8.00pm January 10th 3.00pm and 7.30pm

Tickets available at www.heartbreakproductions.co.uk

Standard Ticket Price £15 Concessions Available