Exciting news from Grimmfest – the four-day festival of horror, cult and fantastic films which returns to Odeon Great Northern cinema in Manchester from 3 October 2019. Although the full festival line-up is being kept under wraps until Monday 2 September, it has just been announced that RABID, the remake of David Cronenberg’s horror classic will be screened at the festival – making it the Northern UK Premiere of this highly anticipated film! Dare you miss out?

Why is RABID so exciting? The film is set to be a vivid reimagining of the original, involving some added fashion industry satire too. And if that wasn’t enough, the festival team is honoured to welcome RABID’s writer/directors Jen and Sylvia Soska (pictured below) - also known as the Soska Sisters or the Twisted Twins -  to present the screening! Whilst at the festival both guests will also  receive Grimmfest’s special ACHIEVEMENT IN HORROR award which is sponsored by THE HORROR CHANNEL – and attendees can also get involved, as there will also be the opportunity for a limited number of exclusive signings.

Now in its impressive 11^th year in Manchester, it is clear that Grimmfest is upholding its reputation as one of the finest horror film festivals of its kind, attracting audiences from across the world and featuring a number of premieres each time.

To add to this, two more European film premieres have just been announced as coming to the festival for 2019: SHE NEVER DIED (the female-centric follow up to Grimmfest 2015 hit HE NEVER DIED) and also Film Mode Entertainment’s BLOOD VESSEL (pictured below), sure to involve exciting things considering that Aussie special effects guru Justin Dix is Director!

This exciting news follows on from earlier announcements that Pollyanna McIntosh (Jadis from THE WALKING DEAD) will attend the festival to present her directorial debut DARLIN’, and there will be even more prizes up for grabs for the films themselves –worth over £120,000, involving 13 special awards.

Festival Director Simeon Halligan reflects:

 “We will be announcing the full line up of short and feature film premieres on the 2nd September but until then, we thought it might be fun to share one or two pieces of exciting news.”

A limited number of full festival passes are available now from the Grimmfest website, which grant access to every film screening at the festival, every cast and crew Q&A, plus signed items from special guests and a complimentary festival goody bag packed with horror treats. Individual film tickets for DARLIN’, RABID, SHE NEVER DIED and BLOOD VESSEL are also now available!

Grimmfest 2019 takes place from 3 – 6th October at Odeon Manchester Great Northern. More information and tickets can be found at grimmfest.com. In addition, 2019 also sees Grimmfest join forces with the Gothic Manchester Festival to present the ultimate Halloween Movie Double Bill: Clive Barker’s CANDYMAN and HELLRAISER, with an introduction from Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes on the evening of Friday the 1st November 2019 (5.30-10pm).

200 years since that fateful day in 1819, thousands of people re-gathered in Manchester last Friday at the original site of the massacre – including over 250 artists, performers, poets, singers and musicians – to remember, reflect and raise their voices in support of the spirit of the peaceful protestors. 

Throughout the day, the area around Windmill Street (outside Manchester Central Convention Centre and where St Peter’s Fields used to be) was filled with words, music and song that embraced contemporary voices of community groups and campaigners to unite the Manchester of 1819 with the Manchester of 2019. It was an emotive and powerful event with people of all ages and backgrounds coming together in unity, co-produced by Manchester Histories, Walk the Plank and Brighter Sound. It was supported by Manchester City Council and the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

The concept of Manchester as a radical city of the people and a place of progress was upheld during the unitive artistry of the day, with three immersive performances of From The Crowd taking place. From The Crowd was a special performance directed by Evie Manning (Common Wealth) which brought together a range of voices from local community groups who still uphold the importance of protest, creativity and reform today. These groups included These Walls Must Fall, Greater Manchester Coalition for Disabled People and Young Identity – their voices coming together with the words and accounts of what happened two hundred years ago. In the spirit of solidarity, a public audience also joined in, along with a powerful musical accompaniment composed by Robin Richards (Dutch Uncles), as well as visuals referring to contemporary issues and movements, including the climate emergency and Extinction Rebellion.

Each of the three performances of From The Crowd, which took place at intervals throughout the day, underlined that Manchester still is a place of solidarity, strength and significant engagement with the issues of our times. This unity and drive has also been seen in various Peterloo commemorative exhibits and installations throughout the city this year, including a Protest Lab at The People’s History Museum, an exhibition at The John Rylands Library and a summer programme of events led by Manchester Histories. 2019 has also seen a cohort of Peterloo Ambassadors, specially trained to help share the Peterloo story.

Karen Shannon, CEO of Manchester Histories, reflects:

“The Peterloo 2019 Anniversary Event was a poignant and powerful remembrance of events 200 years ago and a reflection of Manchester today.  It was a reminder that Manchester goes on in championing progress, but never without forgetting those who have led the way.”

In addition, a particularly poignant part of the commemoration took place at 1:30pm, when the names of  those who died as a result of a massacre were read out from ‘The Hustings’ – reflecting the moment 200 years ago when the troops were sent in to break up the peaceful protestors. Eight year old Monty Speed, descendant of mill worker George Hurst, read out the name of William Fildes; the latter being the first and one of the youngest victims of the massacre, killed aged just two years old when he was ripped from his mother’s arms. 95 year old Sheila Lemoine Abrams, a descendant of Charles Barnish, one of those who walked alongside Sam Bamford to join the protest, read the name of Sarah Jones, whose injuries were so severe that she died three months later.

As well as space for reflection, the format of the event crucially incorporated opportunities to recognise and engage with ongoing examples of how the spirit of reform is being taken forward; with the names of those who have played a part in carrying forward the legacy of Peterloo also read out. These names included Mike Leigh, director of Peterloo, Professor Robert Poole, who has written extensively about Peterloo, Paul Fitzgerald, one of the founders of the Peterloo Memorial Group (Poole and Fitzgerald also were involved in putting together a Peterloo graphic novel, along with Eva Schlunke), film director Danny Boyle, Manchester Tour Guide Elizabeth Sibbering and spoken word poet Jardel Rodrigues, who has been writing about protest themes of today.

For further information on how the 200th anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre is being marked across Greater Manchester as part of Peterloo 2019 visit www.Peterloo1819.co.uk – as a number of exhibitions, displays and projects are ongoing.  For example, the disruptive force of ArtActivistBarbie is exhibiting at Manchester Central Library until 6 September,  Misshaping Peterloo takes place at Manchester Craft & Design Centre until Saturday 7 September featuring the work of illustrator and ceramicist Alex Sickling and Get Together and Get Things Done is at the Manchester Art Gallery until Sunday 29 September.

For photographic artwork, tableaux created by internationally acclaimed artist Red Saunders (for the Hidden Project) will be on display in Manchester Central Library until 28 September, whilst in terms of film: the artist family, Grace Surman and Gary Winters and their children Hope and Merrick have uncovered what was happening Dunham Massey and Quarry Bank at the time of Peterloo. Working with National Trust volunteers and historian Michala Hulme (Associate Lecturer and Research Associate in History at Manchester Metropolitan University, also a member of the Manchester Centre for Public History and Heritage) to uncover what was happening in the lives of those at the time, these discoveries have been woven into two distinctly different films, titled Glorious Phantoms, showing at each individual location as part of the visitor experience until Sunday 29 September. Michala Hulme (follow her on Twitter at @unearththepast) also recently appeared on ITV News (read the full story here), talking about her work tracing the descendants of the Peterloo Massacre. Michala not only traced the descendants of a group of Peterloo veterans, but also recreated a photograph of their ancestors from 1884!

In addition, recent reports have featured a new Greater Manchester Arts commission - designed to be an arts project reflecting the ongoing legacy of the Peterloo Massacre across all ten Greater Manchester boroughs. Award-winning artist Joshua Sofaer will aim to create the project with engagement from the community, before touring Greater Manchester in 2020.

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/08/artists-performers-and-the-public-come-together-in-manchester-to-remember-the-200th-anniversary-of-the-peterloo-massacre-b932#comments932 Tue, 20 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/08/greater-manchester-will-host-the-final-stage-of-the-tour-of-britain-b931 Britain’s biggest professional cycle race will return to Greater Manchester for the first time in 15 years this September as all 10 of the city’s boroughs feature in the final stage on Saturday 1..

Britain’s biggest professional cycle race will return to Greater Manchester for the first time in 15 years this September as all 10 of the city’s boroughs feature in the final stage on Saturday 14 September.

The final day of racing will see the peloton taking on a 165-kilometre route starting in Altrincham. Far from being a ceremonial end to the tour, stage eight includes almost 2,000 metres of climbing, including the famous climb of the Rake at Ramsbottom, before finishing on the iconic Deansgate in Manchester city centre.

This year’s finale will be the first stage of the OVO Energy Tour of Britain to finish in Manchester, home of British Cycling, since the opening leg of the first modern tour in 2004.

There will be a Tour Village on Quay Street, offering fans a big screen showing full live coverage of the stage, plus exhibits from race partners.

KEY STAGE TIMINGS

11:00 - Market Street, Altrincham (stage start)

11:48 - Hazel Grove (Eisberg sprint)

12:11 - Werneth Low (SKODA King of the Mountains)

12:38 - Uppermill (Eisberg sprint)

12:47 - Grains Bar (SKODA King of the Mountains)

13:29 - The Rake (SKODA King of the Mountains)

14:10 - Horwich (Eisberg sprint)

15:12 - Deansgate, Manchester (stage finish)

All information and images are courtesy of Manchester Pride, collected from their website, which you can find here.

Manchester Pride Festival is the city’s celebration of people. Taking place from 23 – 26 August this year, the festival is set to be bigger and better than ever. For the first time, Manchester Pride Festival will take its home in multiple destinations across the city – stretching from Mayfield to Deansgate with the heart of the festival in The Village.

This year’s festival will be made up of a number of different elements, including Manchester Pride Live, the Superbia Weekend, the Gay Village Party, Manchester Pride Parade, Youth Pride MCR and the Candlelit Vigil; so here's your handy guide to the spectacle, that is Manchester Pride Festival.

Friday 23^rd August

Friday: the day everything kicks off! The excitement in the city can be felt all around, as people flock from all four corners of the globe to enjoy this monumental event.

Manchester Pride Live doesn’t start until tomorrow, so The Village is the heart of most of the action tonight. With community performances in Sackville Gardens, plus markets and parties across the Village’s venues, The Village will continue to be the hub of the festival’s celebrations.

Situated in Sackville Gardens will be the Thomas Cook Airlines Stage, with performances from Liberty X, Saara Aalto and Stephen Bailey, amongst others on Friday. This will also be the place to host the festival’s opening ceremony.

The Superbia Weekend also begins on Friday 23 August and will be the festival’s alcohol-free space offering a weekend of premieres, firsts, new work and LGBT+ celebrations. Friday’s launch event will be hosted in The Refuge Basement from 7–10pm. This will consist of a free-to-attend Screening of Beyond 'There's Always a Black Issue, Dear' with Director, Claire Lawrie. Then there will be the opportunity to meet some of the artists who will be presenting work across The Superbia Weekend.

From 7pm until midnight on the Friday; the Sackville Square Fair will take place, with amazing food, drinks and the ever-popular market stalls. DJs will be lined up throughout the evening, too.

Kicking off again from 7pm on Friday 23 August is the Indoor Arena. Friday will consist of a lively silent disco which will continue until midnight, giving you the chance to sing while no-one is listening. The Indoor Arena will act as a multi-use space within the Gay Village, so is accessible to all.

Make sure you don’t overdo Friday night, you need to be fresh and ready for what Saturday is set to bring…

Saturday 24^th August

One of the festival’s most highly anticipated events has always been the Manchester Pride Parade, and this year is no different. Taking on the theme of “Deep Space Pride: A Future World of Equality”, thousands of people are expected to line the streets of Manchester for the parade’s midday-start. Beginning on Deansgate by the Beetham tower, the parade takes the route detailed in the image below, ending at Mayfield – home of Manchester Pride Live.

2019 is an important year for the LGBT+ community, marking the 50^th anniversary of the Stonewall riots – an event which kick-started the modern LGBT+ movement, and there’s a chance this could be reflected in some of this year’s parade entries.

Saturday is chock-a-block with activity following on from the parade. The Gay Village Party will be playing host to much of the action. The Thomas Cook Airlines Stage in Sackville Gardens is very much in full swing, with performances from the Rhythm of the 90s, Lulu, Danny Beard and Proms in the Park, with more yet to be announced.

The Expo kicks off on Saturday 24 from 11am – 5pm. Situated in the Indoor Arena, this community space gives exhibitors the chance to showcase their organisation and spend face-to-face time with visitors.

Pride has no age limit, and The Family Zone is there to make sure that everyone can get involved. Taking place on Saturday 24 from 12 – 5pm, the Family Zone will be held in Sackville Gardens with crafts, aerial hoop and a live screening of the parade to name a few of the activities available.

For the first time ever, Manchester Pride have introduced their Youth Pride event. Although this is now at capacity, it’s definitely worth mentioning. Taking place at YES – 5 minutes from the Gay Village Party, Youth Pride MCR is a 14+ event, and activities are curated specifically for the youth of the community. 

Attendees will join the special Youth Pride MCR parade entry so make sure you keep an eye out for them and show your support! There will then be an incredible programme of specially curated events aimed at creating a safe and nourishing space for attendees of this event.

The Superbia Weekend calendar for Saturday is nothing short of impressive – there is so much to see and do, you will be spoiled for choice. Including the Rainbow Noir Exhibition Launch, BiPhoria Birthday and Superbia presents Deep in Vogue at The Refuge, see the full line-up of Saturday’s events for Superbia Weekend here.

Manchester Pride Live* at Mayfield begins on Saturday 24^th with a stellar line-up. Headlining are Years & Years, with performances from Emeli Sande, Kim Petras, Basement Jaxx (DJ set), Lady Leshurr, Louisa, Nicky Siano’s Hallelujah Disco, Kings of Tomorrow, Freemasons & Katherine Ellis, Hedkandi 20^th Anniversary Tour, K-Klass Live, Gok Wan, Jodie Harsh, Youngr and Sink the Pink. Phew!

*please note: you will only have access to Manchester Pride Live with a Rainbow Pass. This is an 18+ event only.

Don’t forget: Sackville Square Fair will be on, Midday – Midnight.

Sunday 25^th August

Another day absolutely jam-packed with things to see and do. The Thomas Cook Airlines stage in Sackville Gardens will be host to the Queer Music Stage, though we’re still waiting to find out more information about this.

If you’d prefer to ease your way into Sunday at Manchester Pride Festival, the Superbia Weekend are hosting Good Morning Yoga from 11am – 12pm at No. 70 Oxford Street, followed by another full day of events to include Rebel Dyke Live, a Bi/Pan Film Programme and An Audience with Luke Turner, the full Sunday line-up is available to view here.

The Expo continues in the Indoor Arena from 11am – 5pm, with the chance for you to go and visit the likes of Boohoo, BiPhoria, Stonewall, Diversity Role Models and Thomas Cook Airlines to name a few.

Excitement will be building by this point for those heading to Manchester Pride Live, as Queen of pop and honorary Mancunian, Ariana Grande will be headlining at Mayfield for a special return performance to the city. She’ll be in fabulous company, as you can expect to see Cheryl, Bananarama, Ministry of Sound – The Annual Classical, Faithless (DJ set), Becky Hill, Pixie Lott, Tulisa, Hercules and Love Affair, Four of Diamonds, Chelcee Grimes, Bongos Bingo, Maze & Masters and We Love Pop; all on Sunday! Personally, we think Manchester Pride have smashed it out of the park with this one.

From 7pm, the Indoor Arena will be playing host to another incredible silent disco until midnight, so those wishing to sing their hearts out once more will have the opportunity here.

Monday 26^th August

We’ve come to the final day of Manchester Pride Festival, and what a weekend it will have been. It’s not over yet, though…

The Sackville Square Fair is keeping us all going with live DJs, market stalls, and food from the likes of Vegan Bacon, Nibble and Seriously Food to name a few. The Thomas Cook Airlines Stage will be hosting live performances, though we’re sitting tight to find out what these will be.

From 11am – 6pm, The Indoor Arena will be home to a sing-along cinema. With Bohemian Rhapsody, Chicago and Dreamgirls playing back-to-back, grab the popcorn and warm up those vocal chords!

Most importantly from 9pm on Monday, Manchester Pride Festival closes with a Candlelit Vigil in Sackville Gardens. Taking a minute to remember those we have lost to the HIV virus as LGBT+ people join to fight the stigma still associated with HIV. A perfectly calming and heart-warming way to end one of the biggest parties and celebrations that Manchester sees each year.

For a full list of the wonderful venues and bars in The Gay Village, Manchester Pride have put together this handy graphic.

For full information about Manchester Pride Festival, please see the Manchester Pride website. Keep up-to-date with all of the latest news and announcements on their Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages.

Connecting Gothic and horror films with female themes and perspectives allows for fascinating insight – and the course itself is part of the ‘Celebrating Women in Global Cinema’ programme at HOME. Ideal for beginner level, it is open to any member of the public interested in finding out more, as four academics from the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies – the largest centre of its kind in the world, creator of the Gothic Manchester Festival– will explore a range of examples and themes.

Guiding participants through a thought-provoking day and opening up an intriguing angle on Gothic cinema will be Dr Emma Liggins, (Senior Lecturer in English Literature), Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes (Reader in English Literature and Film) and Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn (Senior Lecturer in Film Studies and American Studies).

The function of the Female Gothic will be extensively considered, and this is an introduction that will not shy away from asking challenging questions and delving deeper beneath the surface. Is the female role often seen as a stereotype in Gothic and horror narratives? Heroine, victim or neither? How are ‘female monsters’ depicted?  What can we learn from female vampires? And what is a witch: hag, temptress, feminist icon – or something else?

This is opportunity to explore how female characters have been represented in Gothic and horror cinema over time, the type of novels this has been inspired by – right back to the 1790s  - and plenty more. Discover how the Female Gothic is represented in old dark house mysteries of the early 20^th century, whilst also marvelling at more modern films, the depiction of ‘female monsters’, witches and contemporary folk horror. There will be consideration of the 1970s and 1980s too: a cultural period many may associate with horror classics!

As well as the academic-led talks, the day will include a screening of director Thorold Dickinson’s iconic 1940s film Gaslight; recognised for its chilling depiction of the manipulation of female characters. Ever wondered where the term ‘Gaslighting’ comes from?

The outline of the course will involve four academic talks altogether, split across the day and covering a range of historical and cultural periods, chronologically where possible. Starting the day is Dr Emma Liggins, who will explore how Gothic novels from the 1790s and mid-Victorian period were transferred to the screen, exploring concepts such as the isolation of women and their possibilities for resistance to patriarchy. According to Emma:

“Early cinema was very much influenced by nineteenth-century narratives about women imprisoned in old manor houses, castles and asylums. I will be talking about the ways in which Victorian hauntings and the dark secrets of the past were adapted for the screen in the 1940s. Female Gothic is a mode often used to access buried stories about women's lives; the female ghosts in The Uninvited (1944) alert viewers to women's feelings of unease in the 'house of terror'.”

This will be followed with a talk from Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes, who will delve into the subject of film history, involving a close consideration of dark house mysteries:

“My section is concerned with film history and will cover the development of the old dark house mystery from the 1910s onwards (and especially in the 1920s) and will end with the Female Gothic films of the 1940s, especially Hitchcock's classic Rebecca. My intention is to show attendees how representation on screen was beginning to change dramatically in the interwar years and why the trappings of the Gothic offered themselves as ideal motifs through which to explore patriarchal oppression.

“The Female Gothic on film, where the medieval castle of the retrojected barbaric past shifts into the contemporary (male) ancestral home, is perhaps one of the most transnational and interesting strands of the Gothic. Tracing its history, it is possible to see how Western societies have evolved in terms of their attitudes towards gender roles but also how, in some respects, social constructions of femininity have remained largely unchanged. The Female Gothic is concerned with the place of women in society, with their opportunities and freedoms, especially in relation to patriarchy and marriage, so it seems a natural fit for HOME's Celebrating Women in Global Cinema programme.

“I am really looking forward to sharing some of the materials I uncovered while doing research for my forthcoming Gothic Cinema book at the Margaret Herrick Library in Los Angeles. Many of the films I will be covering are lost or hard to screen, so our knowledge of them is quite limited. Attendees can expect to find out more about rarities like The Ghost Breaker (1914), The Haunted Bedroom (1919), Easy Pickings (1927) and Something Always Happens (1928).”

The afternoon will feature two further academic talks – exploring the use of female ‘monsters’, the role of the ‘final girl’, witches, vampires and more. Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn will consider the characters, archetypes and array of elements at play in 1970s and 1980s horror cinema. This was after all the era of films including The Shining, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Thing and The Evil Dead. Sorcha has extensively considered the decade in her own research, organising a symposium on 'The Gothic 1980s: The Decade That Scared Us’ earlier this year at Manchester Metropolitan University. She adds:

"The Female Gothic course will be a fascinating history of female representation when she comes into contact with the abject and the fantastic. My own section concerns female social and political discourse, encounters with monstrous killers, brushes with potentially fatal sexual experiences, and how female guile and guts have evolved on screen from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre to the Scream Trilogy. Women are empowered to challenge their attackers, to query authority and to own their own narratives beyond victimhood under patriarchy."

Tickets for this fascinating day of exploring the Female Gothic, film history and literary inspiration are now available at £25/£20 concession. What will you discover?

Now the Royal Exchange Theatre and Kandinsky theatre company have come together to craft a fascinating production – running from 25 July to 10 August – which highlights how the Luddites helped inspire Manchester’s radical political identity. Created by James Yeatman and Lauren Mooney, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out: SCENES FROM THE LUDDITE REBELLION brings the Luddites into the modern-day era, using 21st century technology to encourage the audience to think about how the approach of the Luddites still makes a profound point. After all, many of us may hold concerns and fears about the current insecurity of jobs, the rising role of social media, and the ever-growing presence of artificial intelligence – to name just a few.

The Luddites developed out of a time of acute working-class struggle, amidst the turbulence of the Industrial Revolution. Not only did poor conditions and pay in the mills make employment gruelling for many, but those jobs themselves were increasingly under threat from technological advances in machinery as time went on. Steam-powered looms threatened to replace the skilled, personal equivalent. The result? Threat. Fear. Job losses.

 Although protest and machine-breaking had taken place for years, it was the early decades of the 19^th century that saw the Luddite Rebellion take place; an uprising of workers across the country against the forces they saw as oppressing them – including (but not exclusively) the mills and their machines. These were people pushed to the edge, desperate to defend their livelihoods and skilled jobs.

Yet the Luddites have been long-represented as the losers in history, their concerns against modernisation crushed in the face of relentless technological advancement. Perhaps now it is time to question that stereotype – especially as for the most part, the Luddites opposed only the technology seen as threatening to the common good i.e. ‘hurtful to commonality’. Karl Marx himself even recognised the potential threat that unchecked technological advancement caused, reflecting that machines could appear to compete with the workers themselves. Instead, by using ‘luddite’ as a negative term, for decades people with legitimate concerns about workers’ rights and advancing technology have been stigmatised and silenced.

But where did it comes from – and what shaped it?  The Luddite Movement grew out of a period of economic unrest, as the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) caused fluctuating food prices and various profit-saving measures taken by factory owners, including automated textile equipment. It was this increasing automation and the replacement of skilled manual jobs with machinery, which the Luddites primarily objected to – as well as standing up for reform of wider workers’ rights. It began as a movement in Nottingham in 1811 and spread to the West Riding of Yorkshire by 1812, and Lancashire shortly after. ‘Luddism’ began to be used as a term in newspaper reportage shortly after the first riots.

But what about ‘Luddite’ itself?  The name is thought to derive from General Ned Ludd, a mythical figure believed to have lived in Sherwood Forest, near the birthplace of the movement - Nottingham. General Ned Ludd was more of a symbol used by the movement than a source of guidance (many doubt that he ever existed) – for example, tickets bearing messages of support for this ‘General Ludd’ would have been used as admission tokens to local Luddite meetings, with these meetings taking place in many areas around Manchester. Chetham’s Library has an example of one of these ‘Luddite tickets’ in its archives, originally part of scrapbook collection of the reformer William Robert Hay (1761-1839) who read The Riot Act at Peterloo and was a keen collector of political artefacts.

Although there seems to have been no national formal organisation behind Luddism and it lacked a wider political underpinning, what it did uphold was the rights of working people. Hence it appealed to Manchester. Workers gathered in protest at their craftwork being sidelined for profit, undertaking action such as marches, riots, smashing machines and damaging equipment. At this point in history, Manchester itself was still in Lancashire – and it was in this county that Luddism increased in scale, especially as the mills here were particularly large, requiring more force to damage. A number of Luddite riots took place here in the early 19^th century, often during the daytime and bringing hundreds of people together, from multiple trades, in opposition to what these increasingly massive factories seemed to represent: loss of skilled jobs and the degradation of the working classes.

Burton Mill in Middleton was a significant site of Luddite activity – roughly five miles from Manchester city centre. Over the course of Monday 21^st and Tuesday 22^nd April 1812, raging discontent from local workers centred round the mill of Daniel Burton & Sons – a location that produced steam-powered looms, therefore the looms that were seen as replacing people’s jobs. Yet it wasn’t just this that aggravated people, for early 1812 was also a time of high food prices and significant hunger, with food riots sweeping across Manchester and surrounding areas on the Monday. On this same day, a crowd of over 3000 people gathered outside the Daniel Burton & Sons Mill, with some throwing stones at the building and attempting to force entry. The mill owner responded by ordering workers already inside to fire blanks into the crowd, then going on to use live ammunition – resulting in chaos which left  at least five of the protesting crowd dead and over 18 injured. The authorities then clamped down further, sending a troop of Scots Greys and a detachment of Cumberland Militia from Manchester to stamp out any more unrest.

The authorities were indeed heavy-handed with Luddite riots, and the British Army was deployed on several occasions. At one point, it was believed that more British soldiers were fighting the Luddites in England than there were British soldiers fighting Napoleon! The increasing scale and intensity of Luddite activity seemed to reflect the growing plight of the workers, with public figures such as Lord Byron (the inheritor of the English Barony of Byron of Rochdale, though he only travelled as far as Middleton!) speaking out to  denounce the conditions the workers faced. There was another Luddite clash with the army in Lancashire at Westhoughton Mill and various riots throughout the country, with the movement seen as coming to an end in 1817 with the Pentrich Rising in Derbyshire.

Although the actions of the Luddites was represented as troublesome, even criminal, by the authorities at the time, at the heart of the movement was a passionate protest against the worsening livelihoods of workers and the want for reform and control. Many of us today may have concerns about how workers are represented too, and the equipment they have to work - even contend - with.

 It was also the Luddites’ reforming zeal that would go on to inspire other actions in the fight for fairness in the 19^th and 20^th centuries, including the gathering at St Peter’s Fields in Manchester on the 16 August 1819 (tragically becoming the Peterloo Massacre when armed guards charged into the crowd). That inspiration and passion for reform is central to ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’. That the show is taking place in the month that marks the 200th anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre is particularly fitting: as the fight for reform and respect for workers was key to the Luddite cause.

What happens when people without power try to seize it? How is rebellion viewed in the face of advancing technology? Can social uprising and outcry make a difference? These kind of questions are fired to the fore in this unique, expressive production. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out provides an in-depth look at Luddism, the people involved and the implications on Manchester as we know it today, as well as historically.

HAUNT Manchester decided to speak to Lauren Mooney of Kandinsky theatre company, to find out more:

Many people may not have heard of the Luddites. Why do you think this is – and why is their story still important now?

“I think the Luddites, like a lot of working-class history, is hugely under-taught in schools. The national curriculum, certainly in my experience of it, tends to focus on royals and wars - the Tudors, the big moments of 20th century carnage, and not a lot else. By the time I left school, everything between Elizabeth I dying and WWI starting was a big shameful gap, and I think that's the same for a lot of people. When I first read about the Luddites, I was in my early 20s - and it was that feeling, that I couldn't believe I hadn't known about this, or Peterloo, or generations of working-class struggle and agitation, that first made me want to make a show about this period.

“The thing about the Luddites as well is that unlike (for instance) the Chartists or the Levellers, they are half culturally remembered - we still have their name in conversational usage - and to be 'a luddite' has come back into popular force in the last century with the growth of technology. To say you're 'a luddite' now is to be regressive or anti-tech or just uncomfortable using your phone. Given what these people really wanted, how brave so many of them were and how brutally they were treated, it seemed a bit criminal that this is how we remember them.

“The questions they were asking about progress - who it's for, and who gets to define that, and whether progress at any cost is always right - have never really been answered, and they feel more relevant now than ever.”

Can you tell us a bit more about how the approach of the Luddites has links with Peterloo?

“We aren't historians or researchers, we're theatre-makers, so it's hard for me to give a really confident answer to this, as so much social history is under-recorded or is a point of contention! But historians (or at least the ones we've read) have tended to draw a line between Luddism in Manchester and a growing political and working-class consciousness that helped lead to Peterloo.

“Manchester, when Luddism came, was very new - it was a city growing at an unimaginable rate, kind of a wild west. There had been no MP since the 17th century and wasn't much legislation, so people with money were swarming in to set up factories and make even more money - and of course, as there was work, workers followed, many of them immigrants. It was a boom town, at the forefront of the industrial revolution and the new technology, and many of these people were atomised, coming in from the countryside, from Ireland or from further away, and seeing themselves potentially as competitors for limited work during a period of bad trade and widespread starvation. When news of the Luddites came, it helped to create a sense of the collective. That, for us, was the link: we felt that the Luddites were a bit under-appreciated as an early moment of collective action (Eric Hobsbawm actually called it 'collective bargaining by riot'), and so as an early moment in what would become the labour movement.”

Why have you chosen to tell their story through theatre - and would you say the way in which you are telling the story is 'experimental'?

“James and I make theatre, so as soon as we got interested in the Luddites, it was going to be a show! We've made five shows together now and run a company called Kandinsky. But that's not to say that we would make theatre about anything, of course - there always has to be a reason for something to be a play and not something else. With this, there were lots of aspects that seemed to fit that: for instance, making a show about collective action to be experienced as a collective - theatre being a shared live medium. There was also the fact that the movement grew up around the mysterious figure of General Ludd, now generally agreed to have never existed, which seemed to have an interesting relationship to the willing suspension of disbelief inherent in watching theatre - the choice audiences make to believe in something even though they're sharing a space with people who are pretending to be somebody else... Plus, a lot of our work engages in some way with the tension of what's being performed; we tend to enjoy acknowledging that our actors are actors.

“I'm not sure I would call it 'experimental' as I think people tend to see that as synonymous with inaccessibility, and I don't think our work is inaccessible, though of course it isn't for everyone. I think that sometimes, acknowledging the pretence of performance can make people who don't always feel comfortable in a theatre space feel a bit more at ease than when they're asked to 100% buy into the reality of something more naturalistic. But it's fair to say that we don't make work in the most standard way - a script, written by a playwright, cast and then directed. We're a devising company, which means that James and I spend months doing reading and research and planning the 'shape' of the show, then we establish an ensemble cast and a team of designers and ask them to help us make something. It's not super unusual, and there are a lot of amazing theatre companies in the UK working this way, but it's a bit of a risk for a venue as they don't have a script and don't really know what show they're going to end up with! It isn't the way the Royal Exchange usually makes work and they've been very generous with us - it's been a real privilege to get to devise something for that amazing space.”

Why was focusing on Manchester important to you?

“Manchester was actually the original starting point for the show. James worked on Persuasion here at the Exchange a couple of years ago and fell in love with the city. He felt that there was a really developed identity in Manchester and became interested in trying to make something that spoke to that identity and to its radical political history. I was already tinkering away on something about the Luddites and suggested that might be the right fit - and we went from there.”

How did you go about your research of the subject? Were there any places in Greater Manchester that were particularly inspiring?

“We did a workshop at the Exchange last year during which we got some help from a historian who at the time was working at John Rylands Institute (Dr Alice Marples) - she gave us time, energy and a great reading list which got us started in the right direction. We've read so much over the last couple of years that 1812 would definitely be my Mastermind subject now. We could submit pretty extensive footnotes/bibliography for the show - but as nobody wants that, I'll just briefly give special mention to the Luddite Bicentenary website, a really in-depth and lovingly compiled resource, all online, detailing the growth and spread of the movement across the country.

“We didn't have a huge research budget so we did a lot of it online or in libraries - but my favourite bit of the research period was getting to spend time at the People's History Museum and the Working Class Movement Library in Salford - both are amazing resources. The latter looked out some great first-hand accounts for us that we never found anywhere else and gets a namecheck in the show.”

As highlighted by Lauren, research into Luddism and approaches to interpret it can be seen as ongoing here in Greater Manchester. The Working Class Movement Library holds a number of resources related to the movement, and can be visited by the public (see the website for more details).

Other creative projects have been born in Greater Manchester too. Take The Luddite Collective, a band and movement first formed in Manchester in 2012: recently part of an AnalogueTrash gig at Salford’s The Eagle Inn. According to one of band’s members, Dani Graves:

“I always felt that The Luddites were misunderstood and are often seen as a bunch of people smashing machines - which often leads to people questioning why an electronic band would call themselves The Luddite Collective. From my understanding The Luddite Movement was about making a stand against mill owners taking jobs away from people who were already struggling with poverty, they weren't so much against technology with many being skilled machine operators for the textile trade.

“So to me the Luddites were a bunch of activists fighting for the rights of the working class.

“The whole idea behind The Luddite Collective is to be just that, a collective, to fight for equity and equality for everyone. On stage there is myself and Dani Scum, but there are people behind the scenes, Cute As Sin who is an ongoing member who does a lot but doesn't go on stage. We are also starting to put our community project idea into reality which will bring more people into the collective to help us run a monthly market where we will have clothing, food, hygiene products etc for anyone who needs it for free, without paperwork or hoops to jump through. We are also often found marching at protests and help raise awareness of various subjects, both on and off the stage.”

So does Luddism live on? The inspiration certainly does.

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out runs until 10 August (book here) at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre, The Luddite Collective are online and to visit the libraries and archives mentioned, see their individual websites for details.

Photography- all by Manuel Harlan:

Image 1 - production shot- L-R actors David Crellin, Reuben Johnson & Katie West

Image 2 - production shot - L-R  Nisa Cole, Amelda Brown, Daniel Millar, Katie West, David Crellin & Reuben Johnson

Image 3 - production shot - L-R Reuben Johnson & Nisa Cole

Image 4 - production shot - L-R  Nisa Cole, Amelda Brown & David Crellin

Image 5 - production shot - L-R Katie West & David Crellin

Image 6 - production shot - Amelda Brown

Image 7 - production shot - L-R Nisa Cole & Katie West

Article by Emily Oldfield

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Manchester Content Curator Simon Donohue in conversation with neo-soul duo Children Of Zeus, part of the CitizensofMCR campaign from Marketing Manchester.

At the Manchester International Festival last month, there was one act who opted to use their time on the Festival Square stage as a platform for other talent in the city.

That was Children of Zeus, who seem to have become godfathers of the city’s simmering neo-soul scene, winning friends and plaudits alike.

They are touring nationally and internationally pretty much non-stop and yet have no formal major record deal - part of a new breed of entrepreneurial artists making their own way in an industry no longer equipped to nurture talent of their type.

It feels like something very special is happening in Manchester and they are at the heart of it.

Marketing Manchester is currently producing a Manchester music documentary – find out more here – and spent the day of the Distractions: Sound City Manchester music conference at MIF talking to some of the acts who are enjoying success of their own.

Children of Zeus was a common theme, with namechecks from the likes of Chunky (one of 14 members of Levelz); the multi-talented singer, actor and host Jenna G and emerging artists including Prima.

For the uninitiated, Children of Zeus is a soul project from two of Manchester’s most respected artists Konny Kon and Tyler Daley.

Konny Kon is a DJ, MC and beatmaker best known as one third of Broke’N’English alongside fellow Mancunians DRS and Strategy.

Tyler Daley, also known as Hoodman, went from being a respected MC and actor to one of the most in demand soul singers of recent times, lending his vocals and writing credits to music from Goldie, LSB, Soul II Soul‘s Caron Wheeler, Lenzman, Lisa Mafia, Bugzy Malone, and more.

Despite moving in the same circles of Manchester music, it took a chance meeting at a festival in France to bring them together.

Earlier this year, Children of Zeus joined the #CitizensofMCR campaign from Marketing Manchester.

This is the full transcript of that interview:

Tell me your first memories of Manchester.

Tyler: I grew up in South Manchester, in Whalley Range. I moved from London when I was quite young to Whalley Range, which is very leafy, and green but also quite dangerous at the time.

So it was a bit of a blend of nice big houses from the Victoria era, with lots of crime, lots of danger, lots of fun times.

But all in all, it was a quite nice balance to be fair. Which is quite a weird thing to say with all the rough side, but it keeps you grounded… makes times interesting but also it was a nice area to look at.

Konny: I’m from north Manchester. From Blackley, Moston, in between those two areas. It was kinda typical of UK council estates I would say: criminality mixed with a really close sense of community. Just a decent blend of different characters really.

How did you get into music?

Tyler:  I only ever wanted to do music. I wasn’t interested in anything else. I wasn’t interested in sports. I wasn’t interested in films and TV. I’ve only ever been obsessed with music since I was younger. And I didn’t think it was anything I could make a career out of, but it was the only thing I was interested in.

Konny: I was into football as well. Naturally, where I grew up, you just gravitated towards football;   kicking a can around the street. There wasn’t anything else to do. So from football to anything else around the estate that you didn’t need a lot to do it with. Or just a little ball or whatever. Bits of sport. I’ve always been interested in music but there haven’t really been many examples of people doing things in music from where I’m from. I didn’t really think it was a possibility until I got older.

What was your earliest inspiration in music?

Tyler: The thing that inspired me was that at the school I went to, there was a guy who was a few years older than us called MC Buzz B, who got signed to Virgin, I think, when we were in primary school.

Up until that point there weren’t that many people who ever made it. And for years after there weren’t many people who made it. But at that point, there was one guy who always stuck out to me, and that was MC Buzz B.

A teacher brought a tape into assembly and said: ‘this guy, used to go to this school, he’s just been signed by Virgin, he’s doing quite well for himself’.

And at that point, quite a few of us went: ‘Oh, this guy’s rapping. We all kind of rap, don’t know much about hip hop, bit young to know much about it, but we know it exists. And there’s a guy who came from our school who’s done something with it.’ Quite a few of us were quite inspired by it.

As years go on, a few drop off and find other interests. But others stuck it out. And for me personally, a few of us got an opportunity to go to a studio, when we’d just left school, and made a demo, which was absolutely terrible.

But it just sparks you off and you think ‘this is enjoyable and would like to do it again’. So, for me it was that spark of MC Buzz B, which inspire quite a few of us. And then it just builds, from going to a studio, to getting a bit older and going to an open mic, and people saying, ‘that was quite good’, and then you get your first paid show. It just all builds form there. So MC Buzz B was the spark for me.

Konny: A similar story for me. Obviously, not Buzz B, I’m from a different side of town so I wasn’t really aware of that. But I was always personally interested in music. Kept it to myself. Didn’t think I could make anything of it. But there was a group called Northside.

They were an indie band, following in the footsteps of The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays, and they were the next thing, they were going to do something. They never really took the step. The drummer was a friend of my dad’s.

The stories he used to tell me and the stuff I used to hear from him made me think, ‘ok, ok, like there’s a possibility’, not just for hip hop. But it just gave me that little spark that it was possible. And the same thing happened to me when I left primary school. We got an opportunity through a youth club to go into a recording studio. As soon as I got in there, I just felt really comfortable and I just felt, ‘This is where I’m supposed to be’. Yeah, that was probably the main spark.

How did you get together?

Konny: I had a group with two other guys, DRS and Strategy, called Bodyrock. I’d never met Tyler, but we both got booked for a show in France, the same show on the outskirts of Paris. So we met in France. We decided to meet when we got back to Manchester. It went from there. We recorded a few songs. We then connected a few years later and decided to make a bit more music. That was just a one off.  But it all came from meeting in France and me seeing him for the first time on stage.

Tyler: The collaboration was all from our love for music as well. Being in music, you meet a lot of people who are in the same game. But it’s rare to meet people with tastes aligned to yours. We grew up on the same type of music. We grew up on Manchester pirate radio. And that educated us on our music. When we first got together and started having conversations about the type of stuff we were into, I was really taken aback to find someone who was the same age as me and liked that music, because the music we were into was probably a lot more mature than we were at the time. The fact that he was into it and he knew all the name of the songs and he actually had the songs… That was the bond that brought us together and that’s the spark for Children of Zeus, I would say.

Was there a big plan to work together?

Konny: There was a little plan because at the time, I’d stopped working with the group I was working with. Tyler was hitting a bit of a brick wall where he was going. At the time, Manchester music had really started taking off as far as bass music, grime, drum ‘n’ bass.

It was music for clubs more than a downtempo slow, soulful, hip hop sound. Not that no one was doing it, but no-one to a level that people outside music cared.

This was all we knew and it would have been a bit false of us to try and make music that we weren’t, you know, really aligned with. So we had a plan to stick to our guns and stick to the music we were used to doing. We thought that eventually, enough people would gravitate towards us and carried on doing what we’d been doing.

How did you decide on your musical style?

Tyler: We always listened to music through radio, so it wasn’t like we got our fix through going to nightclubs. A lot of people got into music through raving, stuff like that, but our inspiration was like none of that: it was sit in your car and listen music. There didn’t seem to be a lot of it around. That’s what I love and that’s what he loved, so we said, ‘let’s just stick to that’. Yes, I don’t know if it was down to timing or chance, but everything seemed to just work at that time, where people were ready for that again. 

Why does so much good music come from Manchester?

Konny: I heard something once which is pretty interesting: that because it rains so much, all we can do is sit in the studio. I don’t know how true that is, but we do spend a lot of time in the studio rather than enjoying life.

The other thing about Manchester, and it’s not always been the case for us because we come from a hip-hop background, is that it’s very competitive. We all hated each other! We all kept ourselves to ourselves. But a few years ago, a bit of change happened where it was more, ‘let’s collaborate, let’s push each other’.

The Manchester symbol is a worker bee. And it got used a lot more by the music community, because that’s our symbol and we help the hive. The younger generation who came after us, they’re all ‘let’s be in four different groups together… if you see someone’s video coming out, we’re all going to push it online.’ Right now, what separates Manchester from most of the other cities in the UK, is that we’re all very community driven. ‘Let’s all help each other,’ 98% of people would say. The people at the top help the people at the bottom. They rise up, they help the people below them. It’s working quite well I think and I think a lot of the other cities are looking toward Manchester for that.  I think Bristol probably did that before us and it was kind of blueprint for the Manchester scene. It’s not just one genre of music that’s doing that. The drum ‘n’ bass guys help the hip hop guys.

Tyler: We’re from quite a divided city at times and I think that’s probably slowed down the progress of the city and maybe this would have happened earlier. I don’t necessarily think that Manchester is a great place for artists doing something and making a success of it. I think we were overlooked a lot. I think even the likes of The Stone Roses and Oasis, who really had the run in the 1990s, didn’t have any handouts.

They came off the back off the rave scene, which we created round here: created a scene that people wanted to come and be part of us, rather than the other way round.

And we have music that’s like a fallout from that. Once you’ve finished raving, you had The Stone Roses and I think we’re kind of like the same now. Where we had all the rave stuff, the dubstep stuff and people Manchester who were doing well off their backs, because we were putting on our own nights and they did well, and students here, they go back and tell their own friends.

So I feel like it’s all built off our back. I wouldn’t advise anyone to come here and try and make it because there’s nothing here. There’s no infrastructure, it’s just that we’re resourceful. We make the most of what we’ve got.

How does it feel to be successful?

Tyler: It’s an amazing feeling because we’ve been working a long time to get anything out of it. More so, it’s a case of: ‘Right! Now, is the time to make sure it doesn’t run out and drop again.’

Back in the day, we might have been more competitive for ourselves. ‘If we’ve got it let’s keep it.’ But now, we’ve got a bit of age and maturity and have seen how things work. We can just help anybody see things that we didn’t see when we were younger. That’s the main thing, being able to affect what’s going on the city. It’s a nice place to be for that reason.

What is your relationship with Manchester?

Konny: Its tough at times, man. It’s tough for a lot of people but at the same time it’s a big city that also feels quite small. We’re in Wellington Mill right now and if we stand here for another half hour, a few people are going to walk in who know who we are, and we’re going to know who they are. And you can do that down any street in the city centre. It’s quite a close-knit community as far as the music scene is concerned, and arts. We don’t stick to our genre. It’s all one thing. The drum ‘n’ bass guys are part of our scene, the soul guys are part of the grime scene. We all work together. It’s tough but it’s also quite friendly ‘cause everyone knows each other. If you go to London, you don’t know anybody apart from your best mates.

Tyler:  I reckon it’s a passionate city. One thing you could say about Manchester is that we’re passionate. Everything we do, we’re passionate. Be it sports, football, fighting, drinking, whatever it is, we’re passionate about it. And that’s what pulls us through – the passionate spirit that we have.

What is your favourite place in Manchester?

Konny: One of my favourite places in Manchester is a shop in Chorlton called Kingbee records, which is a second-hand record shop which has been around forever as far as I’m concerned. It’s run by a guy called Les, who is part of the Northern Soul scene. It’s kind of a mixture of music but you can go in there without about £2 and come out with handfuls of records. When I didn’t have as much money, I’d go and take some of my records in there and swap them for a few more. I’ve got a lot of records out of that shop with the Kingbee sticker on. It’s one of the number one places for people to visit if there into music.

Tyler: My favourite place in Manchester no longer exists and it’s Maine road, where I spent many happy days when I was a kid. Today, it’s the parks that we have, the many parks. I’ve got children, so I just like to go to a different park when the weather is nice on a rare occasion. That’s when you see the nice happy side that you don’t always see, because we just don’t have the weather. Any nice park on the right day in Manchester.

Listen to Children of Zeus on Spotify.

The Gay Village

A beacon of celebration in the city, the Village is a welcoming community of bars, nightclubs, restaurants and businesses open to all. Centred around Canal Street, you can expect to find a flourishing queer scene with entertainment for all persuasions on every night of the week.

Alan Turing statue

Computer science pioneer Alan Turing worked at the University of Manchester and is honoured with a statue in Sackville Gardens. Every year on Turing’s birthday, a candlelit vigil remembers his pioneering work in computing and the persecution he faced for being gay.

Richmond Tea Rooms

Manchester’s iconic tea rooms have opened at a new larger venue on Sackville Street on the edge of the Gay Village – set over two floors, this enchanting ‘Alice in Wonderland’ themed dining experience is everything you want from an afternoon (LGB)Tea…

Top picks in the Village

The Molly House is a cosy bar and tapas restaurant nestled behind Canal Street and is adorned with a mural featuring gay icons such as Anna Phylactic, Alan Turing and Quentin Crisp. Along the main street, Oscar’s offers non-stop show tunes from musicals, whilst Via is one of the older venues on Canal Street with dark wood interiors and regular performing drag queens. For a women’s safe space, try Vanilla, one of the UK’s leading lesbian bars.

LGBT+ nightlife outside the village

Whilst the Gay Village is centre of LGBT+ life, fringe venues across the city have popped up providing alternative queer nights; in the Northern Quarter, Kiss Me Again takes place at Soup Kitchen, whilst Bollox goes all out in queer protest at Deaf Institute; and Hidden – an industrial warehouse turned club hosts Homoelectric in the middle of a Salford industrial estate. Elsewhere, The Refuge regularly welcomes all to Come As You Are at its queer parties, whilst HOME exhibits LGBT+ cinema and art.

Manchester Pride

Held every August Bank Holiday Weekend, Manchester Pride is a four-day celebration featuring a festival-style programme of music with headline acts performing in atmospheric former railway station Mayfield Depot; with further events around the Gay Village including the Pride Parade, 14+ Youth Pride, a candlelit vigil to remember those lost to HIV, and culture, music, yoga and art at the Superbia Weekend. Throughout the year the LGBT+ community is also celebrated in events such as The Sparkle Weekend for celebrating trans pride, The Great British Bear Bash, and Queer Contact Festival.

Top LGBT+ photo spots

Follow the LGBT Heritage Trail rainbow mosaics scattered across the city and along the way you’ll discover rainbow bees on street bollards and street art murals around Canal Street. Elsewhere, find the rainbow stairs in bohemian emporium Afflecks, which display messages of no hate, transphobia and homophobia.

By Simon Donohue, Manchester Content Curator

Feelgood Theatre’s parading performances in Heaton Park have become a highlight of the summer season and this year there’s even more reason than ever to buy a ticket.

Marking the independent theatre company’s 25^th anniversary, this year’s production was chosen as the show that their audiences “most wanted to see back”. Little wonder.

That show is Dracula: The Blood Count of Heaton, Bram Stoker’s bloodcurdling classic updated with references to Manchester and its most famous park, including lots of namechecks for Lord Egerton of Heaton Hall.

For those unfamiliar with the form, Feelgood audiences pack picnic blankets and folding chairs, then follow the production around the park to different locations, each serving as a reminder of how lucky we are to have the largest municipal park in Europe on our doorstep.

The cast first assemble in front of the Farm Café – location of the Box Office – before starting the play proper within the Grade I listed Heaton Hall itself.

Here we discover that the mysterious Transylvanian, Count Vladimir Tepes Dracula (actor and magician Peter Clifford), is planning to buy the hall.

We also meet our two leading female characters, Mina Seward (Sophie Coward) and Lucy Harker (Frederica Davis), and learn of their excitement that the annual gypsy festival has returned to Heaton.

Oh, and that headless corpses keep turning up around Heaton. Believe it or not, something sinister is afoot.

From the hall we move to the gypsy festival, where a colourful troupe mesmerise Mina and Lucy, and we first encounter the count.

As dusk falls, we find ourselves overlooking a forest glade, where demonic forces are circling in search of blood.

Later, we’re back at the hall, where the count has wedding plans. Will he succeed? You’ll need to find out for yourself.

Feelgood producer Caroline Clegg has once again pulled off an amazing feat, presenting a beautifully polished performance from her talented troupe against a stunningly atmospheric backdrop.

The show is recommended for people aged 10 and above. We opted to take our two younger children and they thoroughly enjoyed it.

Take the kids but keep them close, because this show’s bite is as big as its bark and you never know what might happen…

Dracula: The Blood Count of Heaton is on daily until August 11.

Visit https://www.feelgoodtheatre.co.uk/current-show for tickets and further details.

GILLIAN ENGLISH: 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT TAMING OF THE SHREW featured at the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival on Monday 29 July 2019 – and this Canadian-born now Tasmania-living comedian certainly kept the audience on their toes. This is a show both intelligent and accelerated, as English provides perceptive feminist insight into the bard’s play, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592.

Yet The Taming of the Shrew is problematic – a point English makes, exposing issues of stereotyping, subversion and manifest misogyny in the process. One of the most notable things about English’s approach is its physical and verbal dexterity – with the comedian throwing herself into dressing-down Shakespeare good and proper, complete with sly, self-deprecating humour, powerball punchlines and even some fighting tips along the way.

Audiences don’t have to be familiar with Shakespeare’s work either, as English combines her own evident awareness of the play with creative comedy-making. The structure of show starts out with English setting the context and outlining the plot of The Taming of The Shrew…. no easy feat, and yet entertainingly done. She then proceeds to pile up her ‘10 reasons’ of hatred; all hilarious yet remarkably insightful points. She raises resonant questions such as: why are girls told that boys being to mean to them is a sign of affection? Why is this acceptable? And why are women disadvantaged so men can be given the outcome they want?

10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT TAMING OF THE SHREW is something I would call a crucial comedy – it cracks open contemporary issues and creates points of conversation, in a seriously funny way. For not only does English expose the issues in ‘canonical literature’ like Shakespeare and questions why it is revered, but also reveals strange things in society we still see as ‘conventional’.

The show certainly isn’t shy either, for English’s tone is a triumphant rallying cry for realisation, rolling together high-intensity humour with hilarious crude comments. Complete with her great impressions of accents, high-energy stage presence and powerful flair for anecdotes – incorporating Justin Trudeau, film remakes and tales of stage school along the way – it is relatable too.

There are times when English’s high-speed delivery risks some in the audience missing what she is saying, but this certainly does not override the excellent and insightful points she is making. It certainly made me look at both Shakespeare and society in a somewhat different way, and left me thinking (and giggling) for a long time after, like a good comedy should. Unapologetically expressive, Gillian English’s show was followed by mention of her fabulous merchandise, including swearing necklaces that proved very popular!

Gillian English previously spoke with Ian Rothwell (see our previous interview with him here) on his Salford City Radio show ‘A Bit of Everything’ and she will be appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe throughout August.

By Emily Oldfield

A festival that faces up to the complexities of mental and physical health and asks daring, difficult questions through an international arts programme – that’s SICK! Festival. It returns to a range of Greater Manchester venues from 18 September - 5 October 2019, with tickets for Week 1 (18-21 September) on sale now.

SICK! Festival also took place in Manchester in 2015 and 2017, bringing a range of people together to explore issues of life, death and everything in between. Known for involving unique, experimental artistic approaches and not shying away from dealing with difficult content, 2019’s festival takes the theme ‘What is the value of a human life?’.  This year’s programme explores the question from the perspectives of Disability, End-of-Life Care and Young People’s Mental Health.

Immersive visual installations, thought-provoking theatre and even the chance to take place in a Fevered Sleep ‘Grief Gathering’ are just some examples of 2019’s content. There will also be an exciting new Manchester shop for This Grief Thing from Fevered Sleep (see our article about it here), a temporary pop-up that encourages conversations about grief, death and loss.

 Here at HAUNT Manchester, we bring you some highlights to look forward to at Week 1 of SICK! Festival 2019 (18-21 September), bookable now…

Death and Birth in my Life

A powerful video installation from artist Mats Staub, exploring experiences of death, grief and end-of-life care developed with staff from the Intensive Care Unit at Manchester Royal Infirmary. Come and consider the two key moments that we have in common – birth and death. Based at The Whitworth from 18 September – 5 October, the installations will be incorporated into a free exhibition aiming to open up intimate stories about care, health and loss, whilst considering ethical dilemmas in this area with honesty and warmth. Mats also shared his ideas at the Death and Performance symposium earlier this year in Salford, at the New Adelphi Theatre (University of Salford).

http://www.sickfestival.com/events/death-birth-in-my-life/

Graphic Encounters

Colourful and compelling illustrated narratives will spring up across Greater Manchester’s Metrolink network as part of Graphic Encounters - revealing the experiences of women in Manchester. Challenges to health and wellbeing faced by these women will be explored in the artwork, which has been created by four artists in total: two from the UK and two from Finland. This project has been developed with Manchester Metropolitan University and the LGBT Foundation.

http://www.sickfestival.com/events/graphic-encounters-event/

A Family Outing - 20 Years On

A unique production by Ursula Martinez, ‘A Family Outing’ originally premiered in 1998 – a show that involved Martinez’ own mother and father, discussing relationships, familial life and more. Twenty years after she brought her parents onstage, Martinez now attempts to recreate the show without her Dad, and with a mother who can no longer remember her lines, having been diagnosed with early stage dementia. This recreation titled 'A Family Outing - 20 Years On' will take place at The Lowry in Salford on Wednesday 18 September, 8.30-9.30pm and is expected to be a warm, humorous show featuring interplay with the first production and reflecting to what happens to us over the course of time.

http://www.sickfestival.com/events/a-family-outing-event/

The Director

A dramatic performance featuring ex-funeral director, Scott Turnbull, and artist Lara Thoms, taking place in the STUN Studio (inside Z-arts, Hulme, Manchester) on 25 and 26 September. Together they aim to uncover elements of the death industry, bringing topics to the surface including bodies, burial and the processes involved. Blurring the roles of funeral director and theatre director, Thoms and Turnbull will share knowledge and create a show based on their own first-hand experiences of an industry that still remains relatively obscure for many people. Prepare to find out so much more about this crucial line of work and expect a funny, invigorating performance.

http://www.sickfestival.com/events/the-director/

The above are just some examples of content that is part of Week 1 at SICK! Festival 2019. For the full range and tickets, visit the website: http://www.sickfestival.com/sick-festival-2019/

By Emily Oldfield

Images from the SICK! Festival website

The venue's vaulted arches and station clock have made Manchester Central an iconic city feature for more than 130 years and for one day only, they are inviting visitors to come inside and take a look around.

There will be a chance to learn about the history of the venue whilst exploring the spaces; from the vast Central Hall to the state-of-the-art auditorium and everything in between. Most importantly, there’ll also be an opportunity to try one of their delicious brownies!

Hosting a huge range of events from exhibitions for food, film and travel fans to medical conferences and gala dinners, there are very few days of the year when the venue isn’t bustling with delegates or exhibitors. It has even been transformed into television sets for a number of shows including Cold Feet, the 18/19 Premier League Launch, X Factor and Ninja Warrior.

So, if you fancy a quick nosey around and a free coffee and brownie, then feel free to pop down anytime between 10am and 4pm on Wednesday 14th August and one of the friendly team will happily show you around.

Manchester Central also running two tours for local photographers on the day, inviting them to explore the venue and capture beautiful shots from new and exciting angles. There are spaces remaining on these and the links to sign up are on the photography tour page of the website.

The 50-minute one-act play plunged viewers into an intense consideration of the characters’ situation: that of homelessness. It was performed outdoors in the beer garden of the pub – during one of the wettest days of the entire month - bringing the audience into closer consideration of the daily discomfort endured by the hundreds of people who live on the city’s streets. Whilst the audience was largely sheltered, the cast admirably went ahead, performing in direct rainfall - demonstrating skill and endurance in doing so. The team behind the play were also taking donations for Shelter and period poverty charity Every Month in the process – and on entering the performance space, audience members were each given a coin to contribute during the production. Emphasising that each of us has active agency to make a difference, I found this particularly touching. I also was given a closed shoebox to look after by the central female character – ‘here, look after this will you?’ – in an early, gutsy piece of well-directed audience interaction I didn’t see coming. I certainly kept more alert, on my toes after that (though foolishly failed to look after the box!). Picture above - left to right: characters Sarah (Leah Gray), Barney (Paul Tomblin) and Derek (Craig Hodgkinson) by Shay Rowan

Frozen Peas In An Old Tin Can focuses on the characters of three homeless people in Manchester –  and rather than the usual dramatic dwelling on their past lives, it considers their aspirations for the future. This forward-thinking is key to the approach of the production; as rather than an examination of the causes of and solutions to homelessness – which no one play could ever address (and would be foolish to attempt) – it instead considers the lives behind the statistics, and the very human aspects of hope and action in togetherness.

 Sarah, a tough, no-nonsense young woman is performed with great pathos by Leah Gray – an actor I have seen previously in New Dawn Fades: A Play About Manchester and Joy Division (read our article on the play here) and admire her well-measured emotiveness interspersed with timely flashes of intensity. She was joined by a rather childish yet likeable young man called Barney, a character played engagingly by an energetic Paul Tomblin – whilst the older, more brooding character of Derek was played by Craig Hodgkinson. Powerful eye contact and thoughtful silences underlined Hodgkinson’s ability to bring to life a character accustomed to being careful, measured, in what he says – hinting at earlier hardship . These very distinct characters are brought together through shared circumstances – the three central actors dynamically working to display both the flying tensions as well as deep camaraderie that can exist amongst people sharing some of the most difficult circumstances. Written and directed with human insight and personal perceptivity, the characterisation and writing craft in this area really stood out to me.

The play follows the fairly simple story arc of the three friends’ attempt to form a band and raise enough money to travel to the coast at Southport – perhaps a slightly romanticised aim given their apparent circumstances.  The Frozen Peas In An Old Tin Can of the title are actually dug out of a bin at this point and used as a makeshift instrument; a rather surreal image. How did frozen peas get inside a tin can in the first place? And stay frozen?

Yet this is a play that is not necessarily grounded in complete realism, the title itself perhaps a nod to its edge into magical realism, even elements of fantasy. It is instead primarily character-focused and significantly has its strengths in the humanisation and opportunity for empathy around key themes. To me, the objective of the characters’ holiday was less interesting than the ideas and insight they shared. Reflections such as: if you could have any job, what would it be? What do you miss the most? And even the little, intimate gestures such as  saying ‘night’ before going to sleep, emphasised that homelessness people have loves, hopes and emotional needs just as everyone else. In the statistics and news bulletins that surround homelessness as an issue, these personal pieces of information are often evaded.

In turn, Frozen Peas In An Old Tin Can has its power in empathy – and surely would make a viewer look again at their relationship to and treatment of homeless people in the city. In turn, the elements of the play’s story that are slightly hyperbolic, such as the band’s rather rapid success and internet fandom, appear an intended edge into magical realism to move the story along. Perhaps this in itself sends the message that more people need to contribute, to offer funding and support, if the narratives of homeless people are to change in actual reality, and the ongoing development of the play could potentially build on this a little (accepting donations on the way out additionally emphasised this).

  The story was also given additional shape through an interaction with a character played by Ella Fraser, presenting a young woman with rather prejudiced views of homelessness – highlighting attitudes still exist that need to change. An important addition, I felt.  Actor Owen Murphy also played the role of an over-excited fan keen to tell the ‘band’ of their sudden fame, and played additional guitar, which was enjoyable and interactive.

I also think the elements of magical realism and hyperbole in the story allow it to work more readily as a comedy; the humour derived from the relationships and interaction between the characters, rather than their circumstances. Balancing this with considering the reality of homelessness is perhaps an ongoing aspect for development – and the play did indeed have its poignant moments worth building on; with a particularly profound reflection on the notion of ‘embarrassment’ from the character of Derek. Photo: cast with Writer and Director Joe Walsh, stood in centre - by Shay Rowan

 Interspersed with reference points to Mancunian idioms and popular culture, this allowed a welcome light-hearted quality which increased the opportunity for empathy as the play went on– the eye of the young generation particularly expressed through references to The Rugrats, Barry Chuckle and Blue Peter.  The comic, dizzy qualities of Barney as a character bristled well against the more defensive and direct Sarah.

The chemistry in performance was indeed excellent; and the affectionate yet at times explosive connection between Sarah and Barney was brilliantly balanced with Derek’s slightly less direct, but deeply-caring demeanour. It was after all a revealing, yet tender surprise from Derek which allowed the story to move towards its seaside-bound end. Yet the audience never see the end scenario, we are conscious only of its possibility. Indeed, Frozen Peas In An Old Tin Can is a play concerned with possibilities and potentials, raising the point that people’s prospects can be made massively different – but we too need to act.

An awareness-raising, emotionally-engaging piece of theatre with plenty of energy and prospect. What the Greater Manchester Fringe is all about and a credit to all involved.

By Emily Oldfield

Photography: with thanks to Shay Rowan, who is featured in 'A selection of photographers celebrating Manchester's underground culture' here

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/07/frozen-peas-in-an-old-tin-can-theatre-review-b918#comments918 Mon, 29 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/07/top-10-favourite-things-about-just-so-2019-b917 Just So Festival, 16/17/18 August 2019, Rode Hall Estate, Cheshire With less than 3 weeks to go until Just So Festival celebrates its 10th birthday, festival directors Rowan Hoban and Sarah Bir..

With less than 3 weeks to go until Just So Festival celebrates its 10th birthday, festival directors Rowan Hoban and Sarah Bird share their top ten unmissable things in the line-up. From foot-stomping music to the Tribal Tournament, 2019 is set to be the ‘most spectacular Just So ever’ and organisers are expecting a sell-out.

Just So is a multi award-winning, imaginative outdoor family adventure like no other. With a love of stories and childhood escapades at its heart, Just So enables families to step out of their day-to-day lives and into a wonderland of world-class theatre, literature, dance, music, and comedy. It takes audiences on a unique expedition to lands full of magical midnight feasts, curious creatures, hidden retreats, top notch food and breathtaking beauty.

Limited tickets are on sale now at justsofestival.org.uk at tier three prices, from £50 for children’s (aged 3 - 15) weekend camping tickets to £145 for adults. Saturday day tickets are fully sold out, but there is still some limited availability for Friday and Sunday day tickets, as well as weekend without camping tickets.

One: Enjoy marvellous music

The Just So music line-up is guaranteed to get audiences dancing, including the strings, vocals and percussion of Mancunian quintet Kabantu, the high energy of Mr Tea and the Minions, and 13-piece Balkan-Gypsy-Latin ensemble The Destroyers. Just So regulars can look forward to festival favourites Zong Zing Allstars, the jolly Biscuithead & The Biscuit Badgers, The Baghdaddies’ Geordie-flavoured Caribbean grooves, and Thingumabob & The Thingumajigs’ blend of pop, funk, reggae and soul.

The Hallé Children’s Choir, made up of children from across Greater Manchester and beyond, also celebrate their 10th birthday this year with a performance of How the Leopard Got His Spots from Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories.

Two: Get tribal in The Tribal Tournament

The Tribal Tournament returns for the 10th time for the battle of the decade. Families dress up as different animal clans from foxes to lions and compete to win golden pebbles, culminating in the grand Parade and crowning of the Tribal Tournament champions on the Sunday evening.

This year families can prepare their costumes at the festival with Wintercroft, a family-run design company who help people make fantastical animal masks from sustainable materials. Wintercroft have created seven incredible masks for the Tribal Tournament, so get involved, build your favourite animal and represent your tribe.

Three: Listen to captivating stories

Just So wouldn’t be the same without storytelling round the campfire. The incredible Ian Douglas is back and is joined by his yarn-spinning friends Dieter Wadeson and Gary Bridgens, telling tales from the lands of Just So and beyond.

Audiences can also enjoy talks from authors and illustrators in Wonderland, including one of the nation’s favourite illustrators Rob Flowers reading from his book Festival Folk. Jane Kerr discusses her novel The Great Animal Escapade, Dutch illustrator Margit van der Zwan shows the power of illustration with her beautiful book Gordon and The Flying Piano, and novelist Catherine O’Flynn (What Was Lost; Mr Lynch’s Holiday) also takes to the stage to read her first children’s book Lori and Max.
 

Four: Put on your dancing shoes

Pick up a headset and choose your channel in the Silent Disco with Our Kids Social, swing your partner round and round to the riotous madness of the Cut a Shine ceilidh, strut your stuff at the Retro Disco, or crack out your Lindy Hop at The Ragroof Tea Dance with music from the 1920s to the 1950s. You can also learn new dance skills in a host of workshops, from flatfooting to Bollywood and Bhangra.

Five: Light up the woods in the Lantern Parade

The Just So Lantern Parade is guaranteed to bring joyful tears to the eyes of everyone involved. Audiences can craft their own beautiful lanterns from willow and paper before being led through the trees by the brilliant Ghost Caribou by Thingamujig Theatre and band The Baghdaddies.

Six: Bring a healthy appetite

The finest Just So traditions revolve around food! Join masters of story, wit and song - Ian Douglas, Gary Bridgens and Dieter Wadeson for the Midnight Feast, or bring your best bakes to the Big 10th Bake Off to impress the judges. There will also be an array of incredible food vendors delivering delicious treats from pasta to paella, croquettes to corn on the cob.

Seven: Laugh your socks off

Just So are thrilled to welcome poet, comic, singer and ukulele player John Hegley to the Footlights stage. Hailed as ‘comedy’s poet laureate’ by The Independent, Hegley brings his unique material about dog hair, potatoes and handkerchiefs to this year’s festival. And festival funny man James Campbell is back for his ever popular stand-up comedy show for children over five.

Eight: See jaw-dropping circus and outdoor arts

Roll Up, Roll Up is Just So’s exuberant area for all things circus. In this most spectacular and flamboyant part of the festival, Just So will be celebrating some of their favourite female circus acts. Look out for breath-taking Strong Lady Betty Brawn and Hocus Pocus Theatre’s Clown About Town.

Just So has also partnered with Without Walls to present five extraordinary pieces of outdoor dance and circus; Apocalyptic Circus’ playful My House, Kapow Dance Circus Theatre’s moving dance, physical theatre and circus piece Adrift, Mimbre’s Lifted which explores three strong women lifting and balancing each other, Aerial dance company Newtons Ladder’s show Sirin (Hope is the Thing with Feathers), and Thingumajig Theatre’s night-time procession of giant illuminated creatures in Ghost Caribou.


Nine: Experience the best outdoor theatre

Audiences can enjoy a host of outdoor theatre. Mobile street theatre troupe The Wheelabouts present their show Boudicca, with the iconic woman warrior rampaging through the festival in a chariot led by a galloping mechanical horse. The Fabularium are back with The Hare and the Moon, a story from Far East Asia with new animal headpieces, puppets, music, and for the first time ever for The Fabularium – illuminations! Little pirates can join a scurvy crew for Absolute Opera’s Hurrah for the Pirate King, an opera and ballet show designed for children, and tiny tots and their grown-ups can enjoy an interactive musical adventure in Hurly Burly’s Over the Moon – a first opera for little people.

Dutch company Swoolish Garage take the joy of bathing to the next level in theatrical wellness experience Vespaqua, the world’s smallest bathhouse! Festival goers don swimsuits and are driven around the Just So site in bathtubs towed by a 1966 Vespa Ape.

Ten: Play in the Ministry of Games

Head to the Ministry of Games for the biggest ever pass the parcel, plus giant versions of some of our favourite board games including Guess Who, Ludo and Scrabble created by the Wild Rumpus team. While you’re there watch out for sheep on the loose… Sports Day meets Sheep Trials in Mufti Games’ new interactive show One Kid and their Dog, inspired by the much-loved TV show of the same(ish) name.

From The Crowd invites members of the public to join in an immersive experience that will take place at different times throughout the day (12:30pm, 5:30pm and 8pm), featuring eyewitness accounts of those present at Peterloo 1819 woven together with the words of contemporary protestors and poets. This will be presented through a series of powerful performances where everyone can be a participant - at times a single voice will be heard, whilst at other points hundreds of voices will come together.

There will be three performances of From the Crowd during the day, and tickets are free (available from the 25 July 2019) - though capacity is limited, so booking now is essential for this one-of-a kind historic event. Booking link: https://fromthecrowd.eventbrite.co.uk

This spirit of collaboration and unity is very much inspired by the principles upheld by the peaceful Peterloo protestors themselves, gathering in their thousands on the 16 August 1819 in St Peter's Fields to campaign for parliamentary reform. Tragically, this was a day that turned to devastation when armed guards charged into the 60,000-strong crowd of men, women and children – resulting in the deaths of 18 people and leaving over 700 injured.

From The Crowd will be a poignant event to remember and reflect – with a reading of the names of those who died taking place at 1.30pm. After all, a number of events beyond From The Crowd will take place at the site of St Peter’s Field over the course of the anniversary day: engaging with the themes of protest, democracy and freedom of speech. These are themes that have been explored across the Summer for Peterloo 2019, an events programme led by Manchester Histories and supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund – the subject of a previous HAUNT Manchester article here.

So what can be expected at From The Crowd? Set to a soundscape composed and directed by Robin Richards (Dutch Uncles), this will be a unique immersive experience allowing people to reflect on the legacy of Peterloo and what it means today. There will also be music from a range of special guests – including pieces written by MC Zani (performed by the Beatbox Collective), Oliver Vibrans and Katie Chatburn. Leading participants and encouraging public involvement on the day will be 100 people who have volunteered to be ‘Laurels’. The Laurels are a reminder that Peterloo was a peaceful protest, with one group of marchers that made their way to St Peter’s Field from Middleton carrying branches of laurel as a symbol of peace.

 In addition, there is a Rebel Karaoke to get involved with! Streetwise Opera, Aziz Ibrahim, Commoners Choir and hip hop artists from Brighter Sound’s recent DISRUPT residency will be amongst those bringing non-ticketed and free Rebel Karaoke performances to life throughout the day… and participation is encouraged! In the evening, from 9.15pm until midnight, there will be a profound visual spectacular too, as Red Saunders’ Hidden Project images will be projected onto the Bridgewater Hall.

The extent of the commemoration marks a real collaborative effort with communities and contributors including the Peterloo Ambassadors, Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People, These Walls Must Fall, Young Identity and Linda Brogan. The day’s events are co-produced by Manchester Histories, Manchester City Council, Walk the Plank and Brighter Sound. 

Karen Shannon, CEO of Manchester Histories, reflects:

“The Peterloo Massacre is a globally significant milestone in the history of democracy that also set Manchester’s path as a radical city of progress, change and where equality is championed.  In From the Crowd we’ll see echoes of the themes that continue to see Manchester’s voice leading conversations on the global issues of today.  But most importantly it will be a poignant occasion in remembrance of those that led the way in achieving some of the rights that we have today, a reminder that change and progress take time, but can be achieved.”

So what are you waiting for? Book From The Crowd via the ticket link above and there is a full event programme for the Peterloo 2019 Anniversary Weekend (16-18 August 2019) online www.peterloo1819.co.uk/home/peterloo-2019-anniversary-weekend/, which also includes a Peterloo Picnic at HOME and an Art Battle at Manchester Art Gallery. There will also be screenings of Mike Leigh’s Peterloo film, and it was recently announced the Salford-born film-maker has been given freedom of the city of Salford.

Remember, you can watch the Peterloo Visitor Film featuring Neil Bell here, commissioned jointly by Marketing Manchester and Manchester Histories.

Boxing at Collyhurst and Moston Lads’ Club, which celebrates over a hundred years of boxing tradition this month, is a reminder of the contribution that Lads’ Clubs and their successors have made to Manchester’s amateur boxing heritage and local communities.

Lads’ clubs originated in the late-Victorian period, when they were established by philanthropists in many working-class areas of Manchester and Salford as an alternative to hanging around the streets or being drawn into the ‘scuttling gangs’ which were so common in poor districts. Thriving girls’ clubs were also set up, although they were fewer and tended to receive public less attention until the interwar years.

Less formal than the Boys’ Brigade and Scouts, Lads’ clubs were more successful than both organisations in drawing in poorer and older working-class boys. They often attracted hundreds of members, although their influence is largely forgotten now, other than in the case of famous survivors such as  Salford Lads’ Club, on Coronation Street, Ordsall,[1] now open to boys and girls and which  is cemented into pop culture memory by the iconic photo of the Smiths, taken in 1986. The Club entrance in the background of this famous image gives a glimpse of the substantial buildings in which lads’ clubs were often located and which became a focal point for the communities in which they stood. Strongly embedded in working-class districts, such clubs had a transformative effect on many young people and their communities, fostering life-long relationships and loyalties across generations. Larger clubs were often well-equipped with purpose-built club rooms and gymnasia, offering a mix of recreational, educational and sports activities which included football, gymnastics, cricket, holidays in the countryside, and boxing. These buildings, infused with the complex local meanings of place and belonging, were integral to the lived landscapes of many working-class districts, although their affective and architectural heritage has often been ignored, in contrast to the attention devoted to ‘important’ civic buildings, old warehouses and gentrified Victorian terraces.

The heyday of lads’ clubs was before the Second World War and many were in a sorry state by the 1960s in the face of redevelopment and more varied entertainment alternatives for the young. Their buildings, in a state of disrepair, were expensive to maintain, rarely conserved and often pulled down, although not without opposition. In 2011, local people tried unsuccessfully to stop the demolition of Ardwick Youth Centre, formerly Ardwick Lads’ Club, a much-loved meeting place for generations of youth. Founded in 1897, Ardwick Lads’ Club moved in 1898 to ‘handsome’ purpose-built premises, which included a large gymnasium with a gallery on two sides for spectators, dressing rooms and washing facilities, reading room, billiard room, and two skittle alleys.  Ardwick was Manchester’s largest lads’ club in the interwar years, with 2,000 members. It was also home to a boxing club which flourished during the ‘golden’ decades of boxing in the 1930s and 1940s. Possibly the oldest purpose-built youth club still in use in Britain by the time of its closure, Ardwick’s boxing club was the last group remaining when the club’s physical history finished, after a ‘last ditch attempt’ to save the building on historical and architectural grounds was turned down.  Ardwick Youth Centre was demolished in 2013 but the tenacity of the boxing tradition there continued when its boxers finally found a new permanent home in the John Gilmore Centre in Openshaw, opened in March 2019, as part of the Beswick community hub regeneration project.

Histories such as these illustrate the key role that boxing clubs often played in lads’ clubs and their capacity to survive even after a broader range of club activities had disappeared. Each boxing club had its own character, a mix of discipline, self-denial and hard work which when managed effectively, could bring out the best in individuals and contest the hyper-masculinity, disparagement of female participation and homophobic attitudes which marred some clubs. The distinctive atmosphere, values and grassroots success of clubs like Ardwick, and Collyhurst and Moston, owed much to the personalities of individual club leaders.

Local boxing heroes

The figure who stands out in the postwar history of Collyhurst and Moston Lads’ Club is Brian Hughes (far left in image), the highly respected amateur boxer and trainer who influenced the club for the best part of 50 years and whose boxing mantra was making tough lads into ‘human beings, not bullies’. Born in 1940 and brought up in Collyhurst, Hughes ‘knew how tough it was’ to grow up in a place where ‘The only way you got respect really was if you could fight’. He was familiar with Collyhurst Lads’ Club as a boy and became involved in boxing in his teens, visiting local gyms and training every evening and weekend at the Lily Lane Youth Club in Moston. As a poor lad with few prospects, the discipline and focus he experienced there had an immense impact on his self-belief: ‘All’s I know is from leaving school, I stopped running with a gang and I got into sport, I got into boxing, and really truthfully, it changed me whole life’.

Collyhurst Lads’ Club had closed by the 1960s but Hughes remained true to his belief in the potential of local youth and was persuaded to reopen it after criticizing the lack of facilities for them, setting up a successful football team and a boxing club, both of which won many cups and leagues. Collyhurst Lads’ Club was demolished in the clearance programmes of the 1970s and in 1976, Hughes and his boxers moved into their current premises on Oscar Street, north Manchester, as Collyhurst and Moston Lads’ Club, where he became Chief Coach. Brian Hughes’s work in the community was recognised with the award of an MBE in 2000. He retired from the club in 2011, having spent a lifetime pulling together resources to help sustain it. In 2018, the respect in which he continued to be held was evident after 6,000 people signed a petition in favour of the City Council naming a road in Collyhurst - Brian Hughes Close - after him.

Tommy McDonagh, a former amateur and professional boxer who now runs Collyhurst and Moston Lads’ Club has been boxing there since he was eight-years-old and is well aware of the personal and club debt owed to Brian Hughes. When the club took part in an  engagement project called Passions of Youth in 2014-15 (picture below shows the project working with the archives), which was supported by Manchester Metropolitan University (ManMet) and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), the teenage boxers who were involved naturally explored Hughes long- standing involvement with the club, which they recorded in a film called ‘100 Years and Still Fighting’. While they weren’t much interested in history at school, they were enthused about the history and heritage of their own local boxing traditions and the project used their passion as hook through which to encourage them to develop research skills and learn about film-making. Through visits to Manchester Metropolitan University, the People’s History Museum, Archives+ at Manchester’s Central Library, the North West Film Archive at ManMet, and the Working-Class  Movement Library in Salford, they discovered more about the history of boxing and their district and learned how to tell these stories through film-making.

The teenagers who participated were well aware of ‘the bad press’ often directed at Collyhurst, which in the words of one young boxer is not far away from the ‘posh bits of Manchester, but it sometimes feels a world away’. They were very proud of Collyhurst and Moston and the contribution they were making through the project to its boxing history.

As another boxer put it, ‘It’s good thinking we’re part of a tradition, that lads have been coming here doing what we do for a hundred years’. Their film was not only an opportunity to express their feelings about Collyhurst and Moston Lads’ Club but also to remember those who have contributed significantly to Manchester’s boxing scene, older ‘local heroes’ such as Brian Hughes, described as ‘an institution in UK fight circles’ and one of boxers’ best trainers. Importantly, they captured something of how the atmosphere and tradition Hughes established at Collyhurst and Moston went beyond fighting. Making champions was always important but as he observed in 1980s archive footage in the North West Film Archive which was used in ‘100 Years and Still Fighting’:

It’s not just going into the gymnasium and teaching ‘em how to throw a left jab or a right cross or defensive work, it’s much more, it’s deeper than that. The effect that the Collyhurst club … has on the kids that come here is that firstly you teach them as human beings… There’s no jobs for them, so you’re going to have to do something. These kids need to be shown the way, there’s more to life than bingo and to crime and the mugging people. And these kids’ll do it.

Hughes (pictured below) had a reputation for looking  ‘after the kids like a father figure’ and helped establish Collyhurst and Moston Lads’ Club as a community hub which has inspired huge affection across the generations. As one of the boxer filmmakers put it: ‘Boxing’s just a tradition with me family. Me dad did it, me uncle did it and now I’m starting to do it and I’m going to carry it on’. Others expressed pride in how, ‘Lads have been coming here forever’, and ‘have produced some of the best talent in British boxing’. Former members often became trainers themselves or introduced their children to the club’s family-like atmosphere, which now includes girls and young women.

‘I love this place. It’s my second home’. ‘You do learn discipline, hard work keeping out of trouble and hope. Being who you can be, being proud of where you’re from and who your mates are. It’s like a family, Collyhurst and Moston’. (A Collyhurst and Moston boxer)

As Hughes himself put it: ‘at the end of the day, your real beliefs have gotta be that you’re doing and trying to set him a better example. You’ve gotta make him go out into the world feeling that he hasn’t been let down by a human being and that you’ve shown faith in him, and if he goes out in some other field, his faith and his dedication, his application, will pay off for him’.

The teenage film-makers involved with ‘100 Years and Still Fighting’ were familiar with Brian Hughes’s reputation through their club’s history. They were, however, unaware until the Passions project of another significant Mancunian boxing hero from a different part of Manchester, Len Johnson, born in Clayton in 1902.  Johnson’s mother was Irish and his father was from Sierra Leone and the Collyhurst and Moston boxers,  proud of their own boxing prowess, were shocked to find that Johnson, despite being the country’s best middle-weight and one of the world’s best boxers of the 1920s and 1930s, was never allowed to fight for an official title in Britain  because he was black. Johnson fell foul of the colour bar, not lifted until 1947, which was responsible for boxing’s ‘infamous Rule 24’ that title contestants must have two white parents. Forced off the professional boxing stage by racism, Johnson eventually retired from the official boxing arena in 1933, to earn his living running a travelling boxing booth, a common feature of fairgrounds in the interwar years, and which was where he had originally learned to box through his father’s own travelling booth.

Increasingly politicised, Johnson joined the Communist Party (CP) and was the Manchester CP delegate to the Fifth Pan-African Congress, the most important Pan-African Congress of the colonial period, which took place from the 15th-21st October 1945 at Chorlton-on-Medlock Town Hall, All Saints. This landmark event in the history of African liberation is commemorated by a red plaque to mark its significance in the struggle to end colonial rule.

Johnson developed a strong friendship with the African-American singer, actor, and activist for civil rights, Paul Robeson, and became a prominent community leader and activist in Moss Side after the Second World War. Mike Luft, interviewed for ‘100 Years and Still Fighting’, knew Johnson through his own father, who had fought for him. In Luft’s view, Johnson’s campaigning on behalf of his fellow boxers to ensure ‘they didn’t get battered like he suffered’, and his battling against discrimination and  for civil rights make him an important example of ‘how there are different ways to fight, both in the ring and outside it’.

‘Maybe that’s the thing that young boxers should think of. What am I going to do when I finish boxing’. I mean, Len was really strong on that, and we should have young boxers who move on to the next stage of a career and maybe the discipline which they’ve learned as a boxer will help them develop that next stage’.

The young boxers who made the film (pictured), reflecting on the skills that boxing had given them,  put it in their own way:

‘Me mum doesn’t like me doing boxing, but I love it, it makes me who I am. When I do boxing, I feel like I’m doing something positive with me life’.

‘Not all of us will be professional fighters, Olympic boxers or like Len Johnson but I think the stuff we learn here in this gym will stay with us all our lives’.

‘100 Years and Still Fighting’ demonstrates the living, evolving working-class heritage of amateur boxing in Collyhurst and Moston and the role that positive change-makers can have in fostering among the young  a sense of community responsibility and belief in possibilities beyond boxing. Lads’ clubs may be largely forgotten but the film, when shown in celebratory events at the end of the Passions project, at the Miners’ Community Arts and Music Centre and FC United Community Football Club, received  an enthusiastic reception, testament to the community spirit and pride sustained in working-class districts long after club buildings have fallen into disrepair or been demolished.

Photography:

Image 1: 100 Years and Still Fighting - Collyhurst and Moston Lads Club. By Passions of Youth

Image 2 - Brian and Damian Hughes, Collyhurst. Photograph courtesy of ​Damian Hughes and family.

Image 3 - Brian Hughes and his family at the official opening of Brian Hughes Close, Collyhurst, in 2018. Photograph courtesy of ​Damian Hughes and family.

Image 4 -  Jim Dalziel, copyright Passions of Youth. 

Image 5 - 'Brian in the corner'. Photograph courtesy of ​Damian Hughes and family.

Image 6 - Len Johnson, with thanks to Shirin Hirsch.

Image 7 - Jim Dalziel, copyright Passions of Youth.

 Since that tragic night just over a year ago, Walk the Plank have had to start all over again to regenerate the Bay 2 Workshop. After extensive redevelopment to the building, now they are inviting the public to support them via a Crowdfunder: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/newgreenroof with the aim of raising £10,000 towards a new roof that puts eco-friendly credentials at its core.

This highlights Walk the Plank’s crucial environmental awareness, passionate not just about celebrating the local community and bringing people together, but playing an energy-efficient part within it. Their recent production of the tenth Manchester Day Parade was a key example of this – Walk the Plank celebrating their shared green agenda with Manchester City Council by encouraging floats and parade pieces to incorporate sustainable materials wherever possible. Manchester Day actively promotes itself as a parade which is pushed, pulled, cycled, recycled and upcycled.  Walk the Plank are also members of MAST, the Manchester Arts Sustainability Team which aims to collectively pursue best sustainable practices through its work.

The new roof will not only be more energy efficient, but will also be more resilient and allow the space to be used in all weathers, opening up more creative possibilities and turning a negative situation into new opportunities.  This means that Walk the Plank can continue to build their reputation as providing high-quality artistic engagement and experiences from their Salford base to communities across the world; whether that is a rural village or thousands of people in a city.

A compassionate, people-centred approach is, after all, at the heart of Walk the Plank, and their story certainly is interesting. After transforming an old Norwegian ferry into Europe’s first touring theatre ship in 1992, they have gone on to be one of the most cutting-edge outdoor arts companies of their kind. Events have included everything from a parade of Strolling Bones at Manchester’s Halloween in the City last October, to ‘Space Walk’ at this years’ Bluedot Festival, multiple firework displays, a Paralympic torch-lighting ceremony and even a 20-foot high mechanical baby in their recent ground-breaking production with learning-disabled theatre company ZARA!  And that is to name just a few examples of their artistry, crucially putting a smile on people’s faces.

Yet all this creativity was thrown into disarray when staff walked into the Cobden Works on the morning of Saturday 14 July and were confronted with shocking scenes; the fire overnight having caused severe damage throughout the workshop, making it unusable. This was particularly devastating given that Walk the Plank’s base in the Cobden Works was a relatively new development, having transformed space inside this former light steel factory into a thriving creative hub.

In fact, just months before the fire, the company had been awarded three RIBA architectural awards in Liverpool for their building (pictured below, before the fire) which was praised for its original design and the impact it had created on the local area. 

In its last crowd-funding campaign the organisation was able to fund solar panels on the roof of their Bay 1 Workshop and if they exceed their £10k target in this latest campaign their plan is to add solar panels to Bay 2 – further enhancing the roof’s green credentials.

In that spirit of solidarity, as well as determined to continue their creativity in Salford, Walk the Plank are therefore inviting people support their Crowdfunder for an eco-friendly, more durable roof to provide the building with lasting protection and sustainability. The Crowdfunder is now live with a £10,000 target to be reached by August 22nd 2019 – an opportunity not only to contribute to the building, but itself building a strong foundation for exciting, experimental arts projects in the future.

According to Tom Warman, Marketing and Communications Director at Walk the Plank: 

“The virtual destruction of one of our workshops was a massive blow to everyone, especially given that we’d been in our new space for less than a year. Because the new workshop needs a new roof we’ve made the decision to invest in a more environmentally-friendly solution which will help us make big savings on energy costs, while also making the site even more secure.” 

By Emily Oldfield

Photography with thanks to Simon Buckley (See his Not Quite Light project here).

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/07/immersive-arts-company-walk-the-plank-need-your-help-to-fund-a-new-roof-for-their-fire-damaged-salford-workshop-b914#comments914 Thu, 25 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/07/be-part-of-an-immersive-public-event-in-manchester-to-mark-the-200th-anniversary-day-of-the-peterloo-massacre-b913 Just as thousands of peaceful protestors came together in Manchester’s St Peter’s Fields on 16 August 1819, exactly 200 years on, the general public will have the opportunity to do the same – with From the Crowd announced as the central, mass-participation event for the Peterloo 2019 Anniversary. Just as thousands of peaceful protestors came together in Manchester’s St Peter’s Fields on 16 August 1819, exactly 200 years on, the general public will have the opportunity to do the same – with From the Crowd announced as the central, mass-participation event for the Peterloo 2019 Anniversary. Part of the summer events programme led by Manchester Histories, it will take place at what was the site of Peterloo, now the forecourt of Manchester Central, on Friday 16 August 2019, with an inspiring day of music, song, choirs and more.

From The Crowd invites members of the public to join in an immersive experience that will take place at different times throughout the day (12:30pm, 5:30pm and 8pm), featuring eyewitness accounts of those present at Peterloo 1819 woven together with the words of contemporary protestors and poets. This will be presented through a series of powerful performances where everyone can be a participant - at times a single voice will be heard, whilst at other points hundreds of voices will come together.

There will be three performances of From the Crowd during the day, and tickets are free (available from the 25 July 2019) - though capacity is limited, so booking now is essential for this one-of-a kind historic event. Booking link: https://fromthecrowd.eventbrite.co.uk

This spirit of collaboration and unity is very much inspired by the principles upheld by the peaceful Peterloo protestors themselves, gathering in their thousands on the 16 August 1819 in St Peter's Fields to campaign for parliamentary reform. Tragically, this was a day that turned to devastation when armed guards charged into the 60,000-strong crowd of men, women and children – resulting in the deaths of 18 people and leaving over 700 injured.

From The Crowd will be a poignant event to remember and reflect – with a reading of the names of those who died taking place at 1.30pm. After all, a number of events beyond From The Crowd will take place at the site of St Peter’s Field over the course of the anniversary day: engaging with the themes of protest, democracy and freedom of speech. These are themes that have been explored across the Summer for Peterloo 2019, an events programme led by Manchester Histories and supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund – the subject of a previous HAUNT Manchester article here.

So what can be expected at From The Crowd? Set to a soundscape composed and directed by Robin Richards (Dutch Uncles), this will be a unique immersive experience allowing people to reflect on the legacy of Peterloo and what it means today. There will also be music from a range of special guests – including pieces written by MC Zani (performed by the Beatbox Collective), Oliver Vibrans and Katie Chatburn. Leading participants and encouraging public involvement on the day will be 100 people who have volunteered to be ‘Laurels’. The Laurels are a reminder that Peterloo was a peaceful protest, with one group of marchers that made their way to St Peter’s Field from Middleton carrying branches of laurel as a symbol of peace.

 In addition, there is a Rebel Karaoke to get involved with! Streetwise Opera, Aziz Ibrahim, Commoners Choir and hip hop artists from Brighter Sound’s recent DISRUPT residency will be amongst those bringing non-ticketed and free Rebel Karaoke performances to life throughout the day… and participation is encouraged! In the evening, from 9.15pm until midnight, there will be a profound visual spectacular too, as Red Saunders’ Hidden Project images will be projected onto the Bridgewater Hall.

The extent of the commemoration marks a real collaborative effort with communities and contributors including the Peterloo Ambassadors, Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People, These Walls Must Fall, Young Identity and Linda Brogan. The day’s events are co-produced by Manchester Histories, Manchester City Council, Walk the Plank and Brighter Sound. 

Karen Shannon, CEO of Manchester Histories, reflects:

“The Peterloo Massacre is a globally significant milestone in the history of democracy that also set Manchester’s path as a radical city of progress, change and where equality is championed.  In From the Crowd we’ll see echoes of the themes that continue to see Manchester’s voice leading conversations on the global issues of today.  But most importantly it will be a poignant occasion in remembrance of those that led the way in achieving some of the rights that we have today, a reminder that change and progress take time, but can be achieved.”

So what are you waiting for? Book From The Crowd via the ticket link above and there is a full event programme for the Peterloo 2019 Anniversary Weekend (16-18 August 2019) online www.peterloo1819.co.uk/home/peterloo-2019-anniversary-weekend/, which also includes a Peterloo Picnic at HOME and an Art Battle at Manchester Art Gallery. There will also be screenings of Mike Leigh’s Peterloo film, and it was recently announced the Salford-born film-maker has been given freedom of the city of Salford.

Remember, you can watch the Peterloo Visitor Film featuring Neil Bell here, commissioned jointly by Marketing Manchester and Manchester Histories.

At an event hosted by SICK! Festival at Manchester Metropolitan University, we spoke to Sam Butler and David Harradine, the Artistic Directors of Fevered Sleep (pictured below), to find out more about a project that has been popping up across the country. Excitingly, the location of a new shop in Manchester in 2019 will be announced soon, presented in partnership with SICK! Festival.

“Grief is not something that is really taught in schools, and people aren’t equipped to deal with it,” reflects David. “With This Grief Thing we wanted to provide a format that could be considered doing three things: to make grief more visible, to suggest that it is a natural state and to encourage people to find better ways of acknowledging it.”

“It can often seem that people don’t feel like they have the ‘permission’ to talk about grief,” adds Sam. “No permission is needed – we can just go ahead and talk. Doing so can be massively beneficial and constructive.”

Also in attendance at the Manchester workshop was Fevered Sleep Programme Producer Louisa Borg-Constanzi-Potts, and a range of Fevered Sleep resources were on display, including cards and cues for discussion.

Fevered Sleep is an arts organisation determined to embrace experimentation and empathy within their work – with This Grief Thing being a key example. Crucially, it is for anyone to get involved with – whether they have experienced grief or not. Aiming to smash down the stigma of discussing grief, dying and bereavement, the project instead makes these subjects visible – in the form of temporary shops!

How does this format work? As part of the project, Fevered Sleep have opened a series of temporary This Grief Thing shops across the country, running for 10 days at a time and hosted by Sam and David. Locations have included Sneinton Market in Nottingham, Captain Cook Square in Middlesbrough and St George’s Shopping Centre in Preston. From the 9-18 November last year, they also hosted a pop-up here in Manchester, within The Whitworth art gallery shop.

Taking the form of a pop-up installation, the This Grief Thing shops provide place to talk, with the option of various merchandise for sale; including clothing, badges, bags and condolence cards. These items are always pay-as-you-feel and often contain phrases such as ‘Make Space For Grief’ and ‘Grief = Love’ which can serve as prompts for conversation.

“Grief = Love is one of the phrases that stands out to me,” reflects David. “As even when a person has died, our love for them, our relationship with them, continues. So whilst we are grieving, we are still loving too.

“Yet society doesn’t often discuss grief like this. It is a problem that something so common is often so hidden or unspoken, treated as a source of shame and embarrassment”.

“There are many people out there in a state of not knowing if it’s even okay to talk about their grief,” adds Sam. “People do a lot of avoiding the subject – but for most, that is not very helpful! There is no wrong or right way to feel… and talking about that matters. No one person grieves the same. There is a diversity of grief because of the diversity of human experience: it is difficult. But by breaking down the barriers to talking about it, we can all support each other.”

“A key aspect of the project is to look at the language that is used around death and grief,” adds David. “There are lots of euphemisms used to refer to death – consider ‘passed away’ and ‘lost’ for example - rather than people actually talking about dying or being dead. Of course, we’re not here to police people… people speak as they do… what we what to do is question why these euphemisms exist. We want people to feel that they can speak about grief and death without shame.”

During the 10-day running of the temporary shops, Sam and David have also used them as a place to host Grief Gatherings. These are small group conversations about grief, open to everyone – therefore bringing a diversity of people together to discuss the topic.

Refreshingly, there is no right or wrong way to talk about grief either; the experience is unique to everyone and each has their own insight. Whether people want to talk about their personal experience of grief, reflect on it as a concept or simply listen - it is up to them. At The SICK! Festival workshop at Manchester Metropolitan University, Sam and David then illustrated this, with a Grief Gathering taking place for attendees.

 “Grief Gatherings provide a format for people to openly talk,” says David. “People can discuss grief of all kinds… as we say, there is no hierarchy to it. Whether you are grieving for a parent or grieving for a pet. Grief is grief and how people deal with is different; no one’s grief is more or less important.

“Yet there is no rulebook to grief, no set way to react – and this is one of the key reasons people may struggle to talk about it. Whilst there is a cultural narrative for ‘love’ which typically has a happy ending, that doesn’t exist for grief. So how do we express it? How do we communicate it? This project seeks to explore that more.”

People can host their own Grief Gatherings too – with Sam and David keen for the concept to be taken up by others. From bringing family members together to talk about grief to proposing meet-ups in a café or pub: Grief Gatherings can take place in a range of settings. For those who want to take part in a Grief Gathering or host one themselves, get in touch with Fevered Sleep via griefgatherings@feveredsleep.co.uk or 07493750427.

“A Grief Gathering is really simple,” says Sam. “It is inviting people along to talk about grief. It’s often easier to talk to people who are strangers about a topic like this – and we can give people tools and resources such as prompt cards, to facilitate one for themselves.”

In addition, This Grief Thing has led a billboard and poster campaign in each of the shop locations, seeking to present the question ‘Can We Talk About Grief?’ It challenges the stigma that exists about talking about death and bereavement, something that David reflects on:

“We’ve talked to various experts about grief in other cultures,” he says “And in particular to Britain, we heard a lot about the national decision so to speak to ‘brace up and carry on’ after the two World Wars. Rather than the trauma of re-acknowledging the horrific scale of death, it was more pragmatic to try and look forward. This looking forwards has continued to be a theme in healthcare as we know it today: the pre-occupation with preserving life at all costs… it somehow makes death seem further and further away. In turn, this makes talking about it even harder. That is what we want to change. And it can change. Learning, listening and talking are great ways to start.”

Find out more about Fevered Sleep and their other projects via their website: http://www.feveredsleep.co.uk/ and This Grief Thing is also online.

For more on SICK! Festival, the event series and biennial festival that seeks to celebrate artistic approaches to health themes, visit the website. The next festival runs in Manchester on 18th September - 5th October 2019.

By Emily Oldfield

Images 2, 3 + 4 thanks to Garry Cook, the rest of the images thanks to Fevered Sleep

Established as a Community Interest Company back in 2013, Levenshulme Market is one of only a handful of Social Enterprise Markets in the country, celebrating sustainability, local traders and having a positive impact on the community wherever possible.

Highly interested in charming and unusual creativity, HAUNT Manchester decided to discover some of the traders coming to Levenshulme Market this weekend…

Bloor's Emporium

Beautiful contemporary arts and crafts – all handmade and with attention to detail. A range of eye-catching designs often celebrating the natural world and vintage themes. These are unique items, ideal for gifts. We particularly like the look of their hand-crafted hairbands complete with vintage artificial flowers... and these beautiful feline-inspired artworks!

Lush Brownies

It might not seem straightforwardly gothic… but surely there is something dark and decadent about a brownie? Lush Brownies is the creation of local trader Nicki Griffiths, who forged her baking concept whilst also balancing a family life and a day job as a teacher for the deaf. Having since turned that concept into a business, she now takes orders for these homemade delicious brownies, whilst also trading at a number of markets across Greater Manchester. With her brownies previously winning a ‘most delicious’ award at the Manchester Food and Drink Festival Bake Off - these baking creations from Nicki very much deserve a try! A number of inventive and exciting flavours can be expected... be sure to stay updated with the Facebook Page to find out what will be available. Displayed in enticing glass jars on the market stall itself, these brownies are certainly hard to resist – and there are gluten-free and vegan options too! No stranger to cooking up culinary creations, Nicki’s inventive approaches to baking have also included brownie pop wedding favours and even a three tier double chocolate wedding cake in the past! Be ready to be impressed. 

http://www.lushbrownies.co.uk/

Midnight Alchemy Designs

Handmade ethical jewellery inspired by nature, science, folklore and the wonders of the natural world is at the heart of Midnight Alchemy Designs. It came about when its founder, Sarah, struggled to find a wedding ring in a design that she liked. In turn, she decided to learn how to make her own! Following this project, Sarah was inspired to continue in this vein, going on to study Jewellery Design at Leeds College of Art and then founded Midnight Alchemy Designs. Items available are distinct and beautiful: including eco silver pieces, leaf skeleton designs, silver birch tree-inspired bangles and bracelets embossed with flowers. Hand-crafting and attention to detail are central to every Midnight Alchemy Designs piece and ethical materials and traditional techniques matter within the process.

https://midnightalchemydesigns.com/

Junk to Funky

Think that pegs are just for putting out the washing? Think again. Junk to Funky are the creators of repurposed pegs – that’s pegs crafted into unique hanging decorations and keepsakes. These make great alternative gifts and celebrate recycling too!

Wild and Rocky

The place for handmade pebble art and jewellery with the natural world at its centre. These are unique, artisan pieces sure to turn heads – and put a smile on people’s faces. Items available include pebble pictures, pendants, rings and earrings. The incorporation of natural materials allows for an alluring effect, infused with interesting varieties of patterns, textures and colours.

https://www.wildandrocky.com/

More on Levenshulme and the Market...

The positivity can be felt further in the format of the market itself; welcoming a variety of content, remaining free to enter for the public and providing a platform for local trade. It also encourages creativity, often incorporating performances from grassroots artists.

 From food products and gift ideas to whole artworks and even plants, an array of content can be expected every week it is running - when on a Saturday, 10am-4pm. Announced as a finalist in the BBC Food and Farming Awards back in April this year, it is clear that the market has a reputation for quality too, as well as diversity.

Another marker of its success in bringing something special to the local community, the market is often affectionately referred to as ‘Levy Market’, and the innovative format involves a ‘Night Market’ once a month, with the running time of 5-9pm. 2019 has also seen Levenshulme Market take its traders on Tuesdays to a site at The University of Manchester (11.30am-2.30pm). See the dates here.

Typically hosted on the car park next to Levenshulme Station, even the location is intriguing, close to the now-iconic ‘The Street With No Name’. This has become the title applied to the street where the railway station stands; a strip just 77 yards long and more than 160 years old. Rather unusually, the street was given no official name, but after years of being referred to as ‘The Street With No Name’, a sign was fitted with this title!

On the topic of unusual and intriguing locations in Levenshulme, there is also a fascinating article about an abandoned miniature village (now no more) in a front garden, written by Hayley Flynn of Skyliner and available on her blog here.

Levenshulme, which is a district roughly halfway between Manchester and Stockport, has many stories of hidden history and fascinating facts associated with it. Whilst the Antiques Village is an ideal place to explore, winding backstreets and bustling independent shops make Levenshulme an interesting visit.

Although seen as in Greater Manchester today, it was previously considered a township in Lancashire – it was not until 1909 that Levenshulme was seen as a part of Manchester. Additionally, the area to the East of the district was known for years as ‘Talleyrand’, with the famous French Statesman Talleyrand rumoured to have visited during his exile from France in the French Revolution.  Examples of how that naming still holds influence can be seen in the title of the characterful bar ‘The Talleyrand’ on the A6 in Levenshulme.

Another local legend in Levenshulme is that the notorious highwayman Dick Turpin was a regular visitor to the Blue Bell Inn on Barlow Road – with a pub still on the site with the same name, though a rebuild - as the original suffered a hit during a bombing raid in World War II. On the subject of interesting and different places to drink, there is hidden bar in the tucked-away haven of the Klondyke Club and plans to convert the currently abandoned former Levenshulme Station into a Cycle Café.

Levenshulme is one of the city’s liveliest districts and bustling with creativity too. It is the new home of spoken-word night Verbose (Fred’s Ale House), has the annual Levenshulme Festival and is the home of ALL FM.

By Emily Oldfield

Images used with permission from Levenshulme Market from the Levenshulme Market website

Why The Reno?  Located on the corner of Moss Lane East and Princess Parkway, the building started life in 1962 as a Salvation Army hostel used by African seamen, before going onto become one of the most welcoming spaces in the city for mixed race Mancunians of all ages.

Whilst the Nile Club was in the upstairs part of the building, The Reno itself was located underground, with a bar, a performance area for live music – and, of course, plenty of space to dance!  The club’s heyday of 1971-81 saw it as ‘the place to be’; with visits from the likes of Tony Wilson, snooker champion Alex Higgins and even Muhammad Ali.

“I personally never had a problem about being mixed race,” says Linda (pictured above, at the excavation site of The Reno) who grew up in Chorlton On Medlock and then Moss Side from the age of four.

"But the first night I ever went down to The Reno, there were many mixed race people there, I hadn’t seen anywhere else like that – it felt like ‘my place’. Everyone has a place that has made them feel like that, and for me, it is The Reno. The music was always absolutely rocking… it was really hard NOT to dance. This was a place where you’d hear records every night that got you moving!

“Moss Side was thriving, and I want to recognise the importance of that community. There were greengrocers, newsagents, everyone knew all the shopkeepers – a takeaway was rare. People looked out for each other too; when we were kids, someone’s mum was everybody’s mum! People played out. I think people miss that… and a big part of the project is to encourage people to talk about their memories, the past and what they learned from it.”

In 2016 Linda set out to collect people’s experiences of The Reno and filmed a range of Reno memoirs. People from across the country and beyond contributed with written and visual accounts of their time there– often talking about the friendly atmosphere and sense of connection.  After all, The Reno was a space to socialise, a place to be oneself – vital at a time when mixed race people still often faced the injustice of discriminatory treatment.

The fascinating stories of community and culture attracted Reno regular Linda, who had previously considered writing a play about it. However, on her website, she reflects on her decision not to opt for a theatrical approach: ‘I’ve been tempted to write a Reno play for many years. What held me back were the intricacies of the nuances. My way around that was to harvest the Reno itself’.

But how did she go about harvesting The Reno? She decided to  collect its memoirs and dig it up – literally.

Visiting the former site – for many years simply lying as a patch of land at a Moss Side crossroad – Linda noticed poppies growing; standing out as a symbol of hope. Beginning September 2016 she collected Reno memoirs, going onto secure Arts Council funding and went onto the excavate The Reno itself with Salford University Applied Archaeological unit: in a dig that lasted for three weeks in October 2017. A fascinating reality was soon revealed; that The Reno had not been completely destroyed when it was demolished in 1986 – instead, it had just been filled in. Therefore, the dig could uncover the club itself, including personal pieces of the past found there such as bottles, combs, makeup – even a pair of flared trousers! Many of these items are now on display as part of the exhibition.

Members of the community and Reno regulars from far-and-wide came together to get involved in the excavation. It even involved a party, inviting former club DJs to play once more in the space. Although the hole where the dancefloor had been was too unsafe, it was lit theatrically for the event and DJs played in marquees close by – with attendees including the legendary DJ Persian, who occupied the decks in the years 1968-1983.

As The Reno was uncovered, Linda recorded the process – all the time encouraging people to continue sharing stories and to discuss issues around representation, class and race in the city. This provided a platform for diverse discussion and creative expression – celebrated initially with an event at The Whitworth on the 23 November 2017, forging the idea of a sustained relationship between the Reno and the gallery. The project also went on to be the finalist in an impressive eight awards in 2018 - and the impact did not stop there. (Image below: Fountain of Youth Exacavated Reno lit like Pompeii)

 2019 has seen The Reno project take up a year-long residency in Manchester’s Whitworth Art Gallery, occupying a large upstairs space with collective memoirs of The Reno and material from the excavation. Titled ‘The Reno @ The Whitworth’ it is intended as space for developing further ideas. Linda encourages anyone to visit, talk, contribute their own clubbing and community memoirs – whether of The Reno or elsewhere, and learn from the experience.

“Having it at The Whitworth is a great opportunity and I want to big up Alastair Hudson, the Artistic Director: we have a  great relationship. I’ve been able to get used to the space and have been settling in since March this year,” says Linda. (Image below: The Reno @ The Whitworth - gathered archives)

But did she ever envisage the project reaching the scale that it has? Has that caused its own challenges? According to Linda, one the biggest challenges was starting in the first place:

“Collecting the memoirs – that was the brave thing,” she reflects. “Do I dare be an artist in Moss Side in front of my friends?

“At the very first meeting of people wanting to share their Reno Memoirs – which took place in the café at Alexandra Park – there were 15 of us. Yet within the first few months], over 45,000 had listened to our memoirs, more than 50 people had contributed, it really grew… and I was adamant that this would be a project allowing us to talk how we talk!

“Of course, it’s been a personal journey for me too. I’m not white and I’m not middle class. In 2002 I became a playwright and was already 43. I was already fully formed, my own person – and yet I felt that the ‘arts world’ expected me to give a certain story. Box-ticking is massive… and time in the ‘arts world’, it gets to you. That’s why, with this project, I was determined to engage with place through the voices of people who were there.

“Moss Side and the people there are often only represented in certain ways, certain stories are attached to them… and I want to challenge that. The ordinary stories don’t often get told: that we really laughed, had social lives, a nightlife scene… instead Moss Side has often been represented by others through horrible stories or ‘victim’ stories. Now we take ownership.”

Linda is determined to celebrate people’s own account of their communities (image inside The Reno, above) and as part of the project she delivered a conference to other working class artists about what she has learned.

“Whoever has control of the narrative is the person telling the story – and this a project where people tell their own.”

“Letting people take control of their own stories encourages others to listen – it is an important relationship. For so long, many of us have not had the opportunity, so often we have been put down by other people telling their version of our stories. That’s partly why the project keeps on surprising me, people come forward all the time with things they have internalised for years.

“I did the project too because I wanted my voice back. For years, as a working class person in the arts, I felt like I had to keep asking the question ‘have I pleased you yet?’ to people who believed they were ‘above’ me. You know what I’ve learned? Turn round and say it to your own people! Working class people are missing a trick; there are thousands of us! Our voices and stories deserve a place just as much as anyone else’s. I was a ghetto girl, my voice was true and this felt like a way back to me – this has been a massive journey.” (Image below: The Reno @ The Whitworth)

Celebrating the stories of people who may have been historically misrepresented matters to the project, as highlighted when Manchester Histories invited Linda to get involved with the 1819 Peterloo Massacre’s Bicentennial programme of commemorative events. The Peterloo Massacre of 1819 was a mass tragedy in which at least 18 people killed and more than 600 were injured when a peaceful protest of over 60,000 largely working-class people was brutally crushed by the authorities.

The Reno may not seem to have obvious connections with Peterloo – but Linda realised by turning the ‘1819’ date around, this creates ‘1981’ – the year of the Moss Side Riots, taking place just five years before The Reno was demolished. These riots saw large-scale discontent in the area, as unemployment became an increasing issue and the authorities were known for their harsh treatment of ethnic minorities.

In turn, Linda has reflected on the Moss Side riots and created a film that shares the different perspectives and voices of people who were there. One of those voices is of Melba Finni, who was 13 years old at the time– contrasted with the views of serving officer PC Ian Mack. Both will also give voice to the two different sides in the Peterloo Massacre – the peaceful protestors on one hand, and the Hulme Hussars, on the other.

“It was very hard to get a cop to talk!” says Linda “However, Ian did and I am grateful for that. Hearing different perspectives really matters.”

The short film will be shown in public on 18 July 2 – 4-30pm and 13 Aug 5 – 7-30pm in the Manchester Central Library Performance Space, as part of Peterloo 2019

(the events programme led by Manchester Histories). Screenings will be followed by a discussion of the themes raised, which Linda will record on film and then archive at www.thereno.live, as well as incorporating into The Reno at The Whitworth Exhibit March 2019 to 2020.

Therefore, Excavating The Reno never ends; whether you were there or not. What it uncovers is a crucial celebration of our own stories and those of others; something we all can learn and grow from. Excitingly, 2020 will consist of working towards a 2021 MIF ‘musical’ with international artist Gecko.

 Find out more about Excavating the Reno online at http://thereno.live where Linda blogs weekly and the Reno memoirs can be easily watched, tagged on the right of the blog. Visit The Reno @ The Whitworth until March 2020, and for further details on the 1819-1981 film screening visit: https://peterloo1819.co.uk/event/1819-to-1981-2/  

By Emily Oldfield

Photographs:

Image 1, 3 & 5 thanks to professional photographer Karen Rangeley who documents the project

Image 4: thanks to Kirsty Lloyd

Image 6 thanks to Francis Pereira (his father is in the photograph wearing the beret)

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/07/meet-the-artist-whose-project-to-uncover-underground-moss-side-club-the-reno-has-connection-to-personal-histories-peterloo-and-more-b910#comments910 Fri, 19 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/07/this-graphic-novel-tells-the-story-of-the-peterloo-massacre-through-the-voices-of-those-who-were-there-b909 PETERLOO: WITNESSES TO A MASSACRE by Polyp, Poole and Schlunke is a truly unique book – approaching the Peterloo Massacre of 1819 through vivid colour illustrations and is out now, published in the year that marks the 200 th anniversary of the event. PETERLOO: WITNESSES TO A MASSACRE by Polyp, Poole and Schlunke is a truly unique book – approaching the Peterloo Massacre of 1819 through vivid colour illustrations and is out now, published in the year that marks the 200th anniversary of the event.

Bold imagery takes the reader back to 19th century Manchester, where on the 16 August, a peaceful gathering of over 60,000 people in favour of parliamentary reform was brutally handled by the authorities. Sabre-wielding soldiers waded into the crowd, resulting in 18 deaths and over 600 severe injuries. This became known as ‘Peterloo’ – an event that not only caused outcry across the country, but cemented the importance of parliamentary reform in the public consciousness – paving the way towards modern democracy. Brave lives were lost in the fight for greater representation and the determination of those peaceful protestors has inspired generations in the ongoing fight for reform.

PETERLOO: WITNESSES TO A MASSACRE does not shy away from showing the intensity and emotion of the circumstances around Peterloo. After all, this first-of-its-kind visual project has been informed and drawn exclusively from eyewitness accounts of the time, therefore exploring the massacre from the perspectives of people who were there and affected by it. Using hard-hitting testimony including letters, reports, memoirs and even courtroom evidence, the three-person team behind the book has brought this together in a graphic novel like no other.

Whilst fine artist and activist Eva Schlunke, along with consultant historian to the Peterloo 2019 programme Robert Poole have worked to ensure that the book is underpinned by real-life accounts– this has then been transformed into a graphic novel format by full-time political cartoonist ‘Polyp’ (Paul Fitzgerald). Striking colour images throughout the book bring to life an event never to be forgotten and provide a personal perspective on Peterloo; rather than a distant historic overview. All three authors are part of the Peterloo Memorial Campaign and continue to fight for greater awareness of Peterloo and its inclusion within the curriculum, with a Schools’ Edition of the graphic novel coming soon.

The book itself embodies the spirit of Peterloo too, right down to the way it was funded. Brought to life thanks to a Kickstarter campaign, this follows in a lengthy tradition of crowdfunding projects to commemorate Peterloo. PETERLOO: WITNESSES TO A MASSACRE is therefore a book made possible thanks to the collective support of members of the public, with people from across the country coming together to hit the £10,000 target and ensure that the authors could receive a viable living wage for their work.

Jointly published by the independent Myriad and New Internationalist imprints in early 2019, the year appropriately corresponds with the bicentenary of the massacre itself. A range of commemorations are now underway, as part of the Peterloo 2019 programme of events – and the authors of the graphic novel themselves have been part of organising ‘Rise’: the biggest gathering of Liberty Caps to come together in one place since Peterloo! On the 16th and 17th of August the public are invited to gather in Windmill Street in Manchester city centre, along with their homemade liberty caps – and there are even Greater Manchester workshops for you to make your own, with more details here:  http://peterloomassacre.org/rise.html

Ahead of the 200th anniversary date itself – the 16 August 2019 – we spoke to the authors of the graphic novel to find out more (answers primarily by ‘Polyp’ - Paul Fitzgerald):

Why the choice of a graphic novel format to approach the subject of The Peterloo Massacre? Isn’t the graphic depiction of a massive event inevitably difficult?

“The visuals of the format allowed us to be quite 'non-linear' with the plot... we could move from place to place, scene to scene in a rapid, almost dream-like way, yet still tell the whole story in what we hope is a very rich and detailed way. The final product is very unconventional in its narrative, yet seems to hang together as a dramatic whole, going by reactions to date. That wouldn't have been possible, for us at least, in a traditional written format. And of course we didn't have the budget for a movie!

“It was a big challenge drawing crowds of thousands of people, with each needing a different face and clothes and body language. We were determined not to skimp on that, so some of the pages took weeks to draw, while others were far quicker, where we concentrated on close up details to keep it personal. In one of the double page spreads we showed the attack from a bird's eye point of view, with the people almost like little cotton wool buds, in other frames you might see the action in a reflection in a close up of someone's eye. Surprisingly, the very distant view still feels like it has a lot of emotion in it! Doing that particular drawing, I found myself actually thinking about what was motivating each of those dots, or small groups of dots, as they flee the carnage. I hope that comes across in the finished thing. Another full page image simply shows a close up of some blades of grass at the location, with a few splatters of blood, overlaid with two intensely emotional accounts from a couple who became separated during the attack, with both wondering if the other was now dead.

“Another great virtue of the graphic novel format is that it meant we could simultaneously present the reader with jarringly different accounts from both sides, all of them very character-rich and emotionally vivid, and of course, given we're hearing from the attackers and the victims, sometimes violently contradicting each other. You hear all these different voices at the same time, and on the same page, something it would be really hard to do in another medium like film or TV. We hope that both accounts- just the pictures or just the words- work really well on their own, and that the combination is even more than just the parts themselves.”

Whose perspective have you chosen to use in the graphic novel – or is it more of an overview of events? And why?

“Because we sometimes focussed on very intense, close up, personal moments, it doesn't feel like a cold overview... even though it does tell the broader story as well. We chose the particular quotes for two main reasons... some are simply informative and move the story along, others have an emotional focus, where people talk about how terrified and shocked they were, or some have both- like a quote from one of the Hussar leaders, Major Dyneley, saying how much he enjoyed seeing the reformers getting 'knocked about' and 'leathered'.

“In some cases we've included quotes from people who we're pretty sure are just lying through their teeth, and think the context and the way they talk makes that clear. Articulating both sides wasn't for any kind of sense of 'balance', though. We just think it made for a more intense read, because so many of the voices will make the reader react emotionally- often with sheer anger. But ultimately we wanted the readers to make up their own minds about what they're seeing and hearing.”

Why did you eventually choose to write it using just 'verbatim' period quotes?

“From the outset, we wanted the book to be very 'warts-and-all', with no simplistic heroes or self-consciously evil villains, and in that sense the text being only what was actually said at the time, allowed us to step back and let the people who were there speak for themselves.

“We went through a period of thinking we'd construct a few fictional characters who were in a position to meet all the central players, but that started to feel really contrived and clunky, and the three of us have no pretentions to be novelists as such, we just wanted to tell the story as honestly as possible. The more we looked at the source material, the more we became determined to just get out of the way and let the reader have the same first-hand experience that we did, of just marvelling at how rich and vivid the authentic original words are, with accounts from all sides. Ultimately it also seemed the most respectful way to tell the story. I mean, why make stuff up?”

There are three authors of the book, combining both historical and artistic experience. Can you tell us more about your roles?

“The graphic novel is in some ways a visual adaptation of Robert's new historical book 'PETERLOO: The English Uprising' (link here). As he was researching and writing it, he was feeding us his chapters, which, along with other sources, Eva compiled into a kind of huge, chronological 'database' of useable quotes, each filed by time or incident, e.g. '16AugMorning Marches.doc'. Hundreds and hundreds of them!

“We'd then have editorial meetings together, roughing out what needed to be drawn, plotting the scenes with tiny thumbnail doodles and choosing which quotes did the job. But there was never a set script as such. I'd sometimes draw very abstract 'mood images' like the blood on the grass mentioned earlier, and it was only much later we decided what words would best go with that image, and exactly where in the story it might sit! In a sense, the entire thing kind of assembled itself under its own gravity. We hope that has made the style of it really interesting, haunting and original. It's much more like a series of echoes of the past, like fragments stitched together into a whole. The nearest we have to a script is a very big folder like a scrapbook collage, full of doodles and notes and highlighter streaks, overlaid with shorthand text, e.g. 'Insert Dyneley knocking about quote here, next to Owen horrified screams quote.' It looks fairly chaotic, but did the job.”

Did anything surprise you while doing the research?

“Firstly, given how forgotten Peterloo has been, just the sheer amount of information there is out there! The role the high church played was something that took us back a bit. Manchester at the time was like a weird mixture of a turbo-charged, capitalist free trade zone and a theocracy, in which 'clerical magistrates' often seemed to be telling the military what to do, and in the case of the volunteer Yeomanry cavalry, the military were the wealthy local elite... armed with sabres. The fact that Manchester was so small in 1819 was another surprise. St Peter's Field, where the Free Trade Hall now stands, was kind of on the edge of town. Learning that those in control knew the people they were attacking gave it all a really creepy, claustrophobic edge.”

What was the biggest challenge of creating the book… and how about the most rewarding thing?

“The worst bit was the limited time and space available. We had to dump so many amazing accounts or quotes, it was really frustrating! A lot of them became 'the precious things’! That’s partly why we made the notes at the back fairly extensive, almost like a chapter in its own right, to try and squeeze a few more in, and provide the reader with what we ended up calling 'pudding after the main meal'. We've provided sources for everything so folk can follow it all up and find more.

“The most rewarding bit was reading it months later after the printing was done, and feeling we really had pulled it off, and bought Peterloo back to life, raw, unfiltered, and without editorial or political bias, or self-indulgent narrative or arty gimmicks. We hope that's respectful to both the readers and the original people involved. We sometimes feel we didn't actually 'write' the thing! We just drew it all together, if you'll excuse the pun.”

Why does the subject matter to you – and do you think more awareness of The Peterloo Massacre is needed?

“It's a disgrace that the memory of this world-changing event was so suppressed and overlooked, or at best whitewashed, for almost two whole centuries. We've all been very active in the Peterloo Memorial Campaign for that reason. This was Manchester's Tiananmen Square.

“But what an interesting time or its memory to be revived! When there's so much cynicism, apathy and disillusionment about democracy... sometimes for good reason. In a sense we hope the past is now going to influence the present, and that remembering Peterloo will throw a challenging present-day question at us all: what have we done to defend, nurture and spread the democratic legacy that these people died to pass on to us? If we feel it's no longer functioning, how do we revive or reboot it, and carry on the task that cost so many people so much?”

Find out more about the Graphic Novel including the purchase link online at www.peterloo.org and also the Peterloo Memorial project on social media: https://twitter.com/ActsSix and/or https://www.facebook.com/groups/899694013703882/

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/07/this-graphic-novel-tells-the-story-of-the-peterloo-massacre-through-the-voices-of-those-who-were-there-b909#comments909 Wed, 17 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/07/what-happened-when-we-were-locked-in-a-doctor-who-escape-room-beneath-the-corn-exchange-manchester-b908 Five members of Manchester Metropolitan University’s Research and Knowledge Exchange Team took on the ‘Worlds Collide’ Doctor Who Escape Room at Escape Hunt, Manchester. A disastrous tear in space and time confronted five members of Manchester Metropolitan University’s Research and Knowledge Exchange Team, as they took on the ‘Worlds Collide’ Doctor Who Escape Room at Escape Hunt, Manchester.

Buried in the historic underground of The Corn Exchange, this Escape Room was a team-building challenge like no other – it puts YOU at the centre of a Doctor Who adventure. The well-designed format of the game invited our team to step through a door and into the future; as the Escape Room challenge begins in the recreated offices of Chronos Corp HQ. Whether you are familiar with Doctor Who or not, the inventive set-up offers an exciting experience for all.

The ‘Worlds Collide’ Escape Room is the result of the BBC coming together with Escape Hunt, creating an official Doctor Who immersive experience. Manchester was the first city in the UK to host the experience, with the game scenario first arriving at Escape Hunt here earlier this year.

Little wonder then that our team couldn’t wait to give it a try! Containing multiple interactive props from across time and space, the first room displayed an impressive attention-to-detail. The more we explored it, the more intriguing clues and inbuilt challenges emerged!

 The Escape Room scenario in ‘World Collide’ is that billionaire Alastair Montague’s efforts to develop commercial time travel have caused a tear in the fabric of space and time… and we have the ability to fix it, with an hour to work out the puzzles and escape the room! If we don’t, then the terrifying Cybermen will break through the tear and the human race will be ‘upgraded’. Reassuringly, even those on the team not too familiar with Doctor Who still understood the premise of the game – underlining that this is an activity with something for everyone.

Our introduction to the scenario via a recording of Alastair himself on a screen in the wall certainly heightened the tension in the room – giving the game momentum from the onset. Given just 60 minutes to save the universe, the Escape Room tested a range of skills through multiple challenges- some involving more practical ability, others requiring strategic thought.

 For anyone considering an Escape Room challenge for a professional team, ‘Worlds Collide’ certainly is an activity that encourages people to try something different, whilst encouraging co-operation and teamwork in a unique way. But the diversity of tasks inside means that it will work just as well for groups of friends and family too! Filled with twists, turns and a little help from a Games Master over the intercom if you need it, ‘Worlds Collide’ is a high-adrenaline, fast-thinking challenge that brought us closer together.

The ultimate sign of successful teamwork? We managed to escape, in 53 minutes.  But we aren’t giving any more clues – why not give it a try for yourself instead? ‘Worlds Collide’ at Manchester’s Escape Hunt is bookable online, and offers an immersive trip through time and space you are sure to remember. Highly recommended.

By Emily Oldfield 

Rochdale, based alongside the Pennines, is a small town with a radical past. Comprising of some of the most beautiful countryside in the region, a strong food and drink scene, and an evolving calendar of world-class events, the Rochdale of today is aiming to be at the forefront of town-centre regeneration. With a big history and an exciting future, it certainly has plenty to offer for both locals and visitors alike.

A Radical History

Rochdale, as with much of the North, was an incredibly strong industrial town built on Manchester’s famed cotton industry. During the 19th Century, Rochdale became one of the most important cotton towns, and one of the world’s most productive regions in the industry. Evidence of this can still be found at Ellenroad Engine House in the village of Newhey, which boasts the world’s largest surviving spinning-mill steam engines. On the first Sunday of every month, visitors can still see the engines in steam. Despite the region’s reliance on cotton, Rochdale and Manchester played a huge part in the American Civil War by refusing to manufacture any American slave-picked cotton. In the ‘cotton famine’ that followed, local relief funding was used to construct a section of Rooley Moor Road in Rochdale, now known locally as Cotton Famine Road. 

In 1844, the Rochdale Pioneers opened their very first store on Toad Lane in Rochdale, selling basics such as butter, flour, and sugar at fair prices. The 'Rochdale Principles' that they implemented remain the basis of how cooperatives now work across the world. The very store on Toad Lane is still open to the public as the Rochdale Pioneers Museum, showcasing the history of the cooperative's success. 

Also in the town centre, the Grade-I listed Gothic-style Rochdale Town Hall is regarded as one of the finest buildings of it type across the whole of the UK. Completed in 1871, the stunning building now houses Rochdale Borough Council, as well as hosting guided tours, an exciting calendar of events, and the Clock Tower Dining Room. What's more, between March and August you can also watch a live webcam of the Peregrine Falcons that have been nesting on the clock tower since 2008!

Breathtaking Beauty

Not only does Rochdale have an innovative and radical history, it is also a town of outstanding natural beauty. The 118-acre Hollingworth Lake Country Park, set amongst the backdrop of Blackstone Edge, is one of the town’s most popular attractions. Boasting an abundance of walks, trails, and picnic spots, as well as activities such as windsurfing, sailing, mountain biking and climbing, a trip to Hollingworth Lake is a perfect family day out. 

Healey Dell Nature Reserve is another local favourite, found in the North of the borough. Again an important site of the industrial revolution, the park’s heritage assets have transformed it into a visitor attraction, with the railway and viaduct now acting as a nature trail with spectacular views, as well as the river which meanders through the woodland. Visitors can explore the history of the park at the Healey Dell Heritage Centre, whilst also enjoying English cream teas in the Victorian-themed tearoom. 

For those that enjoy getting their walking boots on for an amble in the countryside, Rochdale has plenty of opportunities, including the dramatic Blackstone Edge, a challenging walk into the Pennines; the Pennine Bridleway, a National Trail encompassing over 200 miles of historic routes; and Tandle Hill Country Park, a local favourite for dog walks, picnics, and woodland trails. 

An Evolving Town Centre

In recent years, the evolution of Rochdale Town Centre has been evident of effective regeneration and a commitment to improving the region. The introduction of the Metrolink services has helped to seamlessly connect the town centre and local villages to neighbouring towns and Manchester City Centre. After a century of being hidden, Rochdale Council has also uncovered the River Roch which ran underneath the town centre, as part of a £250million regeneration scheme. The scheme has highlighted one of the region’s best heritage assets, reduced the risk of flooding in the centre, and re-naturalised the river which will encourage new wildlife into the area. 

On top of this, construction is well-underway on Rochdale Riverside, a new £150million retail and leisure development in the town centre. The scheme has already signed up big names including M&S, Next, H&M, and a 6-screen Reel cinema, which the council hopes will help to spark an increase in visitors to the centre and improve the economic output of the area. Large-scale leisure events have also helped to draw locals and visitors alike to the town centre. The free Rochdale Feel Good Festival has attracted some big names in the music industry, including Razorlight, The Fratellis, Feeder, and Scouting for Girls, who have all played alongside a family, food, and drink offering. The 2019 festival is due to be headlined by The Coral, and will take place on 10 August 2019. The annual half-marathon, 10k, and fun run has also recently become a staple of Rochdale’s calendar. Taking in the town centre and neighbouring villages such as Milnrow and Littleborough, the 2019 races will take place Sunday 6 October. Finally, Number One Riverside will in 2020 be the home of Dippy, the Natural History Museum’s famous Diplodocus that is touring the UK. 

First established in 1925 as an amateur theatre by a group of local friends and relatives, The Curtain Theatre was a place determined to ‘open the door to culture’ in Rochdale – hence its symbol is a key, also suggesting the hidden aspect of the venue. Step inside and see ornate carpets complete with the key emblem, original furnishing… even a chandelier! It takes its name from the Elizabethan ‘Curtyn Theatre’ in London: one of the first places that Shakespeare’s plays were performed, before the likes of The Globe even existed. Indeed, in its early productions, sets were often fashioned from curtains.

On the inside, Rochdale’s Curtain Theatre is bigger than it looks – with the auditorium capable of holding an audience of 185, whilst a woodworking area and rooms for storage indicate the in-house effort that goes into every production… even the scenery is made on site! In 2018 alone shows included romantic chamber musical The Last Five Years featuring just two actors, as well as larger productions - a new version of Treasure Island being an example. An impressive variety of shows take place here: dramas, comedies, musicals and more.

In fact, delving into the extensive archive of plays produced at The Curtain Theatre reveals creativity across the decades – and tells us something about theatrical tastes over time too. Whilst its first ever year in 1925-26 included A Florentine Tragedy and Augustus in Search of a Father, by 1930 The  Importance of Being Ernest had been staged.  The 1930s seemed to contain some particularly Gothic highlights too including The Witch, Fear, Ghosts and The Wizard of Menlow.

 Shows even continued during the years of World War Two (1939-45), with Coriolanus – Shakespeare’s tragedy detailing the downfall of a Roman General – playing to audiences in 1945 itself. Whilst the 1960s saw shows such as A View From the Bridge and The Glass Menagerie, the 80s showed no sign of momentum dropping; from the popular Dick Whittington And His Cat in 1980-1 to Entertaining Mister Sloane by 1989-90. Recent productions include Pinter and Ayckbourn plays, as well as fresh, contemporary material such as Di and Viv and Rose written by Amelia Bullmore and Hugh Janes’ mysterious The Haunting (set pictured below).

”A lot of local people are still not aware the theatre is here!” says Drama Director Peter Fitton. “Though people do trust us, and a few of the regular audience have been coming for over 60 years. I first got involved when I was in my twenties, and I’m now 64. I have been Drama Director for six years.”

Peter is stepping down in August, opening the opportunity to others. Creative opportunity is very important to the theatre, as Peter reflects:

 “Celebrating local talent matters, as well as giving people a chance. Perhaps unusually, we have no formal auditions process – if I see someone in a production and think they have potential, I will try to get in touch: I have a little black book full of names and contacts!

“We are fortunate that amateur theatres in surrounding areas are still prospering, and I try and catch shows there when I can.”

For example, there is the nearby Oldham Lyceum, Playhouse 2 at Shaw and also the Saddleworth Players, an amateur dramatic society who meet in Delph at the Millgate Arts Centre.

The continuance of theatrical creativity in the boroughs allows for audiences to see a variety of performances – and The Curtain Theatre is remarkably prolific too. Still going strong, it now produces five interesting and unusual shows per year (see the image of 2016's Up 'n' Under below), with an impressive ten performances per show.

According to Peter:“The Curtain Theatre has continued to champion artistic creativity here in Rochdale, even at times of difficulty. For example, when Rochdale’s Theatre Royal burned down in 1954 – and considering the Gracie Fields Theatre wasn’t established until the late 1970s – Rochdale would have been without a theatre producing non-musical shows otherwise. Its history goes far beyond that too, as the Curtain Theatre actually started off in the 1920s, with the amateur dramatic society performing in a range of places, including the Drill Hall and the old Fire Station. It moved into the current building in the mid-1930s.”

At this time, the area where the theatre stands would have looked very different – a busy thoroughfare with a Co-op next door. Now, it could be seen as a little off the beaten track, slightly out of the town centre – but well within walking distance and certainly worth it. The building itself was originally the National Liberal Club for Castleton (the area of Rochdale), and a communal feel still exists in the place; with people helping out however they can. Many of the original customs continue, like Curtain Theatre members often helping with the wider running of the play, even Front of House!

“People do it for the love of it,” says Peter. “And we indeed have our regulars, but I’d love more young people to take part in the running of the theatre.” Pictured below: the set of Peggy For You (2017)

So how do you get involved? Rather unusually, potential members are asked to join a mailing list. They then receive notice of forthcoming productions and request tickets. At the theatre, patrons are requested to make a donation (currently suggested at £8). This means the theatre still largely operates on sending invites and receiving replies by post, although some tickets can now be purchased online. The good news is, anyone can sign up and be part.

“It might seem a bit of an unusual format, but it works for us,” adds Peter.

“It is quite quaint. I would love more young people to be part though and really it is as easy as signing up.”

The Curtain Theatre after all, celebrates personal involvement at its centre. Instead of a committee, it just has a Business Director - currently Lynn Sheerin - and the Drama Director, with a Trustees meeting, usually once a year. And if you are part of the mailing list, you are a member… it is that simple.

 “Much of the regular audience are in their 60s, 70s and 80s… and they really matter to the theatre,” reflects Peter. “But it’s also important to get new people coming along too. Therefore, as Drama Director, I have tried to put on a combination of popular shows, as well as theatre that is a bit unusual and different… I’d like to think that people trust us and are willing to give us a chance.”

A recent example of the theatre’s wide-spanning creativity was a production of Hamlet (pictured above); one of Shakespeare’s darkest – and longest – plays.

“It was a challenge... but what struck me was how the cast – and they were quite a young cast – were determined to get on top of it. They really were in it for the love of it.”

Cutting the script to two and a half hours, Peter and the cast had an intense time of rehearsals before a ten-day run. After all, most productions here will have only six weeks rehearsal time, before going live to the audience. This means that even during the run itself, change and development is still ongoing. A chance to catch theatre at its most interesting and dynamic.  

“I’ve loved the range of productions that have taken place here,” says Peter.

“An example of a play I was involved in earlier this year was called The Haunting by Hugh Janes: a ghostly story with Gothic horror elements. I wore a rather bizarre wig, hired from a company in Ancoats, there were intense sound effects – it really was quite creative! And we just keep hammering away! During my time as Drama Director there has been plenty of variety: the recent run of Macbeth, The Weir, The Steamie, A Taste of Honey, A Kind of Alaska (pictured below), The Game… as just a few examples!

But is the building haunted itself? Considering the place has such a long history and has seen many people pass through over the years, a few stories can perhaps be expected…

“Our former stage designer, who worked on the set and was often in the building at night on his own, said that he heard footsteps on the stairs on quite a few occasions, even though the place was completely empty,” says Peter.

 “There have been various accounts, including that the theatre is perhaps being ‘revisited’ by an old Stage Manager from the 1950s. The theatre is a place of stories! Who knows, I’ll probably end up haunting it myself!”

Intrigued? Why not sign up to The Curtain Theatre invitation list to be an audience member or get involved in shows and unlock new opportunities for yourself. For those interested in either, the theatre can be contacted directly on 01706 642008 (answerphone but leave a message).

By Emily Oldfield

Photography: Production shots thanks to Michael Montgomery

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/07/step-into-the-secret-rochdale-theatre-that-celebrates-original-creativity-and-still-sends-invitations-by-post-b905#comments905 Mon, 15 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/07/kids-to-ski-for-free-at-chill-factore-b904 The UK’s longest indoor snow slope, Chill Factor e , is hosting an open day on Saturday 13 th July and is inviting kids aged between 3 and 12 to come and try ski and snowboarding lessons for free..

The UK’s longest indoor snow slope, Chill Factor^e, is hosting an open day on Saturday 13^th July and is inviting kids aged between 3 and 12 to come and try ski and snowboarding lessons for free, before signing up for further lessons or a place on the Kids Summer Snow Camps during school holidays.

The snow leisure attraction’s Kids’ Snow School Open Day has 100 free spaces for children and ski and snowboarding lessons will be running every 30 minutes from 11am until 5pm.

Children of all ages will be able to try ski and snowboarding lessons with expert instructors in every lesson teaching the basics needed to hit the slopes.

Classes will be small and children will be learning with the same age group and will be given lots of time to enjoy learning an exciting new skill. After the lessons, expert instructors, who have specialist training to teach children, will give parents and kids instant feedback on how the child got on and what would be involved in more lessons.

On offering children the chance to try snowsports for free, Chill Factor^e CEO, Morwenna Angove said: “We want as many children in the country as possible to try snowsports. We’re thrilled to be able to offer nearly 100 free spaces for children from the age of 3 to 12 to sample lessons that we offer regularly at Chill Factor^e.

“We know summer is a hectic time for parents and children often want to try something new and exciting. Snowsport can become more than just a one-time activity, often becoming a lifelong passion.”

For parents with children who loved the taster session and are keen to get back onto the slopes to have further lessons to develop their skills, Chill Factor^e is offering a 20% discount for guests who book their kids Snow School lessons on the day.

Chill Factor^e is also a proud supporter of Disability Snowsport UK and is working with them on ensuring the Kids’ Snow School Open Day is fully inclusive of children of all abilities. Specially adapted sitting ski lessons will be offered for anyone who can’t or doesn’t want to ski standing up due to any form of disability, with no previous skiing or snowboarding experience necessary.

The Kids’ Snow School Open Day is also offering fun for the entire family as Chill Factor^e is offering a one hour Snow Park pass for just £10, so parents and kids can enjoy some inflatable fun in the cool climate. For parents with younger children, Mini Moose Land is also on offer at £5 for an hour pass with parents going free**.

To book a free space for any of the activities on Kids’ Snow School Open Day visit- https://www.chillfactore.com/whats-on/kids-snow-school-open-day/  

Rather than a distant historical overview, The Song of Peterloo is a striking book – combining historical fact with a gripping fictional narrative. It follows the story of Manchester mill-worker Nancy Kay, encountering not just the events of the massacre, but themes such as the importance of change, the intricacies of family life and the ongoing fight for reform in many varieties, including gender equality.

After all, on the day of the 16^th August 1819, over 60,000 men, women and children gathered in St Peter’s Field – the area now around St Peter’s Square – to show their support for a range of social and political change, including greater parliamentary representation. The unfolding events – when the authorities panicked and plunged into the crowd, causing devastation – undoubtedly affected all involved. The Song of Peterloo explores the bravery, sacrifice and determination upheld in the face of great difficulty.

Yet this book also allows readers to look beyond the statistics of Peterloo and to see the variety of livelihoods and backgrounds involved. The Song of Peterloo is pieced together through the voices of multiple characters living very real lives, including Nancy as she looks after her son Walter – a deeply anxious and socially awkward child.

Putting people at the centre matters to Carolyn, who was born and brought up in Manchester. After studying English at Cambridge, she has lived and worked in the North as a Solicitor for a number of years, also having a number of short stories published during this time. The Song of Peterloo therefore marks a fascinating novel-length debut, the story championing the inspiring ability of the human spirit to triumph over oppression.

Carolyn will be discussing her book as part of Peterloo 2019 – an events programme overseen by Manchester Histories marking the 200^th anniversary of the massacre and leading up to the date itself, the 16 August. To find out more about these events and the book, HAUNT Manchester spoke to Carolyn herself…

Can you tell us more about your interest in Peterloo – and why did you opt for the form of a novel to approach it?

 “As a Mancunian, I’ve been aware of Peterloo for as long as I can remember. It’s a moment in history where a lot of my interests coincide: Manchester, women’s activism and the struggle for social justice. It also has a personal resonance since one side of my family were Lancashire cotton workers, and it’s possible my ancestors attended the meeting. In the past, I’d always been dismayed by how few people – even in the Manchester area - knew very much about it, and I felt very strongly I wanted to write something to address this. However, it wasn’t until the tumultuous events of 2016 – in particular the tragic murder of Jo Cox MP – that I was finally spurred to begin a short story. It wasn’t long, though, before I realised my characters required a novel instead.”

'The Song of Peterloo' is being released in the same year that marks the 200th anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre. Why do you think recognising this event is so important, and have you been working to the deadline of the anniversary?

 “Yes, I deliberately aimed for the bicentenary. On a practical level, I realised it would help me catch the eye of a publisher, but it has also meant I’ve enjoyed the invaluable support of other individuals and groups preparing to mark the anniversary, in particular through the Manchester Histories networking programme.

 “I believe it would be important in any circumstances to honour the memory of such brave men and women who fought for freedoms we now enjoy, but it is particularly significant that the bicentenary should fall now - a time of deep inequality and democratic crisis.  It seems to me, the necessity to fight for change – that instinct of the 1819 reformers – is more pressing than at any other point in recent history. I hope the light cast on their story by the commemorations – and my novel - will prove inspiring to new generations.”

How do you balance historical fact with fictional content in the book?

 “The reformers at St Peter’s Field were people with lives and loves just like us, and I approached the whole project as an immersion in empathy. Once I’d established my characters and their various back-stories, it became quite natural to imagine how they would have reacted to the unfolding events in Manchester in 1819. Indeed, in one of the first endorsements of the book, Brian Keaney (author) asserts, ‘This is history seen from the inside’ which is exactly what I wanted to achieve. This is very much a story where the personal is the political.”

The Song of Peterloo follows the story of Manchester mill-worker Nancy Kay. Why this perspective – and does it matter to you to celebrate hidden histories in your work?

 “Whilst the story follows Nancy, it is pieced together from a number of perspectives and in very different voices. These include Nancy’s family and friends and the two men she meets during that momentous year. As the book is essentially about change and a society in flux, it seemed necessary to hear multiple voices from across the social spectrum. The device also assists with the dynamics of the novel, especially in the massacre sequence when the action switches quite cinematically from one character to the next.

“Having this diverse cast of characters has also enabled me to explore a number of issues: the liberation and empowerment of newly-acquired literacy, as well as the darker theme of the prevalence of grief in the period, when so many lived with loss, shadowed by the closeness of death. As a mother to an autistic child, and as part of the exercise in empathy, I also wanted to imagine how life might have been for the neuro-diverse and their families, through the character of Nancy’s son, Walter – a relatively high-functioning but deeply anxious and socially awkward boy who’s haunted by his memories of Peterloo.”

What has been the biggest challenge of writing the story, and what has been the most rewarding thing?

“Ensuring that the voices of the multiple characters were appropriate and consistent as well as distinct from one another was one of the biggest challenges as the language ranges from formal Regency through lyrical Romanticism to earthy dialect. It certainly took a few drafts to get right the level of dialect for certain of the voices.

"In terms of the most rewarding, I wrote the story as a memorial to those who sacrificed themselves for the good of society – knowing it will be out in the world, being read on the anniversary of that sacrifice means so much to me.”

Can you tell us more about your involvement in Peterloo 2019 events – and how can people find out more about your work?

“The Song of Peterloo is published by Legend Press on 1 August and I have two events at Manchester Central Library programmed with Manchester Histories.

 “The first, on 8^th August is a musical collaboration which combines readings from the novel with music of the time as well as newly-commissioned songs. Since Walter and another of the novel’s characters find solace in the therapeutic power of music, the event is to be held in aid of the music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins.

“The second, on 10^th August is an ‘In conversation’ event with Karen Shannon of Manchester Histories, discussing my inspiration for the novel and the theme of change.

“Further performances of the musical collaboration are planned and we’re currently scheduling more author events throughout the city. For more information, follow me on Twitter @CarolynManc or contact Lucy Chamberlain at Legend Press. The book is available to pre-order online.”

By Emily Oldfield

Lancashire-based Andrew – who is also Lecturer in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University - is no stranger to exploring emotional trauma and its often-turbulent connections to landscape; as seen in his earlier novels The Loney (2014) and Devil’s Day (2017). The former, set along the wild coastline close to Morecambe Bay, explores eerie aspects of faith and belief through place –with the book going on to win the 2015 Costa Book Awards First Novel Award and two British Book Industry awards.

Devil’s Day, which Andrew also discussed at Manchester Folk Horror Festival 2 (held earlier this year, and Andrew was also interviewed on his involvement), encounters rural isolation and themes of folklore, inspired by the wilds of the Forest of Bowland. Highlighting the author’s unnerving skill for nature-infused horror, this book won Andrew the Royal Society of Literature 2018 Encore Award for best second novel.

Yet Starve Acre involves a landscape like no other:

“In terms of this book, I was trying to think about the most awful thing that could happen to a family when they are building a home,” reflects Andrew.

 Starve Acre is an intense encounter with a couple, Richard and Juliette, following the death of their son Ewan at the age of five. From their lonely home in the Croftendale valley – a setting inspired by Andrew’s own visits to the isolated areas around Malham in the Yorkshire Dales – we witness how a landscape interlocks with the turbulence of grief.

Rather than the rural idyll of the Dales that is commonly represented in literature, Starve Acre depicts an eeriness in the environment: its ability to overpower us, the sense of its ‘Otherness’.  The perspective of the narrative moves barely beyond the couple’s imposing house, the fields surrounding it, and ‘Starve Acre’ itself – a plot of land owned by the house that seems somehow disturbed, nothing will grow. Even the nearest small village, Stythwaite, seems unyielding – with its inbuilt social codes and distrust of ‘outsiders’.

“A sense that I was trying to strike at in the novel, is that of claustrophobia – the story is after all very much within the house, its immediate surroundings, and the heads of the couple,” says Andrew.

“This is an isolated rural place which seems almost geographically disconnected from the world, it creates a sense of compression – and how do you escape that? In Devil’s Day, I also focused on isolated communities, set up in a place that doesn’t feel easy to escape from – and emphasized how parameters can quickly shrink.

“In terms of Starve Acre, it is the Yorkshire Dales that is destabilising, it contributes to that feeling of ‘Otherness’. There are places there where you can go walking and see no other human life, it is easy to lose the concept of time… this is a landscape that it is hard to quantify. In the same way that grief is a landscape, and the book is about a couple trying to navigate that, for sure… and losing their way quite frequently.”

This is after all a novel about the darkness of grief and guilt just as much as it is a novel about place.

“There is a horror in the death of a young child – it seems such a cruel thing to happen, an unjustified event,” Andrew reflects on the subject matter.

 “It is every parent’s worst nightmare – and for any reader, it registers as a big thing and I wanted the stakes to be high, the tension there. Loss has been like an explosion in the lives of Richard and Juliette, and what I wanted to look at… is that there is no right or wrong way to act. There is no defined way to respond, just as there is not necessarily any meaning or explanation as to why tragic events like this happen.”

The closeness of death and its ability, like that of nature, to overpower us, underpins the book. In a society that seems preoccupied in the strive for meaning and want for information, death disrupts us – often because it feels meaningless, cruel.

“It is one of those key themes in literature: death and afterlife,” reflects Andrew.

 “My mum died when she was quite young - plus as you get older, you experience people dying, bereavement. I wanted to explore the process of dealing with grief. Ultimately there is no start or end point, it doesn’t just ‘stop’.”

It is  this ambiguity over endings which has allowed Andrew to experiment – he has even written two different endings for the book! How so?

“I have been working on Starve Acre for the last couple of years, and the book was originally written for Dead Ink press as part of their Eden Book Society project. In this edition of the book, it was more like a straight-up horror novel from the ‘70s, more violent and brutal. Was it good fun?  Yes, I let myself go, I could revisit the inspiration of those more upfront novels and films that I had lied about not seeing when I was growing up! For the upcoming John Murray edition of the book, the ending is different, more subtle.”

The different endings seem to reflect one of the most unnerving aspects of grief and death itself – there is no predictable or defined course, there are so many ways it can unfold. Andrew reflects on why this fascinates him:

“We live in a technological, largely secular age– and yet I still think some of the biggest questions are still unanswered; especially concerning life and death. We want definitions and explanations… and there are none. Like the character of Ewan himself, there seems to be something ‘wrong’ with this little boy, but there is no set definition, despite Juliette seeking this from the Doctor. It is often hard to accept there is sometimes no set meaning as to why things happen.”

Even for the reader, Ewan’s presence seems to haunt the book, especially as the narrative revisits the course of his childhood. He enjoys imaginary games, playing in the outdoors. Yet he also struggles to make friends, seems uncannily older than his years and is even, at times, violent.

During his short life, Ewan often plays in the field of Starve Acre – yet it seems that his interactions with this place, and ultimately that of the whole family, seem increasingly sinister over time. After all, whispered stories and local legends surround this dark plot of land which does not yield.

“In nature there is that feeling that there is something bigger than us, something beyond us. Almost like a monster we can’t describe, it is capable of drawing up a deep, intuitive fear. There are certain places that can make us feel like that, and Starve Acre is one of them,” considers Andrew.

“I think there is a folk horror element there too – modernity and modern life clashing with an older system of living. Like in The Wicker Man a lot of the horror stems from the characters coming face to face with an older version of the landscape somehow… there is an unnerving effect that arises when a local, indigenous community seems to understand the land better than you do, the implication that they have some kind of unknown communication with it.”

In the novel, the insular community of local people keep away from Starve Acre, whilst Richard increasingly tries to find meaning in it - even examining old woodcuts which seem to suggest something particularly dark about a tree that once stood there. It is in turn we realise, that his grief is taking a whole different form, and involves some rather unusual encounters.

Also pursuing the search for meaning is Juliette, but instead through latching on to the ideas of afterlife and superstition represented by the mysterious Mrs Forde and her followers ‘The Beacons’. As these different desperate quests for meaning clash within the confines of the domestic space, Andrew maps out the multitudinous nature of grief, how it is intensified by place and how it has a very human impact:

“In terms of Richard and Juliette, the grief has deeply affected the dynamic of their relationship. They are always trying to guess what each other is thinking – and in a way become estranged from each other psychologically.

“Whilst Richard is attempting to look forward and plan for the future, Juliette is in a retrograde position looking back – thinking about all those possibilities that never quite came, even trying to relive them.

“This is just as much a novel about guilt too, especially with Juliette thinking over and over her previous actions. Feeling guilty is a kind of haunting, it makes us re-experience the past. And in the course of the novel, it keeps the characters stuck in a sort of loop.”

The path to progress through grief is unclear – and this is something the book emphasizes; tragic death is a circumstance difficult to make sense of. This too links to the title choice of the book, and its location:

“Starve Acre – believe it or not, I got the title from an old book in the library on historic English field names,” says Andrew.

 “I just saw  ‘Starve Acre’ and I thought that seemed brilliant name as well as quite bizarre, difficult to understand… the concept of land that is meant to grow things, yet has never given anything up. It is sterile in some way, and there is something then sinister about a field that doesn’t do what it is supposed to do.”

Just as we feel that human life is not supposed to end in childhood. In fact, the book contains a number of instances where situations don’t always unfold the way they would be ‘supposed’ to. A particularly disturbing example is how Richard and Juliette each react to a wild hare that has come to be in the house under strange circumstances.

“There isn’t anything particularly horrific about the hare itself,” Andrew reflects.

“The horror arises in what it means, what it becomes. Juliette appears to develop feelings for it that are maternal – though I purposefully didn’t show her thought process. It is after all our relationship to things which can be sinister, rather than the things themselves.”

It is the human relationship with nature which is complex and can even be frightening, especially in terms of animals.

“What really interests me, is that we can live in close proximity to other beings whose experience of life is completely incomprehensible to us,” Andrew adds.

 “We can be surrounded by living things that have lives that seem totally unfathomable  – there is something quite eerie about that, I think. Even in the green spaces in cities,  there will be animals and trees, living in a completely different way than we do.”

“Another key interest of mine is in the spirit, energy, presence – whatever you want to call it - of the land itself. All three of my novels have that thread running through; looking at how a place makes us feel and the sense of ‘Otherness’ when responding to the land as an individual.

“This ‘Otherness’ seems to arise from a kind of communion that is happening underneath the obvious and literal in certain landscapes. The wild setting of the book. It is beyond us… and therefore to interact with it is like passing through a kind of portal, you do feel differently, have  to deal with it differently, as a result. That is what makes places like that fascinating to write about.”

By Emily Oldfield

Photograph of Andrew Michael Hurley thanks to Hal Shinnie. The rest of the photographic imagery: Andrew's own

Unless you've been living under a rock these last few months, you're probably aware that The Book of Mormon has descended upon Manchester. The winner of nine Tony Awards and four Olivier Awards (including Best Musical for both), and a show that has been dominating the West End and Broadway, comes straight from the creators of the iconic controversial show South Park.

That's right, I'm talking about The Book of Mormon Musical, the unmissable show from Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Avenue Q co-creator Robert Lopez! Tickets are flying out fast for the show at the Palace Theatre, so make sure you see it before time is up on August 24th!

"Hello, my name is Elder Price and I would like to share with you the most amazing advice."

1. Get the best value tickets

Make your first port of call the official site. There you can find the best prices from the most reliable source: the origin.
Midweek performances and the Friday matinee are usually the cheapest, so you may have to book a day off (we promise it's worth it).

Simply head over to The Book of Mormon website here and pick the date that works for you!

2. Try August instead

Can't book a day off? That's fine! If you're really keen to go on a weekend, make sure you take a look at August first as there are more seats remaining than July. Do bear in mind that the final performance in Manchester is Saturday 24 August, so if you miss the cut off you may have to book for one of their next stops on the tour.

3. Keep an eye out for the cheap seats

This probably goes without saying, but make sure you keep a watch out for the cheaper seats. ATG (the group behind the Palace Theatre) have made that even easier for us by offering guaranteed seats at £13 for each performance!

Between them and the show itself, The Book of Mormon have managed to ensure that they have more cheap seats at £13 than most other shows! They even have a handy calendar where you can see which dates still have £13 seats remaining.

Check the calendar

4. Enter the lottery

Are front row seats the only thing that will cut it? Or do you just like a bit of spontaneity in your life? Well, luckily enough for you, there's a daily lottery for £15 front row seats!

Applications are accepted 2 and 1/2 hours before the performance. Then, half an hour later (and with 2 hours to go before curtain), the winners are drawn! In order to enter, you'll have to show at the Palace Theatre in person, with valid photo ID.

You'll have to physically be there to enter and then when the lottery is drawn, so don't go for a wander in between!
To get a feel for how it will go down, here's a video of the lottery process in Broadway

5. Grab your buddies and go as a group

Did you know that a lot of theatres offer group discounts? If you manage to convert 7 other friends to The Book of Mormon, you can apply for the group discount via ATG's enquiry form and save up to £15 a ticket.

Fill out the usual details - name, email, number etc. - as well as the performance date and they'll get back to you with how you can get the tickets. You can also phone the Palace Theatre directly on their group bookings line at 0333 009 5390.

If you haven't gotten your ticket already, what are you waiting for? There's no excuse now! Use our helpful tips on getting tickets for The Book of Mormon, and you'll be heading down to the Palace Theatre in no time!

 Rather than dredging through dry facts, she encourages people to trace their own family trees, pay more attention to the places they pass every day and essentially feel part of the story. Discover your Victorian ancestry, gain new understanding of the past and explore your place within it!

That is why Michala has been working on the recently launched Peterloo Descendants project with Dr Robert Poole, seeking to find the modern day relatives of people involved in the Peterloo Massacre. 2019 marks the 200^th anniversary of this tragic event; that fateful day on the 16 August 1819 when over 60,000 people assembled in Manchester (in what was St Peter’s Fields, now around St Peter’s Square) to peacefully protest for parliamentary reform – yet were confronted by government forces. As a result, at least 18 people were killed and more than 700 injured.

You may well be related to one of the 60,000 who was there – after all, people travelled county-wide to come and be part of the peaceful gathering. Recognising Peterloo is crucial, as not only did the actions of the authorities prompt widespread criticism, but also the reforming spirit of the protestors paved the way towards suffrage and modern democracy. It was the strength of the people and their celebration of unity that still offers inspiration for many today.

Co-inciting with the launch of the Peterloo 2019 programme of commemorative events (led by Manchester Histories festival), Michala has been working on Peterloo Descendants –currently in the process of collecting material for a documentary which will be shown at HOME. As part of this, she issued a call-out, inviting people with a known family connection to Peterloo to get in touch. More than 30 people came forward.

”It’s been brilliant,” reflects Michala. “People have been in touch from many different places, not just the Manchester area; Yorkshire, Lincoln, even as far afield as America and Australia!

“Verifying whether people’s relatives were actually at Peterloo is a lengthy process though - it can be difficult to say. We often have to use Parish Records and newspapers, as well as evidence from the families.”

Do you have a Peterloo connection? People can get in in touch with descendants@manchesterhistories.co.uk and share their story. There is also a Peterloo focussed genealogy open day at Manchester Central Library on the 13 July, titled ‘Trace Your Peterloo People’ and Michala will be involved. This an opportunity to find more about the Peterloo Descendants project and to explore your own family history, booking recommended.

Michala reflects on further projects she is involved in:

“I was asked by the National Trust to work with their volunteers to research the role that Dunham Massey and Quarry Bank Mill had in the Peterloo Massacre. The research is being used by a family of artists and that will be on display from next weekend (13 July) at both National Trust sites.”  

Michala is also trying to arrange a modern-day recreation of the ‘Peterloo Photograph’ – an image featuring a group of Peterloo survivors, the Veterans of Peterloo, taken in 1884 when they met in Failsworth. Michala aims to find the relatives of the people in the photograph and invite them to be part of a modern-day recreation of the image.

But why does this matter? Genealogy – the study of family lineage and family history – provides us with a personal connection to history; everyone can be their own historian and get involved in the research process. According to Michala:

“I didn’t think I had much of an interest in history, until I looked into my own personal connection to it. As a way of getting into history, researching your own can be a great starting point. For example, I was driven to find out more about my ancestors in the 19^th century, what their lives would have been like.

“Unfortunately, History as a subject can still seem to give off the vibe as  being quite elitist – certain groups of society aren’t always represented, such as the Working Class. In doing our own history, we give the people of the past names and identities; they aren’t just numbers. Everybody can be a historian – Academic History is different in the sense that it is an attempt to theorise and construct arguments out of findings. I work in both.

“In my work as a genealogist, for example, it’s made me a good researcher – and anyone can do their own research in terms of family history! The best place I’d encourage people to start is at their local library, they have lots of resources available and access to genealogy sites for free.

“I have found fascinating things through researching my own family; that my great grandmother was from Prussia, for example. Another is that my grandad’s dad was a murderer and one of the last people to be hung in Australia… I certainly didn’t know this before! On my mum’s side, we are linked to Jack Lloyd, who starred in silent films in Hollywood with the likes of Laurel and Hardy. It shows you don’t know until you start looking! Family history has made my love of history stronger and given it more personal meaning.

“In terms of Peterloo Descendants then, a key point of doing this is to get people looking at their own histories and the histories of place. Manchester Histories are doing brilliant work with the Peterloo 2019 commemorative events, and this is all contributing to a vital public awareness of Peterloo – both in terms of what happened and the importance of addressing inequality.

Michala specialises in the more unusual aspects of Manchester history, as underlined by her books A Grim Almanac of Manchester and  Bloody British History Manchester (pictured). She is also working on a PhD that considers death and the disposal of bodies in 19^th Century Manchester. Her expertise has also seen her become a key researcher for a Manchester International Festival feature this year ‘A Drunk Pandemic’ (5-21 June 2019), with a talk on the topic of ‘Sanitising The Working Class’ on Sunday 7 July.

‘A Drunk Pandemic’ is a multi-disciplinary creative response to the Manchester cholera epidemic of the 1830s, created by Chim↑Pom and curated by Contact Young Curators. During this epidemic, thousands of people died and many were buried in mass ‘Cholera graves’ in the area underneath where Victoria Station now stands. As part of ‘A Drunk Pandemic’, some of the tunnels below the station will become a performance space and a secret brewery will open up. After all, during the cholera outbreak, beer was potentially safer to drink than the contaminated water that was contributing to the disease!

Having created an 8,000-word research report that informs ‘A Drunk Pandemic’, it is clear that Michala’s interest in urban history does not shy away from delving into the dark sides.  She reflects on her involvement:

“It has been a very interesting project to inform – and the creatives involved have been very keen to get all the facts straight, which is great. Consider it… Victoria Station is on top of what was once Walker’s Croft Burial Ground; predominantly a cholera burial ground, significantly used in the year 1832. It was very close to the workhouses too, and life then was incredibly difficult – the life expectancy for labourers wasn’t even 30 years old. Industrial Manchester was dark and polluted for many.

“The title of ‘A Drunk Pandemic’ comes from the concept that it was the fermentation process in beer which killed the water-bound cholera: so more people turned to beer as time went on. That leads me onto a separate story about beer here in Manchester… in 1907 there was a cross-contamination issue at a sugar factory involved in the brewing process and arsenic ended up in the supply! This caused a number of deaths, and for a period there was a lot of beer in the city that was unsafe to drink – so much so, that the authorities could fine you £5 (a large sum of money then) for serving it. In turn, the Manchester streets and sewers ran with beer as pubs were forced to tip it away!”

Michala also explores crime, street gangs and 19^th century life in Manchester in her wider work– and is in the process of creating a new podcast, which seeks to revisit unsolved historic murder cases in the North West, with modern-day experts assessing them. Did Manchester have a 19^th century serial killer? How did these crimes manage to go unsolved? You soon will be able to find out more.

Stay updated with Michala and her research via her website, Twitter  @unearththepast and you can read her HAUNT articles as follows: The History of All Saints Burial Ground, Manchester’s Forgotten Burial Sites and Manchester’s Body Snatchers.

By Emily Oldfield

 It is the local community after all which fought to save the Baths, forming Love Withington Baths when it came under threat of closure in the early 2010’s – and now people can not only swim there, but enjoy a range of gym and leisure facilities. Visitors may well find themselves impressed by the decorative entrance hall, whilst a bright and airy ground-floor studio offers an ideal space for meetings and events. There has even been the recent installation of the first co-working space in Withington, in a former warden’s flat that is truly historic.

Withington Baths is a poignant symbol of both a building and a community that fought back against the forces of cuts to secure and celebrate hidden heritage; a living example of survival against the odds. In the 1990s, the building was already faced with compromise, Council cuts leading to one of its interior pools being drained and boarded over, whilst in 2013 it was threatened with closure entirely.

However, the Love Withington Baths and the local community were quick to respond, marching through the streets in peaceful protest. A petition to save the Baths attracted over 8000 signatures, delivered to City Council Leader Richard Leese on Valentine’s Day of that year.

Although this force of support helped the Baths stay open for longer, the Council still intended the building to close by 2015 – as a new facility was being planned at Hough End. However, Love Withington Baths did not stop there and formed a core committee that went on to become a Charitable Trust; successfully applying to take over the day-to-day running of the Baths in 2015. This means that it now operates with all profits going back into maintaining the building, operated by the community, for the community. Fascinating stories of community and culture is after all where the history lies…

When it opened in 1911, Withington Baths surely attracted plenty of popular attention. It was designed with civic pride in mind, the appointed architect John Henry Price also responsible for designs including the nearby Withington Library and also Victoria Baths. So why the M20 location? In the early 20th century, Withington was seen as one of the most desirable districts in Manchester, referred to by accounts at the time as ‘a kind of upper-class Olympia’, amongst other things! This was reflected in the interior of the Baths – initially having both a First Class and Second Class Pool. A rather gritty detail however is that whilst clean water was used by the First Class Bathers, it was then re-used in the Second Class Pool!

The surrounding area also has some rather unusual stories associated with it. Facing the Baths is Brigadier Close, formerly the site of what was the Waterloo Inn/Hotel. It was believed that this pub took its name from the annual Lancashire game-coursing (where dogs would chase and catch prey) event the ‘Waterloo Cup’, popular in the 19th century. Why? The story goes that the local William Foulkes took in a stray dog, called it ‘Brigadier’ and trained it up –this dog going onto win the Waterloo Cup in 1866. When it died in 1877, Foulkes buried it in a marked grave; now where Brigadier Close stands. These local stories and community history enrich the area further.

A key piece of history is associated with Withington Baths for example, is that a milestone was set there...proving both significant and scandalous at the time! Despite having separate entrances for men and women (as can still be seen in the details above the outer doors) in 1914 it became the first Baths in the Manchester area to allow mixed male and female bathing; whereas in another pools the sexes had separated designated areas to bathe. Although this would be seen as progressive today, at the time it attracted a certain extent of scandal! In 2014, the Baths marked the centenary of the significance of this decision.

Over the course of the century, the Baths has continued to persevere against a range of pressures. In 1940 during the Second World War, an air raid shelter just in front of the baths took a direct hit, with seven ARP Wardens tragically losing their lives.

During times of difficulty, Withington Baths has played a vital role in providing a valuable haven for the community and connection. The Manager even used to live within the building itself, in a specially designed first floor flat. In the 1930s and ‘40s for example, Alan Mather used to live here when his father was the Manager – Alan reflecting on his own experiences and the social significance of the Baths when he spoke at the centenary party held back in November 2011. It is that upstairs flat which has since been converted into Withington’s first designated co-working space: Withington Works (pictured below). Complete with an outdoor terrace and kitchen area, the space retains key historic features including beautiful stained glass and stonework, as well as newly-installed shined wooden flooring and ample desk space.

What is clear is that Love Withington Baths as a Charitable Trust have not only saved the building, but have ensured its ongoing development in-line with maintaining its history. By developing a detailed business plan to ensure the continued trading and community success, the Trust has seen further transformations take place at the Baths including restoration of the shower area, with plans for the Sauna next. New sports equipment worth £150,000 has also been installed and Withington Baths has won a range of awards including Manchester Sports Award 2017, Sporta ‘Social Enterprise Improvement Award’ 2017 and most recently Buzz Community Champion Award 2018.

What else can we expect from Withington Baths? Well worth a visit (the opening times are available on the website), it has seen many local schoolchildren and adults learn to swim over the years and still offers swimming facilities, as a well as a gym and leisure classes. These include yoga, Zumba and aerobics as just some examples, whilst there is also a running club and physiotherapy sessions.

This Edwardian wonder combines sporting opportunity with creative links too; Withington Baths being the finishing point of a recent storytelling walk ‘This is Where It happened’ led by Manchester theatre company Powder Keg – starting out at Didsbury Library, a building also designed by Price. Visitors may also notice a ‘Memory Tree’ set up near the entrance hall, offering a space for people to put down their memories of the baths – young and old alike. A gardening club has recently been set up and more events are expected, with a key highlight of Withington Baths being that anyone can become a member.

A historic gem with hidden prospects? Find out for yourself, especially as further exciting development plans are underway…​

By Emily Oldfield

All photographs (except image 3) thanks to Wilkinson Photography

The Lowry

The Lowry is hosting its third annual Open Day on 11^th August, offering the ultimate opportunity to look behind the scenes of this historic venue and learn all about every aspect of the theatre. The Lowry is also hosting Lowry None-Stop, a programme of free, fun activities for all the family running in the Lowry Galleries from 1^st August until 1^st September 2019, 11am-4pm.

The smash-hit touring production of We’re Going on A Bear Hunt is coming to the Lowry directly from the West End, from 3^rd August to 1^st September. Based on Michael Rosen’s beloved story, this fun-filled adaptation takes the audience on an interactive journey featuring catchy songs, interactive scenes, plenty of adventure and a few surprises along the way. Suitable for ages 3 and up.

The Lowry presents Mythos at Lyric Theatre, a trio of plays based on Greek mythology, written by and starring Stephen Fry. Fry takes to the stage in the company of the Greek gods, heroes and men whose gripping tales still echo today. Laugh-out loud funny, mind-blowing and often personal, Mythos is a once-in-a-lifetime experience with the icon himself. Friday 30 August & Saturday, 31 August.

The Lowry is also offering your final chance to see the award-winning comedy Early Doors, returning after its sell-out run in 2018. Written by Craig Cash and Phil Mealey, The Grapes Pub will reopen its doors for a final run from 24^th July – 3^rd August, for a not to be missed night of fun and laughter, with tickets from £28.

Expect the Unexpected, will run until 29^th September. An eclectic and provocative exhibition of work at the Lowry Galleries will feature artists including Yoko Ono, Keith Tyson, Gillian Wearing and Greig Burgoyne. Alongside film, painting, sculpture, performance and photography is a newly commissioned interactive artwork by Manchester’s own Easy Peel, and an opportunity for you to contribute your own unique version of John Cage’s performance piece, 4’ 33”. Free entry.

Taste of Honey is coming from The National Theatre to The Lyric Theatre from 13^th – 21^st September. This classic British play written by Shelagh Delaney is an exhilarating depiction of working-class life in post-war Salford. Tickets start at £12.50.

Helly Hansen Watersports Centre

The Helly Hansen Watersports Centre is offering a full range of children’s courses and holiday clubs over the school holidays, guaranteed to keep children active. The Junior Learn to Wakeboard and Multi Watersports courses run Monday-Friday every week throughout the summer holidays beginning 29^th July, and from Tuesday 27^th – Friday 30^th August. For a full programme of courses and clubs, visit their website here.

UKFast Salford 10k

If you’re looking to challenge yourself with a sporting activity, why not sign up to run the UKFast Salford 10k on 8 September? Organised in association with the Running Bee Foundation and with all proceeds being donated to communities in Salford. Sign up here.

City Centre Cruises

City Centre Cruises are setting sail all summer long, offering boat rides with stunning views from Manchester’s historic ship canal and the city skyline. There are a wide range of cruise attractions available over the summer period, including a Quiz Night, Afternoon Tea Gin Cruise, Historical Tour Cruise, and Sunday Lunch or Dinner Cruises. For more information or to book, visit www.citycentrecruises.com.

Ordsall Hall

If you’re looking to learn a new skill in the stunning setting of a Tudor manor house, why not visit Ordsall Hall? With events throughout August and into the autumn, learn to make everything from gin at a Gin Infusion Workshop by Worsley Gin (4th August) to bath fizzers and soap balls at a Natural Toiletries Session (1st September).You can also celebrate the arrival of summer with musical entertainment, funfair rides, tombolas and a wide range of food and drinks stalls at the annual Ordsall Hall Garden Party (14th July, 12-4pm, £1.00 per adult, children FREE! No booking required).

If the beautiful surroundings of Ordsall Hall appeal, but you’re a fan of more theatrical pursuits, this summer also marks the beginning of another season of outdoor theatre. Bring a picnic (or pre-order one to collect on arrival) and enjoy some al fresco entertainment in the beautiful gardens. Productions will include: The Rubbish Shakespeare Company Present ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, Gansta Granny, The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing and Wuthering Heights.

Lime

Lime, an independent restaurant located in the heart of Salford Quays, will be launching its first ever Pop-Up Prosecco Bar on the terrace for graduation season and live Wimbledon screenings with Jugs of Pimm’s will mark the beginning of the tennis tournament.

The Big Summer BBQ and Beats Party at Lime will also return on 25th August at 4pm; a celebration on the terrace that will include jumbo inflatables, glitter bar & face paints, al fresco BBQ, a pop-up Prosecco bar and speciality cocktails.

The Alchemist

The Alchemist are marking the tradition of the summer solstice with a Boundless Balearic Brunch every Saturday and Sunday throughout July and August to make the most of the warmer weather. With a menu that includes a ‘full alchemist’ breakfast, steak and eggs and a great range of vegetarian/vegan options, there is also an add-on option for bottomless cocktails (from a menu selection). See the full menu here.

The AC Lounge & Kitchen

The AC Lounge & Kitchen at the AC Hotel in Salford Quays is also offering a range of summer deals, including a Rustic Afternoon Tea for Two for only £24.00 and Flatbread & Fizz only £15.00, available all-day Thursday & Friday.

Clippers Brasserie & Bar

After a long Summers day at The Quays, make sure you stop by the Clippers Brasserie & Bar at The Copthorne Hotel to unwind and reflect on your unforgettable day at Salford Quays while enjoying some amazing food.

You can find out more about The Quays here.

Established as a Community Interest Company back in 2013, Levenshulme Market is one of only a handful of Social Enterprise Markets in the country, celebrating sustainability, local traders and having a positive impact on the community wherever possible. (Image below: Kala MCR)

The positivity can be felt further in the format of the market itself; welcoming a variety of content, remaining free to enter for the public and providing a platform for local trade. It also encourages creativity, often incorporating performances from grassroots artists.

 From food products and gift ideas to whole artworks and even plants, an array of content can be expected every week it is running - when on a Saturday, 10am-4pm. Announced as a finalist in the BBC Food and Farming Awards back in April this year, it is clear that the market has a reputation for quality too, as well as diversity.

Another marker of its success in bringing something special to the local community, the market is often affectionately referred to as ‘Levy Market’, and the innovative format involves a ‘Night Market’ once a month, with the running time of 5-9pm. 2019 has also seen Levenshulme Market take its traders on Tuesdays to a site at The University of Manchester (11.30am-2.30pm). See the dates here.

Typically hosted on the car park next to Levenshulme Station, even the location is intriguing, close to the now-iconic ‘The Street With No Name’. This has become the title applied to the street where the railway station stands; a strip just 77 yards long and more than 160 years old. Rather unusually, the street was given no official name, but after years of being referred to as ‘The Street With No Name’, a sign was fitted with this title!

Levenshulme, which is a district roughly halfway between Manchester and Stockport, has many stories of hidden history and fascinating facts associated with it. Whilst the Antiques Village is an ideal place to explore, winding backstreets and bustling independent shops make Levenshulme an interesting visit.

Although seen as in Greater Manchester today, it was previously considered a township in Lancashire – it was not until 1909 that Levenshulme was seen as a part of Manchester. Additionally, the area to the East of the district was known for years as ‘Talleyrand’, with the famous French Statesman Talleyrand rumoured to have visited during his exile from France in the French Revolution.  Examples of how that naming still holds influence can be seen in the title of the characterful bar ‘The Talleyrand’ on the A6 in Levenshulme.

Another local legend in Levenshulme is that the notorious  highwayman Dick Turpin was a regular visitor to the Blue Bell Inn on Barlow Road – with a pub still on the site with the same name, though a rebuild - as the original suffered a hit during a bombing raid in World War II. On the subject of interesting and different places to drink, there is hidden bar in the tucked-away haven of the Klondyke Club and plans to convert the currently abandoned former Levenshulme Station into a Cycle Café.

Levenshulme is one of the city’s liveliest districts and bustling with creativity too. It is the new home of spoken-word night Verbose (Fred’s Ale House), has the annual Levenshulme Festival and is the home of ALL FM.

On the subject of charming and unusual creativity, HAUNT Manchester decided to discover some of the traders coming to Levenshulme Market this weekend…

Kala MCR

Beautiful clothing and accessories handmade in Manchester, incorporating textiles from across the world. Unusual fusions of colour, texture and pattern come together for bold and impressive designs. (Featured image/first image in the article is also a Kala MCR design)

Rick Jones Art & Illustration

A Cheshire-based artist creating nature-inspired geometric artwork, with a range of powerful patterns allowing for eye-catching designs. Themes of spiritualism, folklore and wonder emerge in Rick’s work, which is available in a range of forms, including T-shirts, beautiful collectible pebbles, wood, canvas and T-shirts.

Miss River

Are you ready for clown-meets-baby-head lamps?! These wonderfully wacky designs are the creation of Miss River - allowing for light-up intrigue, brilliant colour and a marvellously unnerving example of interior design, sure to transform any room. Why not go shopping for a Halloween lamp ahead of time? Miss River also creates handmade jewellery, combining vintage and Rockabilly styling for a unique look. All pieces are made personally and no two are the same – meaning for an ideal gift.

Amelia Alice  

An array of Vintage-inspired and Steampunk accessories can be found at Amelia Alice; intricate, handcrafted and often recycled designs allowing for truly unique jewellery and gifts. Pendants, earrings and cufflinks are just some examples of items available, incorporating everything from 1940s watch parts to retro ribbon and lace. This is mixed media creativity at its best… keep a look-out for the Alice In Wonderland inspired designs.

Ames Likes Toast

Born in Yorkshire but now living in Manchester, Ames is a creator of crocheted randomness – bringing weird and wonderful woollies to Levenshulme Market, with a range of characters and designs to pick from. These pieces certainly stand out, often bursting with colour: potted cacti, Full English Breakfasts, even a replica human heart – just some examples of crochet creations by Ames. Come and see for yourself!

Chiron Designs

Handmade silver jewellery from a local creative. These are unique designs, inspired by organic forms and natural designs, sure to make an impression.

Siobhan Daniel

Mexican-inspired crucifixes and skulls are just some of original designs available from Levenshulme’s own Siobhan Daniel. Come to the stall and find an array of original paintings on canvas, hand-crafted ceramics and great homemade gifts, combining bursts of colour and dramatic detail.

An Unexpected Artist

Lucy is bringing her beautiful designs from St. George in North Wales, her creativity often inspired by the countryside there. Her intricate drawings and imagery has been hand-printed onto a range of mediums, with many examples of wearable art including bags and super-soft cashmere scarves and shawls. Rabbits, deer and foxes are just some of the animals you can find in her work… as well as dragons! Not shying away from encountering the mysterious forces of nature and fantasy, An Unexpected artist is offering something distinct and beautiful.

Black Dog Pottery

Bold, characterful pottery. Choose from a range of small-batch ceramics and hand-embossed items. There are even pots with facial features!

MyDistopiA

Dramatic, distinct Graphic T-Shirts and clothing designs by local abstract artist J.M Colede. These are stunning pieces, combining colour and shade for eye-catching effect. Think tie-dye meets darkness.

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/07/haunts-highlights-of-traders-to-see-at-levenshulme-market-6th-july-2019-b896#comments896 Wed, 03 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/07/l-s-lowry-film-mrs-lowry-and-son-uk-cinema-release-b895 Mrs Lowry & Son depicts the relationship between L.S. Lowry, one of Britain’s most iconic artists, and his mother Elizabeth, with whom he lived until her death.

 
Directed by Adrian Noble, and starring Academy Award® and Golden Globe® winner Vanessa Redgrave and BAFTA® Nominee Timothy Spall.  
 
Mrs Lowry & Son depicts the relationship between L.S. Lowry, one of Britain’s most iconic artists, and his mother Elizabeth, with whom he lived until her death. Spall plays Lowry and Redgrave his overbearing mother.  

The film follows Lowry in the beginnings of his career, as he yearns for his work to be appreciated in London. However, his disdainful mother, Elizabeth actively tries to dissuade her bachelor son from pursuing his artistic ambitions. Elizabeth never fails to voice her opinion at what a disappointment he is to her. At the same time, the film explores how Elizabeth is the very reason Lowry paints anything at all, as he desperately seeks to create something, anything, which will make her happy, creating a clever layer of tragic irony. This powerful, yet humorous story imagines the impact this obsessive mother and son relationship had on the great artist. Love is at the very heart of this film.   

L.S. Lowry became internationally famous for his depictions of 20th century industrial life in the North West of England, and the legacy of his work remains a huge presence in the region, not least at The Lowry, a purposebuilt art gallery in Salford Quays. Such was his eventual success that he was offered five honours over his lifetime, including a knighthood in 1968 – all of which he rejected – and his work was displayed in a retrospective, recordbreaking exhibition at the Tate. His work sells for millions.

A large selection of L.S Lowry's work is on display in a permanent FREE exhibition at The Lowry in Salford, Greater Manchester, alongside other works on loan from private collections across the UK. Find out more here.

That’s right, 25 years ago our six favourite TV friends catapulted onto our living room screens giving us some of the most memorable moments and iconic one liners in TV history. What better way to celebrate 25 years of this TV phenomenon than by heading to Comedy Central’s ‘FriendsFest’, where you can immerse yourself in the world made famous by Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Joey and Ross! Isn't that just kick-you-in-the-crotch, spit-on-your-neck fantastic?

This special anniversary edition event will arrive in Manchester's Heaton Park on 2nd August and run until on 18th August, before heading to Bristol, Milton Keynes, and London.

You'll be treated to FOUR new photo op experiences including the fan favourite Thanksgiving floating heads moment and the iconic three wedding dress shot. There will be brand new and exclusive merchandise, with this year also featuring a limited edition digital photo experience, giving you the chance to take away your very own souvenir 25th anniversary memory!

As well as all of these new elements, the event will of course still feature the very best from previous years including Monica’s apartment, Joey and Chandler’s apartment complete with corridor, Central Perk, original memorabilia, PIVOT!, Recreate the Titles and Ross’s apartment.

Plus, you'll be able to dress up in some of the most unforgettable outfits and don the best wigs before going on set for their ‘lights, camera, action!’ selfie moments.  

There will also be a whole host of other activities including new Friends themed food stalls, a BRAND NEW cocktail bar, a Friends quiz and the chance to recreate the cardboard box Porsche scene where you can take part in live on stage. You'll also be able to kick back and relax in the sunshine while watching some of the best moments from the TV show that you're already immersed in, Friends.

Last year, tickets sold out quickly so make sure you book fast to avoid disappointment!

Organised by a dedicated group of PhD students from the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies (the biggest research centre of its kind), the conference marked a refreshing approach to an area that has time-long been fraught with arguments about categorisation; with some people having a very specific view of what ‘Gothic’ constitutes. Instead, Absent Presences sought to shift this, inviting scholars to submit papers from a range of disciplines – therefore not just Literature, but also fields like Game Design, Sociology and Science.  This allowed questions to be explored and opened such as: how has the Gothic emerged in new media? How can we challenge what constitutes the ‘Gothic canon’ (i.e. cultural material perceived to be Gothic)? Which groups have been previously misrepresented or under-celebrated in the Gothic?

The latter question was indeed the focus of an insightful keynote from Professor Maisha Wester (Indiana University Bloomington) who spoke on the topic of race and representation in the Gothic, with a focus on women of colour. Whilst Professor Wester provided an introductory keynote in the morning, the afternoon also featured a fascinating keynote from Professor Fred Botting, of Kingston University: “Infinite Monstrosity: Empire, Terror and Trauma in ‘Frankenstein in Baghdad’”.

Over the course of the two days, the format of the conference then consisted of a number of paper presentations, with scholars from across the world presenting on everything from the  impact of location, to technological cross-over and links with Game Design – highlighting innovative approaches to the Gothic. The afternoon of the second day also featured Workshop sessions, allowing attendees to further enquire and see practical examples for stimulating renewed engagement with the Gothic here at Manchester Metropolitan University.

This included an hour-long workshop titled ‘HAUNT and Impact’, with three members of the Research and Knowledge Exchange team at Manchester Met discussing how exploring the Gothic in an academic context can still have prospect for public engagement and wide-ranging impact.

The first to discuss these ideas was Emily Goodier,  Faculty Impact Capture Assistant in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Manchester Met. Here she is also Unit Leader for a module on Impact for the Masters in Applied Criminology; considering impact via case studies. Emily works with a number of academics across the Faculty of Arts and Humanities to ensure that  their research  can demonstrate sustained impact outside academia and that this is appropriately recorded, in accordance with REF 2021 guidelines.

 Her insight and expertise therefore proved highly significant, Emily urging attendees to be thorough in aiming for long-term impact of their research. As she explained, this involves taking into consideration factors such as the importance of public engagement events, a consideration of who is going to benefit, and ensuring a productive, engaging method of evaluation – with ‘graffiti walls’ and vox pops increasingly appealing methods of gathering evidence for impact.

Therefore Emily’s talk was highly constructive, especially considering that the prospect of opening up the Gothic requires refreshing reconsideration of what constitutes the genre, how it is perceived across society and resultant impact. She reflects:

“I work with a small group of researchers, including colleagues from the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies, within the faculty whose research is benefitting groups outside of academia. More specifically, I work with the centre to evaluate their wide-ranging public engagement activity, from public events, to the Gothic Manchester Festival, to HAUNT. The centre’s activities offer great examples of how to communicate research to a non-academic community, and has a lasting legacy of making Manchester gothic.”

Giving a sustained example of public engagement in the Gothic was RAH! (Research in Arts and Humanities at Manchester Metropolitan University) Festival Co-ordinator and Public Engagement Assistant in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Manchester Met Lucy Simpson, who works to create public events stimulating engagement with a range of academic research. Public engagement is also a key method of allowing academic research to be impactful, with Lucy drawing on concepts presented by Emily, to emphasize the strong framework for communicating quality research here at Manchester Met.

 Lucy is involved in organising and executing a range of events, including the processes of promotion and co-ordination: in-conversation events, film screenings, exhibitions, fashion shows and so much more.

Her presentation focused specifically on the Gothic Manchester Festival: which has been running annually in Manchester since 2013, celebrating the excellent work of the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies. Lucy's work has been integral to logistically underpinning the festival both with quality research and public appeal, explained how the festival had evolved; from originating at the beginning of the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies in 2013, to becoming themed by 2016 (that year focusing on ‘The Gothic North’) to expanding to operate across the space of a whole month – which it will for October 2019: on the subject of ‘Gothic Times’. The expansion and evolution of the festival highlights its significance and success in nurturing public engagement with the Gothic, as highlighted when the International Gothic Association (IGA) chose to have its annual conference in Manchester in 2018, with many delegates staying on to engage with festival activities (which co-ordinated at the time).

Lucy reflected on her role:

“I’m involved in the planning and co-ordination of public engagement events across the Arts and Humanities Faculty at Manchester Met. A particular highlight of my year is the planning of the Gothic Manchester Festival, which I’ve worked on for 4 years now. Since its beginning in 2013, the Gothic Manchester Festival has established itself as a key event in Manchester’s cultural calendar. This year the festival is bigger than ever, featuring a huge range of events about all things gothic over the whole month of October – including our annual symposium, film screenings, lectures and performance events.”

In April 2019, Lucy also launched the exciting RAH! Podcast, which she has co-ordinated; showcasing the research taking place within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Manchester Met - thus contributing further to the impact recording process. A recent episode focused on  HAUNT Manchester, a website and network operating out of Manchester Metropolitan University, which seeks to celebrate the mysterious side of Greater Manchester. HAUNT is underpinned by three research areas here at Manchester Met: the Manchester Centre for Public History and Heritage, Encountering Corpses and of course, the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies.

Hosted as a sub-section of the Visit Manchester site, HAUNT Manchester seeks to provide an alternative angle on the area, whilst also celebrating the work of the research centres wherever possible and communicating this to the general public in a highly engaging way. Since its launch in June 2018, content has included the likes of; extensive coverage of the aforementioned Gothic Manchester Festival and the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies’ events, articles on heritage locations such as Rochdale Town Hall with academic insight, and article series’ such as ‘The Weird World of Manchester Music Venues’. (The picture below features from left to right: Lucy Simpson, Emily Oldfield, Emily Goodier)

HAUNT Manchester Editor Emily Oldfield was the last to speak in the workshop. She discussed the importance of wide-ranging content across the site – demonstrating the impact and public engagement prospects of the Gothic in various cultural fields. The Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies is one of the key Manchester Met research centres informing the site, aftter all. A wide-ranging approach also challenges limiting definitions of ‘the Gothic’ and allows for insightful exploration, whilst also building up a strong network of contacts who can benefit from this alternative engagement with place. Emily reflected:

“Connecting both the local public and visitors to Greater Manchester with Gothic research-fuelled insight into the county, is a key objective of HAUNT Manchester, which I work on with Academic Lead Dr Matt Foley. We have worked with academics from the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies and beyond, as well as various city infrastructure, businesses and creatives – providing a platform that gives something different by revealing Greater Manchester’s mysterious side. The excellent work of the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies, for example, has allowed for plenty of alternative approaches to writing about the city... from Ghost Stories at Ordsall Hall to theatre reviews with a twist!

“HAUNT has also been involved in curating events and then recording them on its online platform, therefore demonstrating public engagement and impact. This has included an academic panel on Hauntology at Not Quite Light Festival, a similar panel at Manchester Folk Horror Festival and story-telling at Stockport Market.

“The site also provides a place for Manchester Met academics and students to contribute, showcasing their research to a large public audience. It is my role as Editor to co-ordinate this and ensure variety on the site – as ever-broadening its appeal – as well as generating content, ensuring strong network connections and maintaining an engaging presence on our social media. HAUNT is also involved in the Gothic Manchester Festival 2019; with a network fair open to all at The Peer Hat on the 19^th October, whilst  also co-curating (with MASS Mcr and Flange Circus) a Rural Eerie event in the same evening at the venue. There is plenty to be excited about!”

The workshop session as part of Absent Presences underlined a strong focus on demonstrating impact and public engagement connected with the Gothic at Manchester Metropolitan University, with the conference itself providing another high-quality example of this.

By Emily Oldfield

Photographs thanks to Helen Darby (Research Impact and Public Engagement Senior Manager at Manchester Metropolitan University)

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/07/absent-presences-conference-and-how-an-impact-workshop-explored-new-approaches-to-the-gothic-b893#comments893 Tue, 02 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/07/radisson-blu-edwardian-manchester-introduces-a-new-statement-of-luxury-the-library-curated-by-assouline-b892 Radisson Blu Edwardian, Manchester is adding to its luxury lifestyle offering with the launch of ‘The Library curated by Assouline’. The unique partnership will see a brand-new social space in the hotel for guests to soak up Assouline’s luxury cultural offering, alongside an innovative cocktail and food menu. Radisson Blu Edwardian, Manchester is adding to its luxury lifestyle offering with the launch of ‘The Library curated by Assouline’. The unique partnership will see a brand-new social space in the hotel for guests to soak up Assouline’s luxury cultural offering, alongside an innovative cocktail and food menu.

Founded in 1994 by Prosper and Martine Assouline, Assouline is the first luxury brand dedicated to culture. Assouline began with the belief that a book artfully crafted and highly considered in its visual content can open our eyes and minds. Over two decades, guided by a passion for knowledge, culture, and travel, the brand has extended its vision to create all that can be desired in a chic library, from lavishly illustrated books and special editions that become unique decorative accessories.

Amir Jati, Food and Beverage Service Excellence Director, Edwardian Hotels London says: “’The Library curated by Assouline’ is a true celebration of culture and our team of talented chefs have expertly designed a menu, taking inspiration from the brand’s Parisian roots. We are incredibly excited to take our guests on this culinary journey and watch the Assouline heritage come to life in our cocktails and dishes.”

Guests can experience an exquisite selection of contemporary dishes such as steak tartare with a champagne-infused egg yolk and La Spécialité, a remarkable looking chocolate dome with black cardamom ice cream and molten chocolate sauce. The impressive À La Carte also sits alongside ‘The Impossible Edition Afternoon Tea’, a selection of homemade finger sandwiches on artisan bread, scones, preserves and patisseries, all available with sparkling wine or champagne.

Signature cocktails have been impeccably created by a team of mixologists to represent some of the most popular books within the famed Assouline ‘Ultimate’ collections range. ‘La Conception’ is dedicated to all things design, whilst ‘The Can of Pop’ has been inspired by one the leading pioneers of the Pop movement, Andy Warhol.

‘The Library curated by Assouline’ showcases a vast array of titles, art and furniture; with mirrored nickel lamps projecting a warm glow over the navy velvet and dark woollen charcoal grey armchairs. Ideal for an afternoon tea or a simple night cap, the baby grand piano and Free Trade Hall-inspired artwork greets guests with a luxury setting to eat, drink and relax in, whilst capturing Manchester’s ties to art and culture. 

Krishma Singh, Product Design Manager, Edwardian Hotels London says: “Designed to be an extension of guests’ bedrooms, this dedicated social space offers a premium residential experience. ‘The Library curated by Assouline’ is an extension of our successful partnership to date with Assouline, a brand synonymous with luxury, culture and lifestyle. Having worked together across our other London properties, Radisson Blu Edwardian, Mercer Street, Hampshire and Bloomsbury Street, it was a natural collaboration.”

‘The Library curated by Assouline’ opens on 5^th July 2019 from 12pm.