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

TAMPOPO

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

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

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

VAPIANO 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Events will be delivered on Zoom or livestreamed on Facebook.

The full list of confirmed events are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FREE ONLINE EVENTS THIS FEBRUARY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The museum has operated out of an old workshop building behind Rochdale’s former Maclure Road fire station since 1983 but will soon have a striking new main-street presence. For the past twelve months, the iconic art deco fire station – not used by firefighters for seven years – has been undergoing a complete restoration in readiness for its role as the museum’s new home.

The restoration project has included the retention or replacement of many historical features, such as a brass pole and original 1930s folding wooden doors to the front and rear. The new museum will be four times the size of the current one and include a dedicated education centre, library and archive, cafeteria and family-friendly attractions. Some existing museum features, such as the Victorian fire station and Manchester Blitz tableaux, are being re-installed on the new site, with improvements such as authentic sound effects.

On the first floor, the former ballroom has been restored to its original art deco appearance and will be re-purposed as a high-tech “co-working” space managed by Rochdale Council.

Museum Curator and retired fire officer, Bob Bonner, said :

“This project is the culmination of many years of effort and determination by our hard-working volunteer team but is now nearing completion. We think our visitors will be delighted with the new offer.”

The word “Fireground” comes from a fire service term which dates back to the last war and refers to the scene of operations at an emergency incident - similar to a “battleground” in the armed forces.

“It’s where everything happens – all the action and activity;” said Bob. “we hope the name will soon be synonymous with a centre of excellence in fire heritage and fire safety education, as well as being a much snappier name than our previous one “.  

There will be several more weeks of “fitting out” in the new location, but the Museum is currently planning on opening around Easter 2021.

Find out more about Manchester's transport heritage.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In episode two, which airs this Thursday (14) at 8pm, the team will feature Dippy’s visit last year to Number One Riverside as part of a national tour.

The team filmed the 21 metre long dinosaur cast, alongside local visitors, and had a chat with Councillor Janet Emsley, Rochdale’s cabinet member for a safer and inclusive community, and Lorraine Cornish, head of conservation at the Natural History Museum, as part of their episode about dinosaurs and other prehistoric treasures.

Dippy opened in Number One Riverside in February last year, alongside the accompanying exhibition at Touchstones Rochdale. The experience was closed in March to protect the public amid the coronavirus pandemic, but reopened for a short time later in the year with safety measures in place.

Dippy on Tour is being brought to Number One Riverside, Rochdale and visitors across the UK by the Natural History Museum in partnership with the Garfield Weston Foundation, and supported by Dell EMC and Williams & Hill.

It’s the second time Dippy’s stay in Rochdale has featured on national television, following his appearance on the famous children’s programme, Blue Peter, late last year, where viewers tuned in to see young dinosaur fan, Warwick Carter, join presenter Ritchie Driss to place Dippy’s head on at the end of the build.

Councillor Janet Emsley, cabinet member for a safer and more inclusive community at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “I’m not surprised that Dippy’s legacy is continuing, even now that he’s left our borough and I’m looking forward to catching up with my favourite dinosaur once more, albeit through my television. Last year was a very difficult year, but Dippy was unquestionably a rare highlight, and it will be wonderful to be reminded of this wonderful exhibit and what a special time it was for our borough.”

Although Dippy was not able to open for the whole run during his time in Rochdale, the famous cast proved a smash hit in the North West, the seventh of his eight stop UK tour. Over 122,000 people visited Number One Riverside and more than 46,000 went to see the exhibition at Touchstones. 8,000 schoolchildren visited with their classes and hundreds engaged with special zoom sessions organised by the council’s children’s services team to enable children to engage with Dippy during lockdown.

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

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

Spotify

iTunes

Acast

Google Podcasts

Amazon Music

Stitcher

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

Featuring:

The Manchester Open Exhibition

Insane Animals

Homemakers

Future 20: Last Place On Earth

Young Identity: Working From HOME

HOME BFI Film Academy: Living at a Distance

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

Joy Yamusangie, Nick Burton and MSR FCJ

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

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

Date & Time details

This film is available online, on-demand.

BOOK NOW

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

1. FESTIVE TABLE SHOWSTOPPERS

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

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

2. GOLDEN CHARGER PLATES

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

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

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

3. PINECONE NAPKINS

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

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

4. PERFECTLY POLISHED CUTLERY

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

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

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

5. CRYSTAL CLEAR GLASSES

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

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

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

• Three glasses per diner – white, red and water

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

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

• The red to the right and slightly higher

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tickets available at www.heartbreakproductions.co.uk

Standard Ticket Price £15 Concessions Available

For this year only, the 42-year-old tradition is moving online to hold onto its title as the UK's biggest fancy dress party in the UK, after fears it would not be held at all due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Residents of Wigan Borough and beyond will be encouraged to dress up and tune in to the event from their living room as acclaimed Wigan DJ’s perform.

The #WiganBoxingDayFancyDress event is part of a programme of feel-good shows for residents to enjoy through multi award winning digital broadcasting platform, United We Stream GM, during the Christmas break.

Greater Manchester has been under strict Covid-19 restrictions for nine months, so to mitigate feelings of disconnect, boredom and social isolation, United We Stream GM will showcase world class, distinctively northern music and entertainment digitally so people can connect online.

Four specially curated productions will take place on December 18, 19, Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve, which will be an incredible 24-hour house party.

December 18 kicks off with a world exclusive at 8pm – the first showing of Manchester music documentary-film: Manchester Music Then and Now: Music Worth Fighting For.

Produced and directed by Marketing Manchester, the short film celebrates the incredible people and places who make up Greater Manchester’s contemporary music scene.

Thirty years on from Madchester, Music Worth Fighting For features interviews and insights from individuals emphasising how Manchester music is stronger than ever, with more diversity, better venues, and a new generation of talent continuing the story.

It features a stellar cast of famous faces and places from the Manchester music scene, including A Certain Ratio, Blossoms, Courteeners, Denise Johnson, New Order/Joy Division, Happy Mondays, Lottery Winners, Manchester Collective, Working Men’s Club and Elbow, alongside emerging talent including Valve and DJ Olli Ryder, son of Shaun Ryder, and Oliver Wilson, son of late Factory records supremo Tony Wilson.

It also hears from industry professionals including technicians, band bookers and photographers, plus the promoters and managers of the many grass roots venues and festivals that attract thousands of visitors to Greater Manchester each year.

The film details the extraordinary resilience of the response to the pandemic in Manchester, with bands providing online performances and United We Stream GM attracting millions of viewers worldwide for events featuring Manchester artists.

On Saturday December 19^th regardless of tiers, United We Stream is hosting a party style, uplifting ‘Best of UWS’ for people to relive their best party moments of their first acclaimed season.

From 4pm till midnight, United We Stream GM will provide the soundtrack to an ideal Saturday night stay at home party, bringing together some of the finest moments from their archive of more than 300 talented DJ’s, performers and artists.

Then on Boxing Day, it’s the Wigan takeover!

After 42 years of legendary Boxing Day fancy dress in Wigan, 2020 brings the party home with a world premiere at 6pm of a new film, ‘42’, featuring six incredible DJ’s over six hours.

The spectacular film, inspired by the magnificent costumes and memories of boxing day fancy dress is produced and directed by AL and AL, artist film-makers and creative directors of The Fire Within, in collaboration with dance choreographer Amy Burdon of WigLe Dance and artist Anna FC Smith.

Wigan is renowned for its music scene and #WiganBoxingDayFancyDress will be like no other, with legendary MC Finchy and DJ Kenty, acclaimed DJ Caino, Kyle H, DJ Harvey, Danny Mac and Jake Slater all confirmed to perform.

Creative directors of The Fire Within AL and AL said: “Wigan Boxing Day Fancy Dress is created by the people for the people, it’s one of the most exciting nights and important cultural traditions in the annual calendar of our Borough. We are buzzing that this year we can keep that tradition going by inviting everyone to share their fancy dress bubble house-parties and stream the fun online together.”

The leader of Wigan Council, Coun David Molyneux said: “We have all had to make changes to our lives this year and Boxing Day will be no different. 

“As this challenging year draws to a close, it’s important to think differently so this uplifting tradition continues to thrive. 

“We’re delighted to be working with United We Stream, who will help us to harness the annual enthusiasm, creativity and excitement that people across the country bring to Wigan on Boxing Day.”  

Rounding off this special festive season of shows is the phenomenal Hacienda House Party 24-hour stream, will feature some of the biggest and best-known DJ’s in the world including; Moby, Todd Terry, David Morales, DJ Paulette and Norman Jay MBE and will be the showstopping finale event for United We Stream GM.

The non-stop marathon broadcast will begin at 10am on New Year’s Eve and also feature a bespoke one-off live performance by Haçienda Classical with Manchester Camerata and the AMC Choir.

Hacienda Classical will be produced exclusively by DJ Graeme Park and musical director Tim Crooks alongside the Camerata orchestra, musicians, and top vocalists including Yvonne Shelton, Melanie Williams, Rae Hall and surprise special guests.

Greater Manchester Night-time Economy Adviser and United We Stream executive producer, Sacha Lord said:

“Greater Manchester is known to party. One of the highlights of the calendar, is Boxing Day, and there’s no bigger party, than the Wigan Boxing Day Party

“Traditionally this is a time when 10,000’s people come out to the streets of Wigan, in fancy dress, tummies full of turkey and their dancing shoes on. The turkeys still happening, but sadly, we won’t be able to take to the streets. That won’t stop the party though and United We Stream GM are bringing the streets to you. Join in, dress up, nothing will stop us!

“We hope that these four very different shows will allow you a bit of escapism for a few hours. As always, United We Stream GM will be completely free to watch, and I know for many that money is very tight, but if you can spare a pound or two, that would be great, and your donation will go straight to our chosen, local good causes.”

With so much to look forward to we’ve chosen 21 of the best things to get excited about across the year and beyond, including new outdoor experiences, rich new cultural developments, refreshed and refurbished hotels, diverse food and drink offering, and some truly world-leading events.

1. Opening of Europe’s largest garden project in Salford

At the top of many visitor’s lists for 2021 will be The Royal Horticultural Society’s first new garden in 17 years, which is set to open on 11 May in the lost historic grounds of Worsley New Hall in Salford.

RHS Garden Bridgewater will be a 154-acre garden and is currently the largest gardening project in Europe. When it opens it will feature a Weston Walled Garden (one of the largest in the UK), a visitor centre and café, community teaching allotments, a Kitchen Garden, orchards, a woodland play area, and a Chinese Streamside Garden, alongside Ellesmere Lake, woodland and other garden spaces.

What’s more, if you’re lucky enough to be a resident of Salford, you’ll be able to visit for free every Tuesday.

2. UK’s largest urban farm and eco-park set in 160-acres of land

Sticking with the outdoors theme since we all found greater appreciation of nature in 2020 is Northern Roots. You might not have heard of this 160-acre green space being developed in Oldham yet, but you’ll be hearing a lot more about it in the coming years.

Offering woodland, moorland and seasonal wetlands, the site is home to an abundance of native and migrating birds, plants and animals and has plans to grow into the UK’s largest urban farm and eco-park. It will also include hands-on community projects such as beekeeping, animal husbandry, forestry, as well as mountain biking, performances and frisbee golf. 

One of the other reasons we love Northern Roots is that it plans to generate its own renewable energy, become a ‘carbon farm’ that sucks carbon dioxide out of the air and into the trees and they also have a plan in place to support biodiversity, hoping to see a 25% increase in wildlife. Truly the antidote to 2020 that we need!

3. New Special Exhibitions Gallery at the Science and Industry Museum

This new gallery will reveal striking historic spaces previously not open to the public on the lower ground floor of the Science and Industry Museum’s Grade II listed New Warehouse. It has been designed by award-winning architects, Carmody Groarke, and will originate and host some of the world’s best science exhibitions, helping to establish the museum as a beacon for contemporary science and a major cultural destination for years to come.

The Special Exhibitions Gallery will open in March 2021 with a free exhibition called Top Secret which will explore over a century’s worth of communications intelligence through hand-written documents, declassified files and previously unseen artefacts from the Science Museum Group's and GCHQ’s historic collections – time to channel your inner James Bond!

In summer 2021, the museum will also open a highly anticipated exhibition that’s been rescheduled from last summer. Use Hearing Protection: The early years of Factory Records will tell the story of Manchester’s infamous Factory Records, and the distinctive voices that came out of the early years of the record label, featuring previously unseen items from the Factory archives, including creations from Joy Division, New Order, and Peter Saville. The exhibition will run from 25 June 2021 until 4 January 2022. And if you want to prepare yourself and brush up on your Manchester music knowledge beforehand, make sure you watch the free documentary, Manchester Music Then and Now: Music Worth Fighting For.

But before all that, the museum will also host the Manchester Science Festival in February 2021, with a packed programme of digital events and socially distanced experiences that will explore our changing climate and ideas for a better world through UK and world premieres, interactive arts and photography exhibitions, family fun, theatre, music, talks and much more.

4. An extended, more interactive Manchester Jewish Museum

Another attraction that you might not know much about yet but will do from next year, in spring 2021, Manchester Jewish Museum will re-open its doors following an extensive makeover and extension. The museum, which is housed inside a former synagogue built in 1873, will double in size complete with a brand-new gallery, learning studio and kitchen, shop and café, alongside the majorly renovated synagogue which will also double up as a performance space

The new building will launch a new programme for the museum, with a commitment to using Jewish stories to connect to the world and to our society. The museum has over 31,000 eclectic objects and personal histories in its collection, telling stories of Jewish Manchester as well as broader stories of migration, communities and identities that are a key part of Greater Manchester’s diverse make-up.

5. Fashion Gallery to open at Manchester Art Gallery

A new dedicated Fashion Gallery is set to open at Manchester Art Gallery in November 2021 as part of a permanent shift of the costume collection from Platt Hall Gallery of Costume, which closed a few years ago and is set to take on a new to-be-confirmed use – watch this space.

The first exhibition at the new fashion gallery will focus on male image and the ‘dandy’ style fashion, made popular in the late 18^th and early 19^th century. Bringing together fashion, art and photography, Dandy Style will meld the historic with the contemporary and will include approximately 75 extravagant outfits from the Platt Hall collection.

Another highlight at Manchester Art Gallery to watch out for is the postponed and highly anticipated exhibition Derek Jarman Protest! which will now open in May 2021 and will be accompanied by a programme of Jarman’s films at art centre HOME.

6. New building for one of the region’s best-loved theatres

After being closed for two years to allow for a major refurbishment, Octagon Bolton, one of the region’s best-loved theatres, will finally welcome audiences back for socially distanced performances in early 2021 – keep an eye on their website for imminent programme announcements.

The refurbished theatre includes new seating in the auditorium, a two-floor café/bar, a purpose-built studio and classroom for community drama lessons, greater accessibility for improved wheelchair access and a larger, fully accessible rehearsal room for performers.

7. UK’s leading youth theatre transformed in building revamp

Another venue that’s undergone a complete transformation project, the UK’s leading youth arts organisation Contact is set to reopen in autumn 2021 and will feature the country’s first dedicated space for art, health and science in a UK theatre.

Contact has been making news by appointing the UK’s first-ever young chair to board at a major performing arts venue as part of their decision to ensure that 50% of the board would be made up of young people. 

Ahead of its opening, Contact will be running a series of online virtual performances including Queer Contact, the organisation’s annual LGBTQ+ festival which is rumoured to be headlined by a prolific British screenwriter and television producer.

8. Manchester’s oldest music venue will expand

Band on the Wall has been entertaining Manchester for generations with a history stretching far back to the 19^th Century and beyond; then a small corner pub called the George & Dragon, it has borne witness to more of Manchester’s musical history than arguably anywhere else in the city.

Fast forward to September 2021 and the venue will have expanded into the Victorian Cocozza building that has been derelict to the rear of the venue for decades, taking the venue’s total gig capacity from 340 to 540 people.

The expansion project will also see a new learning suite for the next generation of musicians created, as well as an enhanced archive and visual exhibition documenting the rich social and musical history of the building and the surrounding Northern Quarter neighbourhood.

9. Biennial arts and culture festival MIF returns for the summer

A major highlight in the cultural calendar will be the return of eighteen days of dynamic, innovative and forward-thinking new work as part of the biennial Manchester International Festival in July 2021.

Following a successful 2019 outing which featured work from Yoko Ono, Idris Elba, Skepta and David Lynch, the first event announced so far for 2021 comes in the form of an epic theatrical journey The Walk, which will take Little Amal, a 3.5-metre puppet of a young refugee girl, 8,000km across Europe before arriving in Manchester on the opening weekend. In addition, Festival Square will return in a new location – expect fun-filled days of food, drink and free entertainment.

10. North of England’s biggest LGBT+ Pride festival returns

Following the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 festival, The Manchester Pride Festival weekend is expected to return in 2021 with more colour and energy over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Thirty years since the first bar with windows, Manto, opened on Canal Street in 1991, refusing to be hidden away, Manchester Pride Festival will hold extra special significance as people from all walks of life come together once again for four days of events including the Pride Parade, Manchester Pride Live, The Gay Village Party, Superbia (LGBT+ arts festival), Youth Pride MCR and the Candlelight Vigil.

Events for 2021 may look slightly different to the usual programme, but you can expect the city to be celebrating in full rainbow colours across the weekend.

11. A celebration of all things Mancunian at Manchester Day

Another event that will hold a special significance with residents and visitors, Manchester Day is an annual celebration of Manchester and Mancunians, and like Manchester Pride, captures the very spirit of the people of Manchester – their warmth, diversity and proud communities.

After cancelling in 2020, we expect 2021’s event – led by a procession of music, dance and performance in a parade packed with fun and colour – to be an even bigger celebration than usual. Every year a new parade theme is chosen, but we expect 2020’s theme ‘Our Planet, Our City’, will form a big part of the 2021 celebrations in June.

12. The Rugby League World Cup finals come to Greater Manchester

And now one for the sports fans, and it’s not all about football, although the return of fans to live matches will undoubtedly be a massive draw for visitors again in 2021.

In this case Old Trafford Stadium, usually home to Manchester United, will be playing host to both the Rugby League World Cup and Women’s Rugby League World Cup finals as a double-header event on 27 November 2021, making it one of the biggest UK sports events of the year.

The world cup will also see two Greater Manchester towns take part in the competition – Bolton will host the Men’s Quarter Final and England v France games at the University of Bolton Stadium and will be the home training ground for the France team whilst visiting. Elsewhere, Leigh Sports Village in Wigan will host three Men’s rounds featuring Wales, Ireland, Lebanon, Jamaica and the Cook Islands.

13. BrewDog to open England’s first beer hotel in Manchester

Scottish beer brewing giants BrewDog have announced that they will open their first hotel in England, following the success of the DogHouse brand in Scotland and the USA. No opening date has been fixed yet but the 25-bedroom hotel is aiming to be open before the end of 2021 and will be centrally located just off Manchester’s Market Street.

Not shy of innovation, plans suggest that the hotel will feature Punk IPA on tap in every room, beer fridges in the showers, a rooftop terrace with fire pit, and will allow guests to bring their pets. In the meantime, their new bar situated underneath the proposed hotel is due to open in early 2021.

14. Environmentally friendly green hotel opening on Deansgate

Climate conscious brand Qbic are bringing their fourth European hotel to Manchester, with pre-configured rooms made from largely recycled materials taking home in a former office block.

Opening in March 2021, the hotel is all about sustainability, rewarding guests with free drinks for choosing green by not having towels or linen changed, using organic mattresses made in the UK, and reducing plastic use by providing filtered water in rooms.

The on-site Motely Bar & Restaurant has a goal to keep all food low-mileage, sourcing from the local area, and offering a large selection of vegetarian and vegan food, paired with local craft beers and signature cocktails. Like DogHouse above, the hotel is also a big fan of pets, allowing guests to bring their four-legged friends on a stay!

15. New Kimpton hotel embraces the Spirit of Manchester

Kimpton’s fourth hotel to open in the UK, Kimpton Clocktower Hotel (formerly the Principal Manchester) has recently brought the international brand’s cosmopolitan style, cool culture and luxury service to Manchester.

The iconic Grade II* star listed hotel began life in 1895 as The Refuge Assurance Building, and in homage to the origins of the building the hotel’s on-site restaurant The Refuge will continue alongside Kimpton to be one of the most popular restaurant spaces in the city.

Kimpton Clocktower might be the latest hotel to rebrand and refurbish, but it’s not alone. Other hotel’s that have taken the opportunity to refresh include The Midland, Manchester’s ‘grand old dame’ and 5-star The Edwardian, which has gradually developed with new spa facilities, a highly praised restaurant, Peter Street Kitchen, which brings a fusion of Mexican and Japanese, and a new bar/lounge partnership in The Library curated by Assouline.

16. First dedicated poetry library in the North West to open

Manchester has a rich history as home to award-winning poets; with the likes of Tony Walsh and his famous This is The Place inspirational poem about Manchester, Salford-born John Cooper Clarke, Dame Carol Ann Duffy DBE, Lemn Sissay MBE, and Jackie Kay MBE, all calling the city-region their home.

Building on Manchester’s UNESCO City of Literature status, awarded in 2017, the Manchester Poetry Library will open in early 2021 adding to a rich literary tourism trail that includes places like the iconic John Rylands and Chetham’s Libraries and The International Anthony Burgess Foundation.

Part of Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University, the library will welcome the public to access poetry featuring texts and audio recordings, reflecting Manchester’s diverse culture in over 200 languages, and will encourage new creative writing with workshops and events.

17. Celebrated author’s bedroom added at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House

Spring 2021 will see the opening of a new chapter for Elizabeth Gaskell’s House with the public launch of the celebrated author’s bedroom; recreated to reflect how it would have looked when she lived at the property.

Elizabeth Gaskell’s bedroom will add a new dimension to the visitor experience, revealing more of her character and life as an author in Victorian times.  The Grade II* listed property was restored in 2014, enabling visitors to discover how Elizabeth lived, where she wrote some of her most famous novels, where she entertained guests, including Charlotte Bronte and Charles Dickens, and the gardens she cherished. 

While in the vicinity of Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, you can also make a beeline for nearby The Pankhurst Centre – the birthplace of the suffragette movement – which will reopen its doors in summer 2021 with a new permanent exhibition At Home with the Pankhurst Family.

18. Iconic Wigan Pier waterfront brought back to life

Wigan Pier – made famous by George Orwell’s 1937 book, The Road to Wigan Pier – will be given a new lease of life when the long-vacant 18^th Century industrial buildings are transformed into a new neighbourhood waterside attraction.

Expected to be ready in summer 2021, the former icon of the industrial North will become a gin-distillery, micro-brewery and food hall, and will hold weddings, events, exhibitions and conferences, with the former education centre set to be used as a cultural hub.

19. Tasks and trials from new I’m a Celebrity… Jungle Challenge attraction

A brand-new family entertainment attraction celebrating ITV’s popular show I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! is set to open at the new The Watergardens development at MediaCityUK.

The I’m A Celebrity… Jungle Challenge attraction will bring an exciting mix of tasks and trials based on the hit show, including jungle zip lines, treetop ropes course and vertical climbing walls in 2021. ‘Campmates’ will experience a specially created jungle to navigate a series of obstacles and challenges.

The new experience follows ITV’s sell-out tours of Coronation Street – also at MediaCityUK – which show visitors around the set of the world’s longest-running television soap that turned 60 in December 2020, with behind-the-scenes access to the live production studio.

20. First World War poppy tribute to take permanent home at IWM North

Following the success of Poppies: Wave and Weeping Window, which toured Imperial War Museum London and North during the final year of the First World War centenary and encouraged millions of people across the country to reflect on their own links to the First World War as a shared experience, from November 2021 the poppies will be displayed permanently within the Air Shard of the architecturally renowned Imperial War Museum North.

21. Sprawling party venue continues to evolve

While we wait for the new park, in the meantime within the same vicinity of the Mayfield Park is Escape to Freight Island, a rare success story from 2020 when it opened as a 600-seat open-air venue, with live music and events alongside street-style food and drink from independent traders.

The site will be further developed in 2021, taking over the cavernous inner parts of the former Mayfield Station, with more traders, independent shops and long-term plans for live music and club nights, making it one of the must-visit places for those looking to party and reconnect with friends in 2021.

Another new venue to keep an eye on as a great place to meet, party and listen to great music is The Blues Kitchen just off Deansgate on Quay Street, opening March 2021.

Beyond 2021…

There’s also much more to look forward to in Greater Manchester beyond 2021.

Highlights include a transformation at Manchester Museum to add a South Asia Gallery and a new China Gallery, due to open in August 2022 followed by the highly anticipated opening of The Factory, a 13,300sq ft arts centre designed by Rem Koolhaas and set to host a 365-day programme of arts in late 2022.

Then in 2023 Manchester’s first new city centre park in over 100 years, Mayfield Park, is set to be open, as well as the UK’s first city-based wellbeing resort Therme, a new large-scale music venue, Co-op Live Arena, and Modern Surf Manchester surf lagoon, from the same company behind Surf Snowdonia.

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/12/21-new-things-to-look-forward-to-in-greater-manchester-in-2021-and-beyond-b1477#comments1477 Wed, 16 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/12/dark-days-luminous-nights-a-new-live-experience-for-volatile-times-b1476 A brand new audio-visual experience comes to Salford’s White Hotel from the 26-30 January 2021: Dark Days, Luminous Nights. We interview the director Simon Buckley, to find out more... In line with new Covid-19 restrictions, ‘Dark Days, Luminous Nights’ has been postponed. New dates will be announced as soon as possible. For further information click here.

Be immersed in an enchanting water-bourne journey through music, film, dance and photography, as a brand new audio-visual experience comes to Salford’s White Hotel from the 26-30 January 2021: Dark Days, Luminous Nights. A unique live installation-meets-exhibition for this age of uncertainty… and a slice of the future, layered with the power of the past.  

This is a collaborative project of unique calibre, bringing together a diversity of artists unafraid to delve into the urban darkness, following the journey of the River Irk and revealing astonishing insights in the process. Dark Days, Luminous Nights has been commissioned and produced by Manchester Collective, and marks artist Simon Buckley’s striking directorial debut – delving into urban decay, staring straight into the city’s soul.

At the heart of this profound piece is a newly created 30-minute film, scripted and directed by Simon, featuring the subversive signature movement style of the artist Blackhaine, alongside Simon’s striking photography. All recorded in Manchester and Salford at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, this is a hard-hitting human experience pummelling the past, present and future together, under the influence of ever-occurring urban change.  

Underpinning this unique exploration is an impressive score consisting of Béla Bartók’s Divertimento, Wojciech Kilar’s Orawa and The Centre is Everywhere by Edmund Finnis. Newly recorded by Manchester Collective, this music adds to the notable immersive feel, and means that when viewers come to experience the piece at The White Hotel, they will be plunged into a truly multi-media spectacular. Dark Days, Luminous Nights has been designed in line with the government’s Covid-19 guidelines for socially-distanced indoor events, and will be a 60-minute ticketed experience, with showings starting from 2.30pm to 9.30pm each day on the dates 26-30 January 2021 (more information, FAQs and tickets online here).

Rakhi Singh, Manchester Collective co-founder and Music Director, reflected:

“In a time when we can’t physically be together, we wanted to shape an experience that contains humanity and creates space for reflection. Dark Days, Luminous Nights is the story of what we’ve all been going through, not as individuals but as a collective experience.

“When we met Simon Buckley, we discovered that he has a similar connection with cities that we have with music – looking for spaces that are passed by, in the darkness and ignored. He finds the beauty and personality in them, as well as the hidden stories. His work seamlessly blends the contrasts of the music with elements of dance, photography and film into a complete experience.

“Most of all, this is a project about Manchester. It’s about our journey as individuals – as musicians, producers, directors, photographers… We are all part of these bricks and mortar, and it is our story to tell.”

This is an innovative piece of work aiming to peel back the layers of a place we think we know, and seeks to ask a question more pertinent than ever: ‘what have we lost?’.  In this age of sky-scraping city apartments, towering complexes and urban evolution, new development looms over former burial-grounds, workhouses, water-courses. And to what cost? The film follows the journey of four lone figures as they make their way through this evolving urban hinterland, as Simon considers:

“My work in Dark Days, Luminous Nights stems from a project I began five years ago called Not Quite Light (NQL), in which I set out to reacquaint myself with the city I’ve known and lived in for most of my life, at a time of huge transition both for myself and for Manchester. I was interested in using dawn as a metaphor for change and this project has allowed me to translate my vision into a film – through themes of regeneration, displacement and isolation.

“The NQL project was initially conceived in Angel Meadow, one of the locations for this new work, and so provides an opportunity to further examine the changes which are soon to arrive in this ancient area of the city of Manchester. The film, along with the photographs on display, could be seen as fragments of a disquieting dream, which sits in reality.”

Here at Haunt Manchester, we decided to further interview long-term network member and former collaborator Simon Buckley about his directorial debut in Dark Days, Luminous Nights. He is after all no stranger to exploring urban space in the after-hours through his Not Quite Light project, furthered through his innovative Not Quite Light Festival (due to recommence in March 2021). 2020 has also been a busy year for Simon, who has been working with Macclesfield-based Barnaby Festival, and took the dramatic ‘Rainstorm’ photograph which achieved rapid acclaim.

He has previously collaborated with Haunt on a photo essay (inspired by LoneLady’s DEMON exhibition), talked us about dawn photography and chaired a Hauntology panel exploring the hidden wonders of Manchester back in 2019. ​

Hello Simon! How did this intriguing collaboration come about?

“It began with a phone call from Adam Szabo, the CEO of the Manchester Collective. I think we'd chatted previously about doing something for my Not Quite Light Festival, and so he was obviously aware of my work. He roughly outlined what he had in mind, sent over the music they were going to use, and it went from there. I conceived an idea, based on their ethos for performing work in unusual spaces, and Adam was hugely supportive, taking the risk to let me get on with the ideas. He's really great to work with.”

Last time we spoke to you was during the Summer of 2020 – those long locked-down days of surreal sunshine which saw people exploring their localities in new ways. Now the shorter days change that again. The title of ‘Dark Days, Luminous Nights’ points at our relationship with time and the possibilities of the night. Has your relationship with the night in particular changed over the course of the pandemic... we're usually used to seeing you at dawn, with Not Quite Light!

“It's an interesting question, and certainly this year I've felt as if the winter dark has a greater density than normal. The weight of the night seems to rest heavily upon the soul at the moment. I spent a lot of the first lockdown walking, up to 10 miles a day, exploring areas of the city I'd not been to for a while, really reconnecting with spaces I'd lost touch with. So, I didn't want this to end, purely because it was dark. And in some ways, there is a greater reward to walking through the darkness. The filtering out of daytime detritus causes me to more deeply connect with the city’s ghosts, to feel my feet wade through the silt of time. In some ways it has felt like entering the artwork of a child... where they've swirled glue, oil and poster paint together.

“I've done a lot more of this project at night than I was expecting. I have been out at dawn quite a few times, but first light is so late now I'm simply part of rush hour. Working late into the evening has brought the solitude I crave when working. I'm an observer and an outsider when photographing, and I relish chance encounters with people, rather than feeling as if meeting others is unavoidable. I've been out into the early hours at times, confronting my fears when in deserted, derelict spaces. And this I think has elevated the photographs, evolved the ideas within them. If I could never sleep, I'd be happy.”

Whilst we are on the subject of changing relationships – do you think the pandemic has altered the way we interact with urban space? And how might this influence the way people participate in ‘Dark Days, Luminous Nights’?

“It's been an extraordinary year, and it's perhaps still too soon to fully know the consequences of this pandemic in terms of how behaviours will change. It was fascinating to witness people responding to the city centre in Spring and early Summer, when the streets were barren, devoid of reason for their existence. At the time it clearly caused the citizens to regard their city differently. As to how much that will linger in their hearts and mind, I don't know.

“On a personal basis, I pushed deep into the suburbs walking away from the city centre and to places such as Newton Heath, Gorton or Moston. I went to the edges of Salford again too. What occurred to me was how I'd left traces of my life all over the place. It reminded me of all the connections I had with the two cities, and how deeply these places are embedded within me. There were traces of my life everywhere. From Crumpsall to Boothstown!

“And so, with regard to ‘Dark Days, Luminous Nights’ I hope that people feel as if they are on a slightly magical journey, not quite sure of where they are. It's a request to consider the place in which exist as a transitional space, never fixed, with layers of silt forming due to our own lives laying down traces within the streets and buildings. The pictures, I feel, are like fragments of dreams that sit within reality. And this notion has come to me because of the pandemic, and the surreal effect it has had on our cities.”

What has been the biggest challenge of this collaboration? And the most rewarding thing?

​“It's not easy to pinpoint 'best' or 'most'. It has been rewarding to have someone place their faith in you. I'd never written or directed a film before, and so it was a risk for Adam to commit to this, but he did, and I'm deeply appreciative of that.

“And making a film, even if it was 'silent' and just 30 minutes long, was obviously a huge challenge. We had just three nights to shoot it, on a very tight budget and I was totally out of my comfort zone. I had to read books on screenplays, and watch a lot of YouTube videos! However, it was also a profoundly rewarding experience, and I got to collaborate with some great people. I find photography sometimes constricting, and so I've loved being able to express ideas differently.

“It was also a challenge to evolve the way I take pictures, not simply repeating the Not Quite Light work of the past few years. Over the past 12 months I've been going into Macclesfield Forest at full moon for another project (Our Future is Ancient, in collaboration with Barnaby Festival), and this has sometimes informed the way I've worked. There is one picture in particular I'm pleased with, that I couldn't have seen without the experience of photographing in the forest in the dark.

“I guess the biggest challenge is always with yourself, fighting self-doubt, ego and the reality of limitation.”

Were there any settings/locations you found yourself drawn to in particular? I notice The White Hotel is a key venue... 

“The White Hotel is an amazing space, and the area around there is profoundly intriguing. It's one of the city's lost spaces, in many ways. Lost in transition, as it were...It's never easy to photograph around there as I'm often invading moments I'm not welcome to witness, shall we say...

“Working along the Irk Valley has absolutely captivated me though. I've been passing through this area since the late 1980s, and it has always fascinated me. It's an astonishing place. The peculiar scent of that secluded river sets the atmosphere, and the strange, echoing acoustics further add to the sense that you've entered a bizarre zone that the city doesn't quote know how to deal with. Every time I visited something odd happened. It feels as if things are falling from the sky there, though time portals.

“Obviously Angel Meadow holds a significant place in my heart, as it's where NQL was conceived. The valley is a place of ghosts, and you can feel these spirits whirling around and through you.”

According to the description, 'this intoxicating work looks deep into the soul of a city and asks: what have we lost?'. So would you say this a work with hauntological links? And, in a strange way, can looking at what we've lost allow us to better understand what we can go on to gain?

“I guess many of us suggest that unless we understand something of our past, how can we effectively engage with our present and future. Manchester is not a sentimental city, it’s always been driven by the dynamics of capitalism, and so it often fails to truly engage with its history in a way which diverts us onto new paths. I fear we are simply repeating the mistakes of the industrial period in terms of our regeneration policies, and the Irk Valley is at the core of Manchester's transition, from its bucolic self, through to today's confused place, with the blackened wodge of its industrial self infecting the in-between times.”

By Emily Oldfield

All photographs by Simon Buckley

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/12/dark-days-luminous-nights-a-new-live-experience-for-volatile-times-b1476#comments1476 Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/12/manchester-collective-announce-new-immersive-audio-visual-experience-b1475 An immersive audio-visual experience for uncertain times.

Photo by Vic Frankowski

DARK DAYS, LUMINOUS NIGHTS

It is 2021. Manchester. Gleaming apartments rise up over the ancient river Irk, and under the prime real estate of Angel Meadow, 40,000 bodies are buried. Cities change.

An immersive audio-visual experience for uncertain times.

26 January – 30 January 2021

The White Hotel, Salford

In their most ambitious collaborative project to date, Manchester Collective re-imagine the live experience for a volatile new age. Inspired by a journey along a ruined waterway, Dark Days, Luminous Nights is part-exhibition, part-installation: a tapestry of music, film, dance and photography.

Featuring the work of artists Simon Buckley and Blackhaine, alongside a dramatic score by Edmund Finnis, Béla Bartók, and Wojciech Kilar, this intoxicating work looks deep into the soul of a city and asks: what have we lost?

Commissioned and produced by Manchester Collective, Dark Days, Luminous Nights is an immersive, audio-visual installation which audiences will experience and explore in timed slots. At the heart of the experience is a newly created 30-minute film featuring subversive artist Blackhaine, alongside a display of photographs by Simon Buckley. All artistic content has been captured and recorded in Manchester and Salford, during the pandemic.

Music underpins the visual experience, with three contrasting pieces – Béla Bartók’s Divertimento, Wojciech Kilar’s Orawa and The Centre is Everywhere by Edmund Finnis – reflecting the push and pull of urban decay.

Rakhi Singh, Manchester Collective co-founder and Music Director, says: “In a time when we can’t physically be together, we wanted to shape an experience that contains humanity and creates space for reflection. Dark Days, Luminous Nights is the story of what we’ve all been going through, not as individuals but as a collective experience.

“When we met Simon Buckley, we discovered that he has a similar connection with cities that we have with music – looking for spaces that are passed by, in the darkness and ignored. He finds the beauty and personality in them, as well as the hidden stories. His work seamlessly blends the contrasts of the music with elements of dance, photography and film into a complete experience.

“Most of all, this is a project about Manchester. It’s about our journey as individuals – as musicians, producers, directors, photographers… We are all part of these bricks and mortar, and it is our story to tell.”

Making his directorial debut for this project, in the film Simon Buckley traces a journey along the river Irk as four lone figures make their way through an urban hinterland. Buckley says: “My work in Dark Days Luminous Nights stems from a project I began five years ago called Not Quite Light (NQL), in which I set out to reacquaint myself with the city I’ve known and lived in for most of my life, at a time of huge transition both for myself and for Manchester. I was interested in using dawn as a metaphor for change and this project has allowed me to translate my vision into a film – through themes of regeneration, displacement and isolation.

“The NQL project was initially conceived in Angel Meadow, one of the locations for this new work, and so provides an opportunity to further examine the changes which are soon to arrive in this ancient area of the city of Manchester. The film, along with the photographs on display, could be seen as fragments of a disquieting dream, which sits in reality.”

Dark Days, Luminous Nights launches on Tuesday 26 January and runs until Saturday 30 January 2021. Tickets go on sale on Wednesday 9 December 2020 from manchestercollective.co.uk.

You are invited to join Santa for a Christmas bedtime story as he helps Victoria Baths with a very special event on Friday 18 December, which the whole family can take part in on Zoom.
 

Live from the North Pole, Santa’s going to be reading a bedtime story, so get the scene set with your fire glowing, your tree trimmed and your fairy lights sparkling and he’ll join you in your living room.  Get your pyjamas and Santa hats on, and hot chocolates at the ready, and snuggle down for what promises to be an enchanting pre-bedtime event.

Santa will “pop down the Zoom chimney” at 7.00pm and will have to leave at 8.00pm.  As well as reading a story, he’s hoping to have time to say hello to some of the children who are watching before he has to rush off to complete final preparations with his Elves ahead of Christmas Eve.

The event will be a festive treat at the end of a year when it’s not been possible for anyone to make the most of the events planned to take place at Manchester’s Grade II* listed Victoria Baths.  Bedtime Story with Santa will take place on Zoom and is free, but with a suggested minimum donation of £5 per household.  Victoria Baths Trust is a registered charity, and with Santa giving his time for free, all funds raised will go towards keeping this beautiful building open for everyone to enjoy. Only one ticket per household is needed, with bookings via www.bedtimestorywithsanta.eventbrite.co.uk  Places are limited so an early booking is recommended.

For further information on Victoria Baths visit www.victoriabaths.org.uk

The show, a story of the everyday lives of ordinary folk, living in a northern town called Weatherfield, was created by a young scriptwriter called Tony Warren.

It first screened live at 7pm on Friday 9^th December 1960 and changed the face of British television forever. It has been captivating audiences and proving a ratings success ever since.

More than 10,000 episodes later the Guinness World Record holding programme has seen 57 births, 146 deaths and 131 weddings alongside affairs, murders, secrets and lies, and not forgetting that unique blend of pathos and northern humour that makes the show just as popular today as it was all those years ago.

To celebrate this incredible milestone ITV is screening special shows, publishing an anniversary book, launching new products, unveiling unique social media content and of course at the centre of it all will be a fantastic week of drama on the cobbles of Weatherfield.

The anniversary week will see three storylines reach spectacular conclusions whilst at the same time starting off new chains of events which will take the show into 2021 and beyond.

For months the nation has been gripped by the appalling abuse inflicted by Geoff Metcalfe upon his wife Yasmeen. With Yasmeen on remand charged with Geoff’s attempted murder, the anniversary week will see the end of her trial.  Will justice be done or is the nightmare only just beginning for Yasmeen and Alya?

Meanwhile Carla and Adam battle to keep the shameful secret of their illicit night together, knowing that if the truth comes out it will ruin their lives and those around them. Nothing stays quiet for long in soaps, and as the week progresses the web of lies and deceit they’ve created threatens to destroy them with shocking consequences.

At the centre of the anniversary drama is of course Coronation Street itself as the residents unite to save the cobbles from the dastardly dealings of Ray Crosby. Having bought up most of the property and businesses in the area, Ray is ready to flatten the lot to make way for his new development. As the bulldozers arrive on the cobbles the race is on to save Britain’s most famous street.

The show will be screened on ITV as three one hour episodes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7.30pm. During the anniversary week fans will also be treated to two new ITV documentaries; Coronation Street 60 Unforgettable years and Queens of the Street.

BritBox subscribers can also watch a selection of dramas and episodes celebrating Britain’s favourite and longest-running soap. This includes The Road to Coronation Street (a drama documenting the journey of Coronation Street from conception to its first transmission in December 1960), Against The Odds: The Pat Phoenix Story (a drama following Pat Phoenix’s ill-fated affair with fellow actor Tony Booth in the 1950s) and Coronation Street: 60 Years in 60 Episodes (60 handpicked episodes which showcase the very best Corrie moments).

With average viewing figures in the UK still topping 7 million per episode, Coronation Street is a worldwide phenomenon, having been sold to a whopping 135 countries and is as synonymous with the UK as cups of tea and Sunday roasts.

On how the show has survived for 60 years, John Whiston, Managing Director of Continuing Drama & Head of ITV in the North, says:

“Coronation Street is very special. It’s about the humanity of seeing characters developed through the brains, intelligences and hearts of so many people. And seeing how they deal with situations you know you may have to deal with yourself in life. It’s a guide to humanity with a little bit of comfort blanket thrown in along with a little bit of sharp, northern wit.”

“It is the mix. Realistic storylines which tackle strong subjects - and Corrie has always had them - with more soapy affairs and people getting in other people’s faces. And then the humour, which the writers are so adept at. Coronation Street has always been characterised as strong women and feckless men. I’ve tried to keep that tradition.”

The show’s longest serving cast member William Roache MBE has been with the show since the first episode. Reflecting on the show’s longevity he says:

"Coronation Street has got a big heart. It’s a happy place to come to work. I look forward to going to work. That comes through on screen. There’s no doubt about that. Part of Coronation Street’s success is the love and the enjoyment for the show.”

“There is no reason why Coronation Street cannot go on forever if it continues to adapt to what is happening. Coronation Street is a massive part of my life. I love it and I am eternally grateful to it. I love what I’m doing. I see the future of more of the same and more enjoyment.”

Coronation Street’s anniversary week starts on Monday November 7th at 7.30pm on ITV

Manchester City of Literature has announced its new team, reaffirming its dedication to championing the city’s diverse cultural offering on a global stage. 

As part of the update, a new website has been unveiled, to be utilised to promote Manchester’s diverse literary sector as well as inviting curious minds to learn more about what the city has to offer. 

Manchester was permanently designated a UNESCO City of Literature in 2017, following a successful bid by Manchester City Council, the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester Literature Festival and partners such as Carcanet Press, The Portico Library, and Elizabeth Gaskell’s House. 

The prestigious title recognises the city’s commitment to supporting excellence in literature throughout the city, and involving as many Mancunians as possible in all the opportunities afforded by Manchester’s rich literary past and thriving literary present. 

This year sees the launch of the Manchester City of Literature’s executive office and the employment of Partnerships and Communications Manager, Jo Flynn, and Community Engagement Manager, Reece Williams. All the team are passionate about promoting the city’s diverse literary activity and UNESCO status.

Ivan Wadeson, Manchester City of Literature’s Executive Director, believes that now is the perfect moment to reintroduce Manchester to the exciting work that Manchester City of Literature is doing.

“We’re a city that boasts four historic libraries in its centre, 24 public libraries, hundreds of literature events, two writing schools, more than a dozen regular spoken word nights - I could go on!” Ivan said. “If you live in Manchester, you know it’s bursting at the seams with creativity. It’s our job at Manchester City of Literature to make sure that news of what we have to offer is spread far and wide.”

He added that in a city where more than 200 languages are spoken, it was an essential part of Manchester City of Literature’s remit that people from all backgrounds had the opportunity to tell their stories. 

“We want a city that celebrates its diverse voices, where creative talent and industries are nurtured and where literary activity changes lives,” he said. 

“We’re going to do this by bringing together all our partners and the writing community to work with local communities very closely, to build well-being, their confidence and their skills to enable them to tell their stories, and share them.”

Zahid Hussain, Chair of Manchester City of Literature, added that the website was a key tool in promoting Manchester’s UNESCO status on a global level, as well as for linking Manchester’s local communities to the wider writing community. 

“The new website is really going to provide a meeting place for both Manchester’s resident creatives and for those from all around the globe who are curious about what our world leading city has to offer,” he said. “We want to make clear that as much as we love libraries and books, that isn’t just what literature is about. The website, just like literature itself, is for anyone and everyone. We believe that whoever you are, there will be something for you on it.”

The easy to navigate website is populated with all the latest information about events and activities. Whether you’re looking for writing packs for young people, activities in your local library or chances to get creative to benefit your mental health, the new site has got you covered.

It also offers details of projects such as the Festival of Libraries and International Mother Language Day, positioning Manchester City of Literature at the forefront of Manchester’s vibrant cultural scene.

The mayor of Greater Manchester has been vocal in his support of Manchester’s status as a City of Literature, expressing his pride at the UNESCO designation. 

“Of course Manchester is a UNESCO Creative City!” Andy Burnham said. “Our creativity in this city knows no bounds, and the thriving literature scene is something we should all be proud of. 

“Manchester has a strong literary heritage seen to this day in our historic libraries, long-standing universities, and celebrated heritage buildings such as Elizabeth Gaskell's House, but we also have an eclectic and diverse contemporary literature scene in our spoken word events, indie publishers and award-winning theatres. 

“Literature is for us all, it's in the ways we speak to each other every day, in how we teach our kids at home, in stories we see ourselves in. Diversity of language and freedom of speech are part of Manchester's radical cultural identity and I'm so proud to see Manchester literature recognised on this global stage.”

And Labour Councillor Luthfur Rahman has also expressed his delight with the designation, saying that ‘culture, arts, creativity and literature are so important to Manchester’.

“It's important to the city's economy, it's important to jobs, to the health and wellbeing of our city,” he said. “It's the reason people come to live here and work here, it's the reason Manchester is the second most visited city in the United Kingdom.

“So therefore, I am so delighted that Manchester has been designated a UNESCO City of Literature. I hope this designation acts as a catalyst for more people to get involved in literature, to take up reading, writing, and just enjoy the literary offer that's available in the city.”

The new website can be found at http://www.manchestercityofliterature.com/

Manchester-based live music promoters NQ Jazz have established a brand-new partnership with two unique venues in Manchester; 500-seat music-venue, The Stoller Hall and new arts space, The Yard.

Their latest venture will bring some of the UK’s finest jazz musicians to Manchester for a series of socially distanced lunchtime concerts and masterclasses, evening concerts and live broadcasts. Through a mix of live in-venue performances and high-quality online broadcasts and performance archive, the programme will reach a global audience.

Amongst the artists involved are multiple MOBO award-winning saxophonist and composer Soweto Kinch, seminal vocalist Norma Winstone alongside long-term collaborators Stan Sulzmann and Nikki Iles, plus Jazz FM Instrumentalist of the Year 2016, Mark Lockheart — the renowned saxophonist and bandleader who rose to prominence with the influential big band Loose Tubes.

In addition to established artists, the partnership will champion rising stars and develop young talent, working with Manchester’s prestigious music school, Chetham’s, on a range of public Masterclasses, as well providing opportunities for Manchester’s student community to learn from leading jazz artists by working with the RNCM and the University of Manchester.

BBC Young Jazz Musician competitor and recent Edition Records signing Fergus McCreadie returns in January, performing with his trio in support of their outstanding new album, Cairn. Virtuosic jazz guitarist Rob Luft — a Jazz FM ‘Breakthrough Act’ and Parliamentary Jazz ‘Instrumentalist of the Year’ award recipient in 2018 — brings his quintet to the night in March, whilst the superb vocalist and Elftet member Ella Hohnen-Ford brings her own TreeClimbers project to Manchester in April.

NQ Jazz is also pleased to continue its series of live improvised soundtracks to silent film, this time focussed around a ‘seminal sci-fi’ theme, curated by guitarist and music for film expert José Dias. The five film nights will include live scores to classics such as Nosferatu, The Lost World and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, from musicians across the improvised music spectrum.

The Covid-safe, socially distanced events will take place if Manchester is in Tier 2 or Tier 1 Covid-19 measures at the time of the event, with audiences given the option of rescheduled dates and online broadcasts if Tier 3 restrictions prevent concerts going ahead as planned.

Emily Burkhardt, Artistic Director at NQ Jazz said:

“We’re delighted to be working alongside a diverse and wonderful spread of partners for our upcoming season, to bring more of the music we love to Manchester via our two brilliant new partner venues. We’re exceptionally proud to present this programme, featuring many of the UK’s most celebrated and exciting musicians.

“With The Stoller Hall being an internationally recognised state of the art concert hall and The Yard being a beautiful & intimate new arts space, bursting with creative vibrancy, we hope that there will be something for everyone in our programme!”

Fran Healey, General Manager of The Stoller Hall, said:

“Creating exceptional live music experiences for our audiences is what we’ve been doing ever since we opened our doors and we’re so excited for that to continue with a year-round programme of live jazz.

“This is a first for The Stoller Hall and for Manchester, where we can champion new music talent through our work with Chetham’s and showcase established musicians on our global stage.”

Jo Hamburger, General Manager of The Yard, said:

“Our values have always been built on showcasing the finest creative talent from and visiting the North West. With this in mind, we are beyond delighted about our new partnership with NQ Jazz, which will bring first class Jazz to the North side of Manchester on Monday nights from January 2021. We look forward to watching the community flourish and grow.”

These ‘Xmas Horror Nights’ provide an online opportunity to enjoy a festive cinematic thrill, featuring spooky shorts and some eerie extras as well as full-length feature films.

On Friday 11 December, there will be the premiere of For The Sake Of Vicious; pitting an innocent nurse against some deadly intruders in what becomes a brutal battle for survival. The emotionally harrowing feature film Rose will also be premiering on the same evening – the tale of a woman trapped by her own ill-health, as well as a dynamic of seclusion that is soon to be disrupted…

And that is not all! Making Friday 11 December an all-the-more freaky night to remember, the full-length film content will also be supported by a selection of shorts, with family-focused fears and domestic dread being key themes. This includes the heartrending Us – complete with the context of a Pandemic, rural England claustrophobia is brought to the fore in The Farmhouse, and Simon Stanford’s The Incubus sees a boyfriend’s return from the pub take a sinister turn. Guilt becomes its own monster in The Shallows, Ryan Harr and Jacquelyn Ferguson's Reflected plunges a woman into her worst nightmare, and finally there is claustrophobic short The Keeper: a creepy take on a young carer feeling increasingly under-threat in her patient’s home.

The hard-hitting horror carries on in the form of Saturday 12th December’s Xmas Horror Night line-up. Premiering will be Deathcember, a creepy compilation composed of 24 microshort films taking a twisted look at the festive season. Think of an advent calendar packed with twisted treats and genre talent! Red Screening (Al morir la Matinée) is the other freaky feature (a still from the film is pictured below) for the evening, following the course of a rainy night in ‘90s Montevideo and a movie auditorium with danger on the loose. A retro-styled slasher from the Director Maximiliano Contenti sure to get the goosebumps going! These features will also be supported by a shorts selection, with titles including Suspense, Like Me Deadly, Make A Wish and Here There Be Tygers – the latter being Polly Schattel's terrifying take on Stephen King’s first ever published short story.

All the above films will be available on the online platform Eventive, which Grimmfest has partnered up with to deliver a diversity of virtual delights over the course of 2020, including the much-loved Grimmfest 2020: online edition. Now December keeps the seasonal scares going with its ‘Xmas Horror Nights’, with additional content including Christmas competitions, festive goodies, cast and crew Q&As, and so much more! 

This thrilling festive offering marks the end of an impressive year for Grimmfest, which not only hosted a packed virtual edition of its annual festival for five days in October, but was recently declared one of the ‘World’s 50 Best Genre Fests of 2021’ according to MovieMaker Magazine. Grimmfest is after all known for its varied content covering all aspects and forms of horror, with the added highlights of regular Q&As, awards, seasonal screenings and more. Its adaptability and flexibility in quickly providing exciting online offerings for 2020 in the face of Covid-19 restrictions, highlights a forward-thinking festival that considers its audiences.

For more information https://grimmfest.com/grimmupnorth/

For Xmas Horror Nights tickets: https://xmahorrornights.eventive.org/welcome

Images provided by Grimmfest

‘Culture and Chips’ will provide an online platform for audiences, participants and all members of the Greater Manchester community alike to virtually come together and talk about arts and culture. Even better, bringing your chips, as well as ideas, to the table… is encouraged!

Oldham Coliseum aims for this open-to-all online space to be a welcoming way for people to engage with not only the theatre but each other  – and it’s free to join in. Members of the community are also welcomed to share their views on what they would perhaps like to see from Oldham Coliseum in the future, and how the theatre can best serve them.

A key thing that the Coliseum is already aiming to serve in the future is – the chips! Although Covid-19 restrictions currently mean that the meet-ups are taking place virtually via Zoom (and following the second nationwide Covid 19 Lockdown, Oldham Coliseum announced on 4 November that the theatre’s doors would remain closed to the public until early 2021), when it is safe to resume the meetings in-person, Oldham Coliseum will be providing the refreshments… all part of their initiative to make ‘Culture and Chips’ as welcoming as possible.

Each ‘Culture and Chips’ session will involve guests from Oldham and beyond talking about their practice, connections to the area and what they would like to see in the future – as invited by the Coliseum. The meet-up will be formed around three questions or conversation-starters, with the topics set by attendees. This is an opportunity for varied discussion, to ask artists any burning questions, to find out more about creative practice, what this means to communities and how arts organisations can better provide for the wider public.

Oldham Coliseum has long been a key component of the Greater Manchester community after all  – established in 1885, it has served time as a cinema and even a music hall in its past, as well as being a theatre! Stories and memories about the place abound; it was even dismantled and moved from its original Henshaw Street site to where it stands today! Well-known for championing local as well as national talent, it welcomes a variety of genres including comedy, drama and of course the much-loved pantomime! Yet due to covid-19 measures the theatre has been closed to the public for much of 2020, and in turn the Coliseum set up its first ever Crowdfunder (titled ‘Get Behind Us', still running) which Haunt previously wrote about here. ‘Culture and Chips’ marks another way to connect with the theatre and its strong community spirit.

The first ‘Culture and Chips’ meet up is on Wednesday 16 December at 5pm, taking place virtually via Zoom. Tickets are free but must be booked via the Coliseum website. 

And that is not all! Although the usual pantomime cannot go ahead this year, there is some virtual festive fun in the form of Panto Digital Storytelling, as audiences are invited online to enjoy the unique telling of some favourite tales. From Saturday 12 December – 2 January, viewers can choose between the stories of Cinderella or Jack and the Beanstalk, inviting Dame Dotty Trott (actor Richard J Fletcher) or Cinderella herself (actor Shorelle Hepkin) to give their version of events! This is exciting online panto with a difference! December even sees a theatrical advent calendar from Oldham Coliseum: the Advent Plays! Running on the Coliseum’s social media channels from 1 December onwards, audiences at home can enjoy the unique digital offering of 24 short plays by 14 North West writers – all filmed on the Oldham Coliseum’s historic stage!

To find out more, visit the Oldham Coliseum Theatre website: http://www.coliseum.org.uk/

What is Manchester? That is the question a brand new book 'Manchester: Something Rich and Strange' seeks to explore, through a range of writings and stories as diverse as the city itself. It was published in November 2020 by Manchester University Press and launched in an online event with the People’s History Museum (PHM) on the 26 November.

Edited by Paul Dobraszczyk and Sarah Butler, this captivating collection pulls together a variety of perspectives, with 25 contributors in total – not only writers, but also academics, historians, architects and artists. It is this range of accounts that make Manchester what it is; a place of layered history, unusual urban geography, atmosphere and intrigue.

Manchester: Something Rich and Strange delves below the ‘surface’ narrative of the city – the oft-advertised shopping districts and tourist attractions– and takes the reader into the under-appreciated and overlooked aspects like never before. It explores not just the city, but Greater Manchester, a place where people live, work and wander through, time-over.

Determined to shake up our set definitions of ‘Manchester’ itself, this book tells a story of the city through a range of themed sections – with a number of contributors responding to each – including the likes of ‘Monuments’, ‘Movement’, ‘Underworld’, ‘Dregs’, ‘Secrets’ and Destruction’: factors that influence our ever-influencing perceptions of place.

From Dr Morag Rose’s (of the Manchester-based Loiters Resistance Movement) exploration of Spirit in the ‘Atmospheres’ section, to Professor Nick Dunn’s encounter with a Ring road in the ‘Movement’ section, these are writings as rich and strange as the title itself. Poet Andrew McMillan gives a powerful reflection on Violence, Peter Kalu provides an alternative angle on the Car wash, Qaisra Shahraz considers the meaning of Immigrant, and so much more. This book marks an opportunity to consider Manchester’s multi-layered location from a whole new aspect.

According to Co-Editor Sarah Butler (Lecturer in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University), when considering her approach to Manchester and the book itself: 

"I was born in St Mary's hospital on Oxford Road in Manchester, and grew up in Stockport. I moved away for university and stayed away for sixteen years, before returning in 2012. I remember talking about coming 'home' but realizing once I got here that I didn't know Manchester any more. I had changed. It had changed. And so for the last eight years I have been re-finding Manchester, and re-making my relationship with it. Working on Manchester: Something Rich and Strange has been a real pleasure and privilege because it has immersed me even more deeply in the complexities of this city I call home, and has brought me into contact with a diverse group of talented and passionate writers who care about Manchester as much as I do."

Pictured below: Some of the many underground spaces beneath the city, from the Stones of Manchester website. By Paul Dobraszczyk. 

Dr Becky Alexis-Martin, who contributed to the collection, reflects:

"My chapters, Ginkgo, Radium and Arsenic, facilitated a deep-dive into a secret history of place. It was a luxury and a pleasure to be able to consider the hidden significance of a city that I love, through materials and species - from the Cake of Death to Manchester's pacifist heritage. Paul and Sarah have done an amazing job in bringing together so many different writers."

The book also contains a series of enchanting photographs, as well as full-colour artworks from Dr Sean Mills, allowing for a visceral, visual experience that reveals Manchester’s unusual angles, hidden histories and under-appreciated aspects.

Here at Haunt Manchester, we decided to speak to Co-Editor Paul Dobraszczyk to find out more:

Hello Paul! Congratulations on the book! What was the initial inspiration behind it?

“In 2016 I decided to try and walk the entirety of Greater Manchester to get to know places near and far, to discover what if anything gives this large urban region its identity. Over two years, 400 miles and 12,000 photographs later, I still don’t know. Is it the unmistakeable brick monoliths that were once cotton mills? The long rows of terraced housing? Warehouses, both grand and mundane? Civic buildings such as town halls? Or maybe underground spaces - sewers and tunnels connecting up city and region? All of the images included here are from the website I created out of photographs taken on these walks, which I called the Stones of Manchester (www.stonesofmanchester.com). 

“Many of the photographs in the book came from that project; and the book tries to achieve something of the same expansiveness but in words - to explore the city through writing. The 60 words that form the basis for the individual pieces were chosen by the writers but all speak of some distinct facet of the urban region of Greater Manchester. So, for example, in the ‘c’s we have: canal, car wash, chimney, cloister, clough, cobble, co-op, corridor, and cotton. Grouped into 11 larger themes, these 60 words challenge us to think anew about what and who gives Manchester its identity, from the city centre to the fringes of the urban region.”

Pictured below: The mills of Greater Manchester, a screenshot from the Stones of Manchester website. By Paul Dobraszczyk. 

Can you tell us a bit more about the structuring process of the book? For example, did you devise the section titles and then invite contributions?

“What's interesting is that the structure really wasn't defined in advance. I had issued quite a general 'call' for writers and also approached some friends and other people I knew of who were writing about the city. But each writer chose their own words (usually 3) and there ended being only a slight overlap in subjects in just a few of the 60 pieces. Once Sarah and I had the chance to read and edit the articles, we worked out relevant themes, with a surprisingly good fit emerging for all the articles! I think this method was quite risky but it was also in tune with the basic idea of discovering the city through writing and photography and of letting the structure emerge out of this rather than imposing it in advance.

"We also wanted to get a diversity of voices, something that reflected the diversity of the city - we were pleased to get a 50/50 split between male and female writers, but it proved more difficult to get fair representation for Black and Asian writers. More work needs to be done here to get their voices heard, whether building confidence in writers or challenging publishers to become more diverse (and not so concentrated in London!).”

Our experience of Manchester ever-evolves as the city evolves, with the Covid-19 pandemic having a significant impact on how we experience place too. When was the book put together, and do you think its writings are the reflection of a particular moment in time?

“For me personally, the book was a response to two things: first, the acceleration of regeneration in the urban core, encompassing both Manchester and Salford; and, second, the powerful calls for unity after the Arena terror attack on 22 May 2017. My own explorations were about a search for this unifying identity, far away from the elitist development of the urban core and the cliched soundbites so beloved of Manchester's marketeers. The book was about trying to capture something of the city's diversity, both in terms of those who write about it, and also about the places that are written about. 

“It seems a little ironic to be releasing a book about connection in the middle of a global pandemic, when I'm sure that most of us feel very disconnected from the city and its people. I've been really struggling with this over the past few months but maybe this opens up more room for imaginative experiences of the city - experiences in words and images rather than in situ. It will be fascinating to see how our engagement with the city changes once things return to some level of normality.”

Pictured below:  Looking north across the urban region of Greater Manchester from Spond's Hill in the Peak District. By Paul Dobraszczyk. 

What can be gained from delving below the ‘set narrative’ of a place, so to speak?   

“This is an excellent question! We're really drawn to stories about places that sum up essences - they're comforting, they draw us together and make us feel that we belong somewhere. But all too easily, these can exclude, usually things or people that make us uncomfortable or are disconcerting. I find it interesting that no-one would ever attempt to define the 'essence' of London, or any very large global city; but people seem obsessed about doing so for Manchester. Maybe this is a sign of an inferiority complex! I would argue that provincial cities contain just as much complexity and richness as capital cities, but that it has to be searched for, often in places and spaces that are mundane and overlooked. We also need to be open to whatever we find, however difficult it might seem, at least on the surface, to find meaning in such everyday things as cobbles, alleyways, bricks and rain.”

Do you think this book has opened your eyes to aspects of Manchester you had perhaps never encountered before? Can you give us some examples?

“Together with the photography project, this book has transformed my view of Manchester and the urban region which has Manchester at its centre. I had not expected to find so much richness in the atmospheres of the city: the colour of the sky; the smoke that descended on the city during the industrial revolution and more recently with the moorland fires in 2018; the different kinds of rain which we're all too familiar with. I was also amazed at the way the same kinds of buildings reappear all over the urban region - cooperative buildings that were once the bedrock of every industrial community; civic buildings in all of the towns, many of which are still important seats of government; mosaics and tiles in all different kinds of buildings; the variety of religious architecture, particularly churches, mosques and synagogues.”

Pictured below: The Owen Street towers epitomise the recent regeneration of the urban core, photographed in 2019. By Paul Dobraszczyk. 

The book is available now. 

Image credits in the captions 

By Emily Oldfield 

Beginning at the start of the day on the Pacific Date Line in Fiji at 10AM GMT, the marathon event features a stunning line-up of live guests and DJs, for households to celebrate the end of 2020, and welcome in the new year.

The entire 24-hour live stream will be broadcast as a digital reconstruction of FAC51 with the DJs performing to a virtual crowd in the original recreated venue.

The two previous FAC51 The Haçienda and United We Stream GM online parties amassed a global audience of millions and provided enjoyment in what has proved a difficult and challenging year. This New Year’s party offers some of the finest international DJs, a gallery of Haçienda regulars and some very special one-off live performances, all broadcast via United We Stream GM to raise funds for good causes.

Returning for a bespoke one-off live performance is Haçienda Classical with Manchester Camerata and AMC Choir, produced exclusively for New Year’s Eve by DJ Graeme Park and musical director Tim Crooks alongside the Camerata orchestra, musicians and vocalists including Yvonne Shelton, Melanie Williams, Rae Hall and some surprise special guests.

A very special tribute to Frankie Knuckles is planned: The Frankie Knuckles Foundation will replay Frankie’s 2013/2014 NYE Albert Hall Manchester set, performed within the virtual Haçienda.

The DJ roster for New Year’s Eve for the event is one of The Hacienda's strongest ever. From the New York scene: Danny Tenaglia, David Morales, Todd Terry and Tony Humphries. From Detroit, Carl Craig, and live from Los Angeles, Moby, with all playing one off, exclusive sets.

Meanwhile, over in UK, dance music band Inner City, Phuture,  DJ Norman Jay MBE and a whole host of Haçienda regulars spanning the entire history of the club return to FAC51 including Graeme Park, Greg Wilson, Jon Dasilva, DJ Paulette, Justin Robertson, Sub Sub, K-Klass, DJ Woody, Peter Hook and the club’s first ever resident Hewan Clarke.

All of the performers involved are giving their time and talents gratis to the event, to boost morale for mancunians and beyond, during the ongoing Coronavirus restrictions.

Haçienda Classical has seen FAC51 team up with its hometown orchestra Manchester Camerata since its debut in 2016 and highlights include some ten sold out concerts at Castlefield Bowl and The Royal Albert Hall with headline appearances at Kendal Calling, Isle of Wight Festival (twice) and Glastonbury Festival’s Pyramid Stage.

Manchester Camerata is “Britain’s most adventurous orchestra”, according to The Times, and their long-standing work in the community with schools, care homes and people living with dementia shows their great compassion for and commitment to the city-region. 

The Haçienda Twenty-Four Hour House Party NYE is being produced, and broadcast exclusively by United We Stream Greater Manchester from 10am on December 31, till 10am on January 1, 2021.

United We Stream GM is free to watch, but viewers can donate via the website, with all income of the stream split 50% for the oneGM campaign, and 50% to charities chosen by The Haçienda: Save The Children, The Frankie Knuckles Foundation and PeaceMeal in Ancoats.

The oneGM campaign was launched by the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham to raise funds to get local support to the people hardest hit by the economic impact of COVID-19 in Greater Manchester.

From food poverty, to supporting those experiencing or at risk of homelessness, to providing mental health support; oneGM will deliver funding to organisations working hard to minimise the impact of this global crisis right within all local neighbourhoods.

During the first UK lockdown from the Coronavirus crisis, United We Stream GM was watched by over seven million people and the acclaimed project ran for 12 weeks, amassing donations of nearly half a million pounds for 12 different good causes and local charities, with some 40 fundraising events broadcast live on the platform.

Warehouse Project founder and executive producer of United We Stream GM, Sacha Lord explains:

“A few weeks ago, I promised that Greater Manchester would hold the biggest New Year’s Eve event, not just in the UK, but probably across Europe. During the initial 10 week United We Stream run, the most viewed events were the two Haçienda productions. We always strive to better ourselves, so we are back, with not only a bigger line up, spanning artists across the globe, but also running for 24 hours. We are the 24-Hour Party People. Nothing will stop us from doing what we do best, and at the same time, raising many funds for those in need. The last time I did 24 hours solidly, was quite a few years ago…but I’m prepared to give it another bash!”

Peter Hook said; “‘The Haçienda was all about the people from day one. This has been a terrible year and my two highlights were our gigs on United We Stream Greater Manchester. For the simple reason that it helped bring people together, entertained so many when we needed it most for some great causes.”

“We’ve been watching the awful turn of events over the past year and realised it was time to round this year off in positive way and bring everyone together again for a great big party. This is only way we know how and let’s rave safe in 2021. From Manchester with love’.

From the Frankie Knuckles Foundation, Frederick Dunson said “The Frankie Knuckles Foundation is extremely excited and proud to be participating in The Haçienda’s 24 Hour New Year’s Eve event with their special tribute honouring our beloved Frankie.  He enjoyed his appearances at The Haçienda and for his legion of friends it will be reminiscent to hear him, and celebrate New Year’s Eve.”

“We are thankful to the great group of his DJ friends that are appearing in this historic event!”

People around the world will be able to watch #HaçiendaNYE exclusively via www.unitedwestream.co.uk, and the United We Stream GM official  Facebook, Twitter, Twitch and You Tube accounts.

#UnitedWeStreamGM #HaciendaNYE #oneGM

Hatch’s friendly neighbourhood grooming salons - Portland Barbers and Industry will also be open to take care of that all-important post-lockdown, pre-Christmas haircut. Independent street food will be on the menu too with a slimmed down, tier 3 collection of traders opening for takeaway. This includes inventive sandwiches by Ate Days a Week, Asian street food by Fuku, fabulous takeaway wine by Vin-Yard, Sicilian street food by Tarricrii, vegan dishes from Herbivorous, Vietnamese street food from Hanoi 75 and Cyprian cuisine from Mezze. Takeaway food can be ordered and collected here: https://goodeats.io/hatch/all

The rest of the Hatch crew are gearing up to be back after the next tier review when it is hoped that the whole destination will reopen with the full Hatch experience.

As Manchester strives to get Christmas back on track, the Hatch teams are encouraging everyone to shop local this festive season, rewarding loved ones with something unique and extra special under the tree and supporting local businesses at the same time.

With Small Business Saturday coming up this weekend (Saturday 5th December) Hatch will be rewarding customers shopping from any of their indie traders by handing out Hatch gift vouchers as spot prizes. The vouchers will be assigned totally at random throughout the course of the day and there’ll be £100 worth given away. All shoppers need to do to be in with a chance of winning a voucher is to buy local and independent at Hatch on Saturday!

To give a more distinctive and considered gift this year head to Hatch for a Christmas shopping experience like no other…

Retailers Open
Suzy Loves Milo - find a one of a kind, upcycled piece from the king of vintage, Suzy Loves Milo. Something completely original for your festive wardrobe or the fashionista in your life.

O’Donnell Moonshine – Forget the same old supermarket spirits, this Christmas calls for something totally unique (and stronger). O’Donnell Moonshine make handcrafted spirits and liqueurs and serve in bespoke packaging. Inspired by the infamous spirits from the Prohibition period, you’ll find mini mason jars of sticky toffee, wild berry and bitter rose moonshines. You can mix and match creating your own boozy selection box to go under the tree. Genius! And only at Hatch.

Sneaker Pharm – give the gift of ‘like new’ trainers with a Sneaker Pharm gift voucher. At Hatch’s trainer boutique you can bring your old kicks in and Vinny and his team will restore them to their former glory. An absolute winner of a gift for the sneaker lover in your life.

Nordic Muse – The Nordic own-brand lifestyle collective has been at Hatch since the beginning and have established a huge following via their incredibly high value, high quality, beautifully designed minimalist jewellery and home-living collections. An independent, local gift alternative for the person who loves beautiful things. 

Blacksquare Beer - Black Square Beer will become your next favourite craft beer bottle shop! Stocking a wide range of independent breweries from our shores and further afield they offer the best IPAs, Pale Ales, Sours, Stouts, Lagers and more. Perfect stocking fillers for the beer lover in your life.

DJ Gym - Northern branch of the UK’s network of DJ studios will be open, continuing to offer one-to-one DJ and production courses accredited by the London Sound Academy.

Hatch is proud to be part of the 50 Windows of Creativity trail and a mural by Caroline Dowsett has taken over one of the units – it’s a painting you can walk right into and it can be spotted while you’re shopping at Hatch.

Andrea George, Director of Retail at Bruntwood Works, commented: “Hatch has been transformed into a gorgeous, cosy winter wonder village and all our retailers, hairdressers and takeaways are open and ready for the festive period.  We are open Tuesday-Saturday thus allowing customers plenty of time to come along and support local independent businesses in a safe environment. Our businesses have worked extremely hard to be able to open their doors safely within Tier 3 restrictions and we’re all looking forward to welcoming shoppers back to Hatch for Christmas shopping.”
 

1 – 25 December 2020
From 10.30am daily
Free on the Royal Exchange website and social media channels.  

Created by an incredible collection of professional artists and community participants, this year the countdown to Christmas from the Royal Exchange Theatre will be filled with stories that celebrate the streets and voices of Greater Manchester in ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS. From tales of contemporary city-centre tower blocks to the terraces of Glebe Street in Leigh, each day behind an advent calendar door, a short section of a story will be revealed - a story filled with hope, joy and a little Christmas magic from some of the most inspiring artists from, and connected to, Greater Manchester. ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS is free to watch from 1 December – just wait for the door to open and the story will begin.

Bringing together film makers, directors, musicians, writers, performers, dancers, sound, costume and lighting designers, producers, dramaturgs, community partners and the staff of the Royal Exchange Theatre - ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS has been created by artists including Hollywood actors and community ambassadors. The team includes Gloria Akpoke, Liz Aniteye, Andy Barry, Hafsah Aneela Bashir, Suzanne Bell, Anna Berentzen, Alexandra Faye Braithwaite, Jude Christian, Philippa Crossman, Russell T Davies, Akiel Dowe, Tracey Dunk, Gordon Emerson, Juliana Fapohunda (I M Pact), Sophie Galpin, Annie Giles-Quinn, Conor Glean, Shobna Gulati, Cherylee Houston, Nimmo Ismail, Sonia Jalaly, Kit Jordan, Sabiha Khan, Zak Khan, Kieran Knowles, Nana Kofi Kufuor, Nathan Lea, Debbie Leach, Houmi Miura, Wunmi Mosaku, Ayanda (Yandass) Ndlovu (I M Pact), Farai Nhakaniso, Kate O’Donnell, Emily Paris (I M Pact), Maxine Peake, Ramina Radmard, Hannah Sands, Bryony Shanahan, Gurjeet Singh, Liam Steers, Sophie Stone, Ben Sullivan, Testament, TIME (Terriss Zure (I M Pact)), Chantell Walker, Don Warrington, Roy Alexander Weise, Becky Wilkie, John R Wilkinson, Carys Williams, Benedict Wong, Fred Yeomans and Maria Zemlinskaya.

Audiences will find the six short films scattered across the 24 days of an advent calendar, with an extra special performance for Christmas Day. Set in the tower blocks of Manchester City Centre, on Cheetham Hill Road (Cheetham), Gigg Lane (Bury), Glebe Street (Leigh), Henrietta Street (Ashton-Under -Lyne) and Grey Mare Lane (Beswick) are stories of the communities and people who breathe life into these unassuming Greater Manchester streets. ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS celebrates the Exchange’s city centre home and the areas of Greater Manchester that are part of the Theatre’s region-wide Local Exchange programme.

Executive Director Steve Freeman & Joint Artistic Directors Roy Alexander Weise, Bryony Shanahan said…

‘ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS brings together freelance artists and theatre workers, members of our Young and Elders Company, our Local Exchange Ambassadors and our extraordinary staff team; a small group of individuals who make up just part of the cultural community to which we belong. The streets of Greater Manchester are inhabited by us all - ordinary people living extraordinary lives. In this most challenging of years, with a challenging Christmas approaching we wanted to remind people of the resilience of human beings, the power of storytelling, and the strength of community. Escapism feels like such a radical, political act right now and this gift is an offer to all to tap into the power of the imagination; found in the cracks of our fear and the world’s uncertainty. 

Choosing just six streets was tough but it felt important to shine a light on the areas and communities we have been working closely with as part of our Local Exchange programme. The broad range of artists involved show how rich the region is with talent and imagination; the passion and enthusiasm from all involved proves how Greater Manchester has a special place in the hearts of many. 

Our team at the Royal Exchange have come together, battling through a void of deep pain and adversity to make this happen in record speed. We want to thank them for enduring this year of uncertainty with us. To ensure that the hardship of 2020 is not in vain, we must look forward with purpose to 2021, which will be a time of celebration and re-invention. We cannot wait to bring our audiences and communities on the journey into a new chapter for the Royal Exchange Theatre.’

Each year after the Christmas show we ask audiences to give what they can to the Arts Pot. This fund was created to break down barriers to engagement. It supports anyone who wants to take part in the Theatres programmes, from the Children’s Company through to our Elders Company. Applications can be made to cover fees or travel costs or any additional access needs such as BSL interpreter. This year we are opening the fund once again over the Christmas period.

Marianne, an Arts Pot recipient, said …
'I get quite emotional about the Royal Exchange because I’ve grown up and grown old with it. I felt Arts Pot was really for people who were on their knees, but it’s not. It’s just to make things a bit easier so you haven’t got to make choices, y’know.'

The ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS advent calendar can be found on the website and will be released daily, at 10.30am, on the Theatre’s social media channels.

The day-long special will broadcast live with sets pre-recorded at sites in Ramsbottom, including the festival’s picturesque base at Ramsbottom Cricket Ground, and from organisers The Met in Bury. After a year of challenges and setbacks for everyone who lives, loves and breathes festivals, this will be one last reminder of the power of live music and a spotlight on this brilliant sector as we head into December.

Sacha Lord, Night Time Economy Adviser for Greater Manchester said “I'm really pleased that we will be showcasing the best of Head For The Hills on United We Stream Greater Manchester - This is a great boutique festival, one of the best in the North, rich in local talent and creativity, and it’s right here on our doorstep in Ramsbottom.

“The Met in Bury has been United We Stream’s home since we began the project at the start of April, so creating a virtual Head For The Hills in conjunction with the team there is a perfect way to celebrate the collaborations and creativity that have endured during this year.

“The restrictions for mass gatherings won’t continue forever and I’m very confident that festivals will be taking place in 2021, but for now this is the next best way to enjoy a day’ of fantastic regional music and culture.

There will be live festival sets from Greater Manchester artists including I Am Kloot’s John Bramwell and Jesca Hoop alongside Liverpool art-pop trio Stealing Sheep. International acts who have previously found plenty of new fans in the Ramsbottom hills will also be beaming in special performances, with The Once coming from Canada, Giant Rooks from Germany, and Elephant Sessions from Scotland. More performers will be announced over the next week, as well as details of DJ sets that will keep you dancing until long after the headliners have usually finished.

Artistic Director of Head For The Hills and The Met David Agnew said “We feel hugely excited to be able to bring together some of our audience's most loved acts and discoveries since we started the festival in 2011

This chance to share a taste of Head For The Hills via the brilliant platform of United We Stream will give thousands of people a flavour of what we hope will return to festival sites across the country next summer.”

Councillor Jane Black, Cabinet Member for the Cultural Economy, Bury Council said "Head For The Hills and culture in general has a huge impact on life, business and enjoyment across our borough, - and music has become even more important to many residents in recent months.

We're delighted that, thanks to a partnership with United We Stream, we're able to share a taster of one of the most important events in our cultural calendar. We're looking forward to welcoming music lovers from across the country virtually to Ramsbottom and Bury as we reach the end of 2020."

Poet Tony Walsh has become a regular act and great supporter of the festival, and will be hosting and performing at this online version. There’ll also be spoken word from Dublin’s Stephen James Smith, performing live from Ireland.

Head For The Hills will bring a little festival flavour to the town of Ramsbottom in December with light installations and projections on local landmarks from Walk The Plank and Illimunos.

Follow United We Stream (@StreamGM) and Head For The Hills (@head4hillsfest) online to see more over the coming days. The festival will be available to watch online for free at unitedwestream.co.uk and headforthehills.org.uk, as well as via facebook.com/head4hillsfest.

Many shoppers might prefer to visit the centre during quieter periods, which are generally earlier in the day and later in the evening. Quieter shopping times will be posted weekly via The Trafford Centre’s social channels. 

The centre is open 10am - 10pm on weekdays and some larger stores - including Selfridges, Debenhams, John Lewis, Boots, Primark and M&S - will open an hour earlier at 9am, offering people the opportunity to tick everything off their Christmas list early. Primark will also trade from 7am on 2 December until normal closing time on 3 December. 

To ensure safe social distancing, the centre will be observing capacity limits. This means that customers may be asked to queue outdoors during busier periods and are advised to dress appropriately for the winter weather. Furthermore, a number of car parks and entrances will remain closed to help manage capacity. Visitors should check this information on the website before their visit: traffordcentre.co.uk.  

As Greater Manchester is tier 3, restaurants will be open for takeaway only and leisure venues will not be open. Visitors should be mindful of the government rules on travelling into the area and meeting anyone from outside their household or support bubble at the centre.  

The Trafford Centre’s strong safety measures will continue to play an important part in making the centre a safe place to visit and work. 

Everyone that visits the centre must wear a face covering in line with government guidance, which securely covers their nose and mouth, unless they are exempt. People should follow the marked routes, with a one-way system being in place to allow everyone to comfortably social distance once inside.  

Enhanced hygiene regimes will continue, with regular deep cleaning of key areas and touchpoints like escalators, toilets and keypads. Hand sanitation stands will also remain at entrances and throughout the centre. 

Zoe Inman, Centre Director at The Trafford Centre, said: “It’s been an unusual year, but Christmas is still the highlight in our calendar, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back on Wednesday 2nd December.  

“Since the start of this pandemic, we’ve had robust and adaptable plans to ensure the safety of everyone who visits and works at The Trafford Centre, and these strong safety measures will continue as non-essential retail opens again. 

“We would recommend visitors spend a few minutes planning their visit to ensure they have the best experience possible. We know the Christmas season is going to be different this year, but we’d like to thank everyone in advance for doing their part.”  

Until they can open the doors again Castlefield Gallery will be inviting audiences to visit Obstructions from the comfort of their homes, and engage with the project online. On 6 December obstructions-castlefieldgallery.co.uk will go live with digital content from the exhibition. Online visitors will be able to watch video works, view installation images and read responses from the artists about their work in the exhibition. A 360 ° virtual tour of the exhibition will also enable visitors to travel digitally through the gallery space. A series of special online events programmed to coincide with the exhibition will take place through January and February and will be announced soon.

Image Credit: Sabrina Fuller, Away (2020). Video still

Earlier this year, Castlefield Gallery invited 15 artists from the North West of England to re-make an existing piece of their work with one condition: they had to accept a bespoke ‘Obstruction’ given to them by another artist in the exhibition. Inspired by a long history of artists using self-imposed restrictions to aid creative or free thinking, it also riffs off the restrictions and disruptions caused by COVID-19.

Selected from Salford Scholars who are supported by University of Salford Art Collection, Castlefield Gallery Mentees from Manchester School of Art, and the gallery’s bOlder programme, all the artists are either under 30 or over 50 years of age, creating the opportunity to foster a conversation between two distinct generations. At a time when perceptions of different generations may be fraught with misconceptions, this process has enabled them to learn from each other.

Artists: Heather Bell, Maya Chowdhry, Tara Collette, Alena Ruth Donely, Jack Doyle, Jane Fairhurst, Sarah Feinmann, Tina Finch, Sabrina Fuller, Parham Ghalamdar, Claire Hignett, Paddy O'Donnell, Chris Rainham, Katie Tomlinson, Ian Vines.

Each Obstruction varies: most are short, a few are long and detailed with sub points and several stages. Some are specific and practical while others are more conceptual and abstract, such as ‘…you must tell us a story which must include a Goddess and full-on, uninhibited anger’.

With a desire to be supportive but also to challenge each other, each Obstruction has been received with mixed reactions. Some chose to push back against them, playfully interpreting them or taking them overly literally. What may appear to be a subtle request, may in fact be a great challenge for an artist as they are pushed out of their comfort zone, either with the materials they have to use or the way they have to think.

Artists who would normally rely on the support of the wall are having to make works that will ‘stand up on their own’. Those who usually make good use of colour are now seeing only in monochrome or have been simply forced to paint without their brushes. Others have had to work with washed up plastics or only the things they have acquired in the last six months. Often the obstructions have sent the artists in oblique directions finding themselves meeting up with their childhood imaginary friend in meta-narrative film works or constructing a war time bunker for one. The potential for failure is part of the excitement of the project. The artists know well that the benefit from risks taken now may have a long-lasting effect on their future work.

Castlefield Gallery continued to nurture contemporary visual artists during the lockdown period, taking its exhibitions online, generating paid work for artists in a time of great uncertainty, contributing to non-digital activity to reach out to vulnerable communities in the region as well as developing plans for connecting artists within the North West region and Greater Manchester with international artists . As the artists in this exhibition are North West-based with the majority in Greater Manchester, the gallery focused its support with an opportunity to show their work and to connect with their peers and other artists locally that they might not otherwise encounter.

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/11/obstructions-at-castlefield-gallery-b1461#comments1461 Mon, 30 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/11/lets-save-christmas-with-chester-zoo-b1460 What a year 2020 has been! It’s definitely been tricky, to say the least. But Chester Zoo is here to make sure the end of 2020 is NOTHING like the rest. What a year 2020 has been!

It’s definitely been tricky, to say the least. But Chester Zoo is here to make sure the end of 2020 is NOTHING like the rest.

We’re determined to SAVE CHRISTMAS… the Chester Zoo way!

Chester Zoo has lots of wonderful ideas to help bring as much FUN, love and ways of connecting with friends, family and wildlife as possible this festive season!

And what’s even better, ALL purchases made with Chester Zoo go towards preventing extinction, so, not only can you treat yourself and loved ones to ROAR-some gifts, you’re also saving wildlife at the same time!

Buy a zoo-inspired gift

We’ve lovingly handpicked gifts inspired by the zoo so you can spoil the people you care about the most and help care for wildlife at the same time. Just select the gift they’ll like the best and we’ll do the rest. Better still, buy one gift for you and another for your loved ones and share the very same Christmas experiences – as if you were together. Explore the zoo’s gift shop, here.

Join the Chester Zoo family

By becoming a member you can visit the zoo for a whole year and create precious memories with loved ones, as well as attend talks and events exclusive to our members, plus loads of other benefits – including a discounts on food, drink and in the gift shop. Visit the zoo throughout the year and you'll soon discover that there’s always something new at Chester Zoo! Our zoo memberships are the gift that just keeps on giving.

Adopt an animal

There are some big animals at the zoo, some small, some weird but all of them WONDERFUL! You can adopt a species of your choice or treat the animal lover in your life and not only will you be helping to fund vital conservation work around the world, you’ll also receive an exclusive adoption pack and your name will be displayed on a ‘Thank You’ plaque in the zoo near the animal you adopted.

Connect with nature

Not only can you get closer to wildlife this winter by booking a visit to the zoo, you can also let the outside in, by getting out in nature on a winter walk to see what UK wildlife you can spot. Whether you’re a lone wanderer or an intrepid explorer, get out and about – you might be surprised at what you find! Explore Chester Zoo’s handy games, activities and guides for more ways of getting closer to wildlife, here.

Head over the zoo’s website to find more ways you can save Christmas the Chester Zoo way. And don’t forget to share your zoo-inspired activities with us on social media using #OurZooChristmas

Check out our roundup of the city's top 5 fusion restaurants.

1. Vermilion Restaurant and Cinnabar 

Vermilion Restaurant and Cinnabar is 3-storey Asian wonderland that includes a restaurant, cocktail lounge, club, events hall and art gallery, designed by worldwide renowned designers such as Miguel Cancio Martins, Ken Winch, Warmrain, and Firefly. 

The restaurant serves exquisite Thai & Indian cuisine and has recently hired Masterchef hero Bobby Retnakumar Geetha as Consultant Chef, making Vermilion & Cinnabar a landmark for Manchester and receiving amazing reviews from Wallpaper magazine, The Guardian, Tim Burton, Tatler, David Cameron, Arena Magazine and GQ.

2. Australasia

A million miles away from anything else in Manchester, Australasia isn't bound by tradition or a set of ideas about how an ingredient should be cooked, what it goes with or how it should be served and award-winning chef and former young Australian chef of the year, Paul Greening, epitomises this ethos perfectly. 

Its strong ties with China and Japan have also helped determine the style of cooking, particularly the Japanese desire for perfection. 

3. Tattu 

The menu at Tattu focuses on Dim Sum and small plates created by a talented team, alongside a bar that provides an extensive cocktail menu and wine list including a selection of sake. 

There is both high table seating and intimate booth seating for groups, with a menu of champagne and bottle serves available. The decadent Tattu Parlour is the venue's exclusive private room, serviced by its own entrance, bar and restroom facilities. The Parlour is available for bookings of up to 30 people for a seated dining experience or up 60 standing for a canapé reception or event. 

4. Peter Street Kitchen  

Winner of 'Best Luxury Restaurant’ in the UK at the British Restaurant Awards 2019, Peter Street Kitchen offers an exquisite selection of contemporary Japanese and Mexican small plates, complemented with the finest wines, sake and signature cocktails in the heart of Manchester. 

Whether large groups or those wanting an intimate dinner for two, all will be seduced by an array of exquisitely prepared dishes, showcasing flavours and ingredients of contemporary Japanese and Mexican cuisines. The venue also offers semi-private dining and events, allowing guests to enjoy some privacy, whilst absorbing the ambience of the Kitchen. With communal bench tables and their pièce de résistance, the 12-seater Hibachi table, Peter Street Kitchen can cater for a party of up to 28 guests. 

5. Tampopo 

Tampopo is Manchester’s independent, original, authentic, Pan Asian, casual restaurant. Like the traders and adventurers before them, the Tampopo team have travelled all over East Asia to bring their favourite dishes right here to Manchester. 

Tampopo recreates the flavours and aromas traditionally found at the eternally bustling street-markets of Bangkok and Hanoi, the hawker stalls of Singapore and the noodle vendors of Tokyo. And just like in kitchens across East Asia, all sauces, stocks and everything else is made on site every day from the freshest market produce. 

Nicholas Royle is no stranger to exploring the darker side within his work – not only through short stories, but also novels and his Gothic-inspired independent publishing house Nightjar Press. Currently Reader in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University, Nicholas previously spoke to Haunt Manchester about his fascination with The Uncanny, which has informed his urban explorations of the likes of London, Manchester and Paris – all three of which will eventually feature in what is to be a series of short story collections. 

London however marks the first collection – the city of sprawling streets, a myriad of mysteries and urban intrigue a-plenty. In London Gothic Nicholas sets out to shake up the definition of ‘Urban Gothic’ for the twenty first century, with 15 short stories set between the year 2000 and the present day. Through a range of styles, techniques and experimental forms, these tales take on the streets of Shepherds Bush, South Tottenham, Hackney and more, revealing the Uncanny aspects of England’s capital city from a fresh perspective. Unusual encounters, urban menace and unease stand out within this innovative collection, which contains seven brand-new pieces alongside Nicholas’ previously published work. 

Here at Haunt Manchester, we decided to speak to Nicholas about 'London Gothic' and why short stories considering the cityscape may have more capacity to shock us than ever before… 

Hello Nicholas. Congratulations on the collection! What inspired you to explore the Gothic side of London through the short story form in particular?

“Thank you, Emily. I’ve always been drawn to the dark side of wherever I’ve lived. I left Manchester when I was 19 to go to university in London and stayed there for about twenty years. Not at university – I mean in London. So, I spent my 20s and 30s in London. I tend to write about wherever I am, not temporarily, but wherever I’m living. And I’m not really interested in writing stuff with neutral or bland settings. A lot of my ideas come directly out of place. In that sense, perhaps, I’m a place writer, but whereas most of what gets called place writing is non-fiction, I write mostly fiction. And most of my ideas, increasingly, are for stories rather than novels. In fact, some of my novels came about when certain stories, either already written or in the embryonic stages, were allowed to hang out and before I knew it, they’d kind of organised themselves into a novel.”

Many of us may be familiar with the Gothic aspects of London’s past, its histories and mysteries. However, in London Gothic your focus in on the modern day, from the year 2000 to the present. Why this focus? Do you think London’s modern Gothic is a somewhat under-explored area?

“I’m less interested in history than I feel I ought to be, but there it is. I explore London on foot. My walks have been getting longer and longer. This summer I was walking up to 25, 26 miles a day. Probably only doing that once or twice a week, though, with shorter walks on the other days. So I’m responding to what’s around me. I always have done. I think the Gothic is the Gothic. I thought I should get a definition of the Gothic to prepare for a question like this and I found these words of Patrick Kennedy’s: ‘In the most general terms, ​Gothic literature can be defined as writing that employs dark and picturesque scenery, startling and melodramatic narrative devices, and an overall atmosphere of exoticism, mystery, fear, and dread.’ I think I do all of that and there’s no mention there of the past, but there is a tendency, I think, to associate the term mostly with literature of the past, whereas, yes, I write about the present. Did we need to describe what I’m doing as Modern Gothic? I don’t know. Maybe it could be a talking point? That’s always a good thing.”

Has the collection been informed by your own recent visits to the city? And has it been written on location, or away from it?

“The reprinted stories in the book were first published between 2000 and 2020. They appeared in magazines and anthologies and online. So those earlier ones would have been written in the late 90s. In 2003 I moved back to Manchester, but would find myself back in London on occasion. From 2011 I was spending more time in London. In fact I became one of those people who rather annoyingly say they divide their time between X and Y. Except they tend to say it of New York and the Hamptons, or Paris and Tuscany. So, the stories were mostly written in London and they were all informed by time spent in London.”

What are some of the factors that come into play when considering a city through the ‘Gothic’ lens? In the case of London, do you think it is the physicality of the city that has a particularly Gothic quality – or is it more a case of the characters and events we encounter within it? 

“A surprising number of these stories did arise from the architecture of the city. I don’t mean gothic architecture, but the way in a city like London most people live in such close proximity with their neighbours. Stand at your kitchen window and you’re likely to be facing directly into the kitchen of the house or flat next door, which is no more than a few yards away. This is not peculiar to London, of course. But, still, I realised I had become very interested in the way in which the built environment impinges on our lives. Architectural design might have an influence on the way we live. But, equally, how do we affect those interior spaces? Is there something different about the interior space of a cinema, or former cinema – all those films shown there over so many years, watched by so many people – or about the former home of a serial killer? I wanted to write about my emotional response to the phenomenon of Jack the Ripper walks in Whitechapel, but was I being any less ghoulish than Ripper tourists when I viewed the former flat of Dennis Nilsen when it came on the market in the 1990s?”

In the age of the Covid-19 pandemic and a changing relationship with urban space, do you think exploring the Gothic aspects of cities has the capacity to be more eerie than ever? I certainly have heard Manchester described as a ‘ghost town’ on multiple occasions in recent months… 

“I spent the first lockdown in Manchester, and the second lockdown, for that matter, but just before the second lockdown I was in London. I noticed, walking at dusk down the street where my wife’s flat is located, the number of windows in which you would see a lone figure sitting at a desk working on a laptop. It’s not like no one’s worked at home before, but the sheer numbers of people who are doing it now, many of whom may not go back to an office in a city centre. The increase in isolation is a concern. It may have been a consolation that the people took over the golf courses in the summer, wandering across these vast spaces normally forbidden to us, but that option is less attractive in winter.”

Pictured below: Nicholas Royle in the 1980s, shortly after moving to London – photograph by Adèle Fielding

Can you tell us a little more about the upcoming series – will it be Manchester next? 

​ “London, Manchester and Paris are the three cities I’ve lived in. I’ve found I can only really write about places where I live or spend time getting to know a place, being on holiday or through repeated visits. I tried to write a story about somewhere I had never been and it didn’t work. The story had no meaning for me. There was no emotional connection. It felt inauthentic. Yes, Manchester will be next, next year, then Paris the year after. I only lived in Paris for a year, when I was a student, but it had a profound effect on me and I’ve returned many times. I’ll definitely need to go back again once we can travel freely – although, of course, we will have lost freedom of movement thanks to Brexit. I can’t tell you how that makes me feel, the freedom I enjoyed as a young person denied to my children and other young people. There’s a Brexit story in London Gothic. And one story – only one story – written since the first lockdown. It’s one of the more experimental stories in the collection. I’ve become very interested in the possibility that there is a link between dark fiction – gothic, uncanny, weird, macabre – and taking an experimental approach, applying constraints, being innovative.

“One of my favourite writers is the late Giles Gordon, who wrote a lot of experimental fiction but was also very much drawn to the dark side and wrote a lot of ghost and horror stories and edited anthologies of horror stories, as well as co-editing the Best Short Stories series for many years. He has been a big influence on my writing and editing.”

Pictured below: Nicholas Royle today 

For more information about Nicholas Royle, visit his website: http://www.nicholasroyle.com/ 

All photographs by Nicholas Royle, except the second to last photograph which was taken by Adèle Fielding

By Emily Oldfield 

Three key funding successes will result in the transformation of the small museum at the Pankhurst Centre and ensure its short term survival in what’s been an exceptionally challenging year.  The reopening marks an important step forward as the Pankhurst Trust continues its long-term campaign to restore and conserve the Pankhurst Centre.

Thanks to funding from AIM Biffa Award History Makers, as part of the Landfill Communities Fund, the visitor experience at the Pankhurst Centre will be reimagined.  At Home with the Pankhurst Family will explore the story of the radical family that once lived at 62 Nelson Street and the legacy they forged from the house where the suffragette movement began. Standing in the place where history was made, a new generation of activists and change makers are set to be inspired.

Expected to open in summer 2021, At Home with the Pankhurst Family will focus on the lives of Emmeline, Christabel, Sylvia, Adela and Harry Pankhurst in the setting that was not only their home, but was also a place that would see the gathering of many of those who shared their desire to achieve Votes for Women and where Emmeline would first declare the immortal words “Deeds, not words”.

A second project will focus on the Pankhurst Centre archive, up until now a neglected resource of radical women’s history.  A grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund of £87,617, thanks to National Lottery Players, will support Rooms of Our Own:  The Herstory of the Pankhurst Centre which will connect the past of the Pankhurst Centre with young people of today.  Opportunities stemming from the project will include sessions introducing young people to skills such as archiving and the recording of oral histories and creative workshops. 

Tessa Chynoweth, Curator of the Pankhurst Centre, says, “Thanks to AIM Biffa Award’s History Makers Programme and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Pankhurst Centre is about to embark upon two projects that will be truly transformative, marking the beginnings of our ambitious vision for the Pankhurst Centre.

“It is our role to protect, share, learn from and inspire others with the story of the Pankhurst Centre, the legacy and people that it represents.  The funding of these projects will give us the opportunity to do this.”

Whilst an exciting future lies ahead for the Pankhurst Centre, in the short term, like all cultural organisations, it has faced the unprecedented challenge of Covid-19.  Thankfully The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Heritage Emergency Fund has provided the Pankhurst Centre with the essential funding towards its running costs for the next few months.  With work set to begin on At Home with the Pankhurst Family it is impractical for the Pankhurst Centre to reopen its doors in the short term, so instead it will be putting all its efforts into ensuring that its reopening in summer 2021 is a very special occasion.  In the meantime, the emergency funding makes it possible for the small staff team to continue development work whilst the museum is closed, including the resources needed for them to work from home and for support work to be put in place.

Gail Heath, CEO of the Pankhurst Trust, says, “We are hugely grateful to the funders and all those who have donated and supported us.  Having secured the funds to begin what we see as being the first step in the transformation of the Pankhurst Centre, the challenge of Covid-19 could have been a huge set back, so we are extremely thankful for the support shown to us by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.  Our continuing focus is on the long term conservation and development of the Pankhurst Centre.  Therefore, to give the Pankhurst Centre the best possible opportunity of achieving the future we believe it deserves, and supporters everywhere want to see, we won’t be opening our museum doors to the public until summer 2021.”

You can add your support to the work of the Pankhurst Centre by making a donation or becoming a Friend of the Pankhurst Centre.  For further information visit www.pankhursttrust.org/pankhurst-centre

The Chic superstar, who was recently made an RNCM Honorary Professor, and The Smiths guitarist emphasised the importance of the Manchester conservatoire to both music education and the arts as it strives to secure its financial future following the damaging effects of Covid-19.

Nile Rodgers said: ‘Music feels more important than ever to help us and our community through the pandemic. But musicians face an increasingly uncertain future and needs your help as never before. We’re reaching out to everyone in the RNCM family [and to] everyone who loves music and wants to support the next generation of talent, so please give whatever you can to help keep the music playing. The RNCM’s role in my life is massive, they have given me so much support and so much love, I can’t ever thank them enough.’

Founded in 1973, the RNCM trains talented musicians from all over the world to forge successful and sustainable careers in the industry. It also presents regular public concerts and events throughout the year and is dedicated to making music accessible to people of all ages and from all backgrounds.

Since closing its doors to the public in March, however, the College’s finances have been stretched to the limit. With a loss of £2.1million, its future sustainability, student training, community work and performance programmes are now in jeopardy.

Johnny Marr added: ‘It’s a unique place and a unique space that provides music and culture and education and entertainment. It’s been established a long time and it’s very, very special. I’m proud of it because it’s in my hometown of course and growing up I was

very aware that Royal Northern College of Music had a legacy and heritage that at the time I felt always needed to be protected and I knew was precious.’

Over the past few months, the RNCM has done everything it can to keep music playing. It’s invested heavily in the high specification tools and infrastructure to enable exceptional and innovating teaching online and in person and developed a weekly performance programme broadcast live from the RNCM to homes around the world.

To ensure this can continue, the College – through this special appeal – is reaching out to everyone who loves music and who wants to support the next generation of musical talent during this crisis.

Alongside Nile and Johnny, radio broadcasters Stuart Maconie and Mark Radcliffe have already expressed their support, as has RNCM President and opera legend Sir John Tomlinson and numerous alumni from across the decades.

Donations to the appeal – large and small – will:

Provide Covid safe in-College tuition for students, ensuring they can continue to learn, practice and perform.

Offer student hardship funds and fully support any RNCM students who are unwell or isolating while at the College.

Ensure that the College can continue to broadcast Live from the RNCM concerts – sharing music, supporting brilliant students and offering much needed work to professional freelance musicians.

Enable the College to continue its vital community engagement work with young musicians – more important than ever during these times of isolation and financial hardship.

And thanks to the generosity of the Oglesby Charitable Trust, every single donation up to £50,000 will be matched, ensuring that all gifts make twice the impact.

For more information on ways to get involved, click here.

Polyp is no stranger to exploring the past through powerful artwork. Having set up and led the Peterloo Memorial Campaign in the city, he then co-created the graphic novel PETERLOO: WITNESSES TO A MASSACRE – a graphic novel (previously covered by Haunt here) telling the story of Manchester’s 1819 Peterloo Massacre from the perspectives of people who were there. As an artist keen to consider the lives of those who have been under-represented or neglected in history, Paul’s choice of Thomas Paine means an opportunity for more people to learn about a figure who seriously shaped modern thinking. And the form of a fantastical visual biography will make the learning process all the more immersive!

Paine pushed highly influential ideas into the open, after all… at a time when it certainly wasn’t popular with the authorities. He was a key critic of hereditary government, opposed to organised religion and a proponent of rational thought. His 1776 pamphlet Common Sense set out the cause for American independence (some refer to Paine as the ‘forgotten father of The American Revolution’), and he also offered a defence of the French Revolution in Rights of Man (1791). It was these radical ideas that saw Paine increasingly ostracised towards the end of his life… but also set the spark for many libertarians, free-thinkers and radicals – and still to this day!

So why then ‘Tom Paine’s Bones’ as the graphic novel title? The story of Paine after-death adds all-the-more to the fascination. Although Paine died in America in 1809 and was originally buried in New York, in 1819 his bones were dug up! Why? The former Paine critic and English reformer William Cobbett decided that he wanted to give Paine a proper burial… in England! In turn, Cobbett took his bones all the way across the Atlantic, eventually reaching Liverpool. Then he proceeded to try to take this unusual cargo to Manchester, but only got as far as Salford! It is potentially the case that Cobbett and Paine’s bones were turned away from entering Manchester itself, as the authorities were concerned about igniting radical tensions, as this was only shortly after the Peterloo Massacre (still 1819). Then, in a case that still perplexes people to this day, Thomas Paine’s bones disappeared!

What happened to Paine’s bones has been the subject of various theories over the years – and it is likely that his remains have found no single resting place. After all, there were reports of bones boxed up and sent to relations; with rumours of his skull found in Australia, yet his brain in New York?! Perhaps there are still pieces of his skeleton in Salford and Manchester too? Either way, the connection to Salford is clear.

This connection has been the subject of an ongoing ‘The Bones of Paine’ project, forged by the Salford’s own Working Class Movement Library coming together with outdoor arts experts Walk the Plank. Together they have created a three-strand community-driven programme to forge connections, curiosity and conversations about Paine and his links to Salford, with which Polyp has become involved. This has included a ‘Bones of Paine’ puppet and parade, plus an upcoming series of Paine inspired podcasts, which Polyp has designed the logo for.

Now, as Polyp gets to work on Tom Paine’s Bones, interested readers can follow the progress of the graphic novel via Twitter and Facebook, with a Crowdfunder set to launch in February 2021. Here at Haunt Manchester, we decided to speak to Polyp to find out more…

Hello Polyp! What drew you to the story of Thomas Paine?

"It's strange, but just like with Peterloo, the subject of my last graphic novel, I can't remember first hearing about Thomas Paine. I recall seeing memes of his quotes and so on, but no light bulb moment... he just slowly grew on me, until I felt a deep admiration and respect and wanted to know much more about him. Again, like Peterloo, I think it's because he's been forgotten from popular history that I feel so motivated to do this. I'm outraged by the fact that someone, who so brilliantly expressed so many very new, radical ideas (eg democracy!), and who actively changed the course of global culture and political history, has been whitewashed out of the same...

"Just like Peterloo, I get a very strong sense that his memory is dry tinder, awaiting a spark. With so many people I've talked to about the project, you can see their brains struggling to pull him into the light of their conscious memory... everyone seems to feel they should have known who he is! If you quote 'These are the times that try men's souls' to them they usually click...

"When I started looking into his actual life story, I was continuously laughing, thinking yeah, I want to articulate his ideas, but wow! What an amazing biography for a graphic novel, just in its own right! His astonishing multiple scrapes with death had me saying “Nah! C'mon! Joining a pirate ship in his youth called 'The Terrible', with Captain Death in charge, departing from Execution Docks, only to be persuaded out of it by his dad at the last minute, and then the crew were almost all slaughtered at sea..?! Surely that's just made up stuff?!'. And then there's the chalk 'death' mark on the wrong side of a prison cell door that saved him from the guillotine during the French revolution? Nah! Get out of here!

"On a personal level I really relate to him: his love of rationality and science, astronomy in particular, really resonates with me. There'll be a very beautiful sequence in the story about his visions of other worlds. He was constantly alienating people with his controversial (but to me utterly reasonable) unpopular opinions, and his rigid adherence to logic and reason, and he just wouldn't back down, no matter what the cost... a trait I admire. But as you'll see at the end of the book, he did pay a pretty high price for this."

Can you tell us a bit more about how you are researching his story… are a lot of your resources Greater Manchester based? 

"I ploughed my way through John Keane's authoritative doorstop biography of him with a highlighter, on a balcony, during the first few sun-tanning weeks of covid lockdown, but after that, most of it was online. The rough draft of the script is 'verbatim', as with Peterloo, so I was looking to construct it from hundreds of fragments of period writings that aren't really collected together in any one book or place, and of course having to treble check all of these for authenticity will be a big job. I have to admit, the slightly obsessive 'hunt and kill' aspect of that I'll really enjoy. One of the themes is the vile propaganda that was thrown at him, so the hostile 1800s biographies I read were pretty outrageous. But those 'unreliable narrator' voices that help tell parts of the story, and set the mood, very quickly discredit themselves. Some are wildly absurd 'fake news' propaganda, like the story that he had sex with his cat! It's all a bit like the deranged 'Pizzagate' fabrications of Qanon today.

"On a more sober level, the collections at the Working Class Movement Library (WCML) and the People's History Museum (PHM) were very inspiring... all of the old copies of his works that I saw, the writing desk and death mask, the Paine 'hate coins'... amazing. And Walk the Plank's 'Bones of Paine' parade has massively encouraged me to think his memory is definitely hovering in the zeitgeist, waiting to re-emerge.

"One of the things that struck me the most in my research was learning that effigies of Tom were burnt in Manchester- on Deansgate (depicted below) and in Didsbury, part of a wave of them, organized by the establishment up and down the country, which became more popular at one point than Guy Fawkes. But some of them had an unusual twist, as folk will see in those pages..."

Are you approaching Paine through your usual artistic style, or is he a character that has pushed you in other directions?

"The extravagant, almost unbelievable drama of his life story has made me want to avoid the very photojournalist approach that seemed appropriate to the more solemn subject matter of Peterloo, and to be honest, a much more 'fantastical' approach is artistically a lot more fun for me. The visuals are going to break out into different styles where appropriate, sometimes they'll be quite surreal or even anachronistic, while the strict accuracy of the script acts as an anchor in reality.

"A page I'm particularly looking forward to drawing illustrates this passage he wrote... 'Monarchy always appears to me a silly, contemptible thing. I compare it to something kept behind a curtain, about which there is a great deal of bustle and fuss... but when, by any accident, the curtain happens to be open — and the company see what it is, they burst into laughter.'' If that isn't The Wizard of Oz, what is? So I'm gonna draw that actual scene from the movie, with Tom as the rascal dog, but... I'll render it in the engraving style of a contemporary cartoonist like Gillray or Cruikshank! Almost as if time itself is out of joint in the visual narrative? I'm hoping that'll not just be a laugh, but also hint at the timelessness of Paine's ideas?"

What do you think may be gained through approaching a historic figure like this through graphic novel form? And what do you think the biggest challenge of this might be?

"A graphic novel script shouldn't be a wannabe movie script. I want to use the medium to do things that can't be done in any other formats. The combination of strictly using direct, real period voices and quotes, combined with a sometimes extravagant and wild series of images is something only a graphic novel can pull off.

"I think the big challenge will be how far can I take that without it being confusing or too distracting, something I'm still mulling over.

"And there's a bit of an issue over how many really hostile, inaccurate quotes about him can I put in, and still trust the audience to spot the true facts, particularly when this will be such a warts and all biography? Like I said, there are certain re-occurring voices in the narrative who, with enough rope, discredit themselves, and I have other period voices pulling the rug out from under them as well, so... I think I'll lean towards trusting the audience.

Also, despite Paine's vivid hostility to organized, 'revealed' religion, he was himself a deeply religious man, a 'deist'. As an atheist, I'll need to keep an eye on myself to present his beliefs in as honest a way as I can.

"Given my strict 'authentic quotes only' style of script, one of the most challenging parts was dealing with his final years. Because of his rejection of established religion, almost all of the people he cared about in turn rejected him, and as a frail old man he was humiliatingly passed from one lonely lodging house to another until his death, surrounded by religious fanatics, including his doctor, urging him to recant. (Though there are very funny moments in those scenes as well.)

"Many of the hostile quotes portray him in those last years as a bitter drunkard, and trying to work out how much truth there was in this was a real struggle, as some of the witnesses to this weren't out to get him... but it was also a very distressing and moving thing to read about an admired hero. I confess I had a lump in my throat all the way through, and do right now. I hope the audience find the book a very personal and emotional read, not just a dry political history, and appreciate the brave defiance of his last few days of life, and the final uplifting scene I have planned."

Do you think that Paine is a character we can learn from today? How so?

"Just like Peterloo, Paine to me broadcasts a really strong message to us all, down the centuries, to not take democracy for granted, a message that arrives at a time when we're all in danger of becoming lazily and petulantly disillusioned with it as a positive force: 'Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it'.

"On top of that, in a world that seems to be sliding into an echo-chamber cesspit of deranged conspiracy theories, his love of rationality, reason and common sense feels like a breath of fresh air, and a reminder of how hard people like him had to fight through prosecutions and vile hate campaigns to make such values a social norm.

"I so want to share my love and admiration of his thoughts and values through the book, all the more so because of the injustice of him having been widely forgotten... his voice is so powerful and modern I feel sure it'll resonate.

"But above all, I hope when he said 'The mind, once enlightened, cannot again become dark' he was right about our culture... and about ourselves as people."

All illustrations from the book by Polyp

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/11/tom-paines-bones-a-fantastical-visual-biography-about-the-remarkable-life-of-thomas-paine-is-being-created-by-a-manchester-artist-b1449#comments1449 Fri, 20 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/11/christmas-2020-young-singers-and-local-artists-bounce-back-from-lockdown-with-christmas-festival-b1450 Young singers from Chetham’s School of Music will star in a Christmas Festival at The Stoller Hall in Manchester, this December. Young singers from Chetham’s School of Music will star in a Christmas Festival at The Stoller Hall in Manchester, this December.

The online live stream concert – featuring traditional carols alongside festive classical repertoire – is a replacement for Chetham’s annual sell out ‘Christmas Music’ concert, usually held at Manchester Cathedral.

The Christmas Carol Concert – on Thursday 17 December – will now be among the highlights of The Stoller Hall’s new online ‘Broadcasts’ series, which was the first live music programme launched with the support of the UK Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.

The classical music venue was granted £150,000 this October, in recognition of its importance to the cultural sector.

The Stoller Hall’s Christmas Festival will also include young musicians from Chetham’s – the UK’s largest music school – performing in a Christmas Jazz concert on Tuesday 15 December.

Tom Redmond, Joint Principal at Chetham’s School of Music, said: “Our young musicians have reacted to this pandemic incredibly. They’ve developed into remarkable musicians and performers, despite all the difficulty they’ve experienced in 2020. Now, at the end of an extraordinary year, we’ll be enjoying Christmas in the usual way… by sharing some spectacular, heart-warming live music!”

New performances by established artists - specially recorded at The Stoller Hall - will also be released for audiences to view online as part of the month long festival. The new work includes pieces from British violinist Callum Smart, as well new arrangements of Christmas classics by eight-part a cappella vocal ensemble The Apex Singers, on Saturday 12 December.

The Stoller Hall’s annual ‘Makers’ Market’ will be delivered online, across Friday 4 and Saturday 5 December. It will feature a silent auction, as well as previously unseen and hand-made artworks, prints and designs by local artists.

Crafts Council’s recent survey ‘Market for Craft’ showed that 84% of makers cited fairs as their foremost revenue source. With the majority of  fairs cancelled due to the pandemic, the impact of Covid-19 has been devastating for makers and musicians alike.  

Fran Healey, General Manager of The Stoller Hall, said:

“We won’t give up on our long battle to support the creative community in 2020, while providing audiences with the world-class cultural experiences they deserve.

“To finally be able to host live music on our stage is a big deal. Christmas 2020 feels like a turning point for the cultural community’s fight against Covid-19.

“We hope audiences will put the fire on, pour the mulled wine, and enjoy some festive experiences music with us.

“Sing along with Chetham’s students, or sit back and listen to the best classical pieces Christmas has to offer, or pick up your Christmas presents at our Makers’ Markets to support local artists!”

Chetham’s School of Music, in Manchester, is home to more than 300 of the finest young classical musicians in the world, aged from 8-18.

The Stoller Hall, located at Chetham’s in Manchester city centre, is a purpose built classical music venue which opened in 2017. It is unrivalled acoustically in the UK. A membership scheme, newly launched for Christmas, enables audiences to support the venue’s role in the music ecosystem, supporting musicians from school to stage; with priority booking and free digital concerts.

For full event listings, or to book tickets, visit www.stollerhall.com.

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/11/christmas-2020-young-singers-and-local-artists-bounce-back-from-lockdown-with-christmas-festival-b1450#comments1450 Fri, 20 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/11/the-best-dog-walks-in-manchester-b1444 Let Lola, the Cane Corso, guide you through some of her favourite places to be walked in Greater Manchester and beyond. Let Lola, the Cane Corso, guide you through some of her favourite places to be walked in Greater Manchester and beyond. Lola is a seven year old rescue Cane Corso (Italian mastiff) adopted from the Cane Corso UK & Molosser Rescue. Lola's human, Vince, is an experienced Cane Corso owner who has uploaded more of their walks for all to enjoy.

Chorlton Water Park

Manchester's first designated local nature reserve is one of the most popular spots in the Mersey Valley. Set around a central lake with meandering paths leading into woodlands and wildflower meadows, the 170-acre site boasts common spotted and northern marsh orchid in summer. 

Location: Chorlton, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M21 7WH

Styal Woods

Take a stroll across the network of winding paths through Styal Woods in the National Trust owned Styal Country Park. The Woods are located next to Quarry Bank and follow the River Bollin.

Location: Styal, Wilmslow, SK9 4JQ

Entwistle Reservoir

If you head north from Bolton you'll find Entwistle Reservoir which provides a easy but scenic circular walk. 

Location: Edgworth, Lancashire, BL7 0LU

Spud Wood, Lymm

Planted on a former potato field, Spud Wood, provides 2km of paths to follow in woodland 1.6km from Lymm. Managed by the Woodland Trust, Spud Wood has parking available but can also be accessed on foot from the Bridgewater Canal.

Location: Lymm WA13, UK

Sheena Wrigley, Theatre Director Manchester Palace & Opera House said, “We are thrilled at the prospect of working with Qdos Pantomimes and re-opening the historic Manchester Opera House with this festive family show.  It’s especially important that we can play our part in keeping one of the city’s great Christmas traditions alive after what has been an especially challenging time for communities in Greater Manchester. Our wonderful NHS staff can enter a ballot for free tickets for their families at healthservicediscounts.com, our way of saying a huge ‘Thank You’ for everything they’ve done this year.

The support of The National Lottery has enabled us to bring some light and joy to the people of our city and to support some of our fantastic Palace & Opera House team as they return to work on this special show.

NHS workers just need to head to healthservicediscounts.com and register for the ballot. Full details below.

The production is able to go ahead thanks to the support of The National Lottery, giving thousands of theatregoers in Manchester and across the country the chance to enjoy socially distanced pantomimes this Christmas. This initiative between The National Lottery and Qdos Entertainment is providing financial support for theatres to stage socially distanced live pantomimes making it viable for venues to open their doors to the general public, generating vital income for the theatre and helping to restore jobs whilst also providing much needed cheer.

Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) is the global leader in live theatre, operating 50 venues across Britain, the US and Germany. They produce shows across the entertainment spectrum and are proud to have won many Olivier and Tony awards with a clear mission to bring the very best in live entertainment to the largest possible number of people.

Making his pantomime debut is Salford-born comedian Jason Manford as Muddles, alongside Blackpool’s own I’d Do Anything winner Jodie Prenger as The Enchantress, returning to Manchester Opera House for the fifth time. Joining them for the first time in Manchester after a 21-year panto stint at Bradford’s the Alhambra Theatre, is Billy Pearce as King Billy with Eric Potts as The Queen, Jenny Gaynor as Carabosse, Louis Gaunt as The Prince and Sarah Goggin as Princess Beauty.

Sleeping Beauty will run from Saturday 12 December 2020 – Sunday 3 January 2021 with a relaxed performance on Thursday 31 December. Tickets are available now and are available in a range of bubble sizes with a safe distance between each group, so customers can enjoy the festive fun, safely.

The safety of both guests and cast are of the highest priority this panto season by keeping in line with the current government guidelines, adapting to any changes the government may make.  Customers will be able to book for a bubble of up to six with each bubble being separated by a combination of empty rows or empty seats to ensure they are a safe distance from other patrons, reducing the venue’s capacity by 50%. Staggered arrival times and one way systems will be in place with sanitising stations placed around the venue and deep cleaning taking place between every performance. Instead of queuing for refreshments, guests will be encouraged to stay in their seats by the removal of the interval and the added ability to order drinks directly to their seats. Backstage will have a Covid Monitor, employed to keep the cast safe and socially distanced, implementing precautions such as choreographed stage exits and contact-free performing for the actors, with rehearsals limited to just essential cast and creatives for each scene being rehearsed.

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/11/jason-manford-and-jodie-prenger-come-home-to-the-north-west-this-christmas-in-sleeping-beauty-b1448#comments1448 Wed, 18 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/11/3-hands-make-tasty-work-b1447 Great Northern’s Favourite Sourdough Bakery Holy Grain Joins Hands With The Crafty Cheese Man And Top Chef Julian Pizer To Launch Brand-new, Pop-up Deli – 3hands Great Northern’s Favourite Sourdough Bakery Holy Grain Joins Hands With The Crafty Cheese Man And Top Chef Julian Pizer To Launch Brand-new, Pop-up Deli – 3hands

Three of Manchester’s best loved, and most respected food experts have come together during the second national lockdown to launch a brand-new pop-up style deli at Holy Grain, Great Northern.

It’s a winning combination with Holy Grain providing its outstanding breads, The Crafty Cheese Man bringing its high end and frankly delicious craft cheeses and Julian Pizer – Edinburgh Castle and Cottonopolis former executive chef – making his own baked goods, pickles, and ferments. All three crafts will be combined in order to make sandwiches unseen anywhere else in the city and matched with local craft beers and natural wines.

Together, they’ve selected a range of cheeses, charcuterie, olives and crackers which you’ll be able to get your own hands on from Wednesday through to Saturday from 10am – 4:30pm

On the opening of 3 Hands, Centre Director, Mark Schofield, said: “We’re thrilled to see how Holy Grain is adapting its space on the Mews during the second lockdown to create a delicious deli. We work hard to support our independent businesses at Great Northern, and to see them innovating and changing during the toughest of times is such a positive!”

A fantastic way to treat yourself this lockdown whilst supporting local, independent business – it’s certainly one not to be missed!

3Hands can be located at Holy Grain on Deansgate Mews. The bakery will be open and offering takeaway Wednesday – Saturday, 10am – 4:30pm.

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

Follow 3 Hands Deli on Instagram – http://www.instagram.com/3handsdeli

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/11/3-hands-make-tasty-work-b1447#comments1447 Tue, 17 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/11/artist-nick-burton-and-home-will-reveal-more-of-the-digital-comic-strip-our-plague-year-this-december-b1446 Our Plague Year – a comic strip plunging readers into a seventeenth century community that quarantined itself in an attempt to stop the spread of Bubonic Plague, is set to return this December 2020. Our Plague Year – a comic strip plunging readers into a seventeenth century community that quarantined itself in an attempt to stop the spread of Bubonic Plague, is set to return this December 2020. Prepare to join artist Nick Burton’s fictional villagers of Eyam and HOME for a whole year of adventures, thanks to funding from Arts Council England.

Further online episodes of the comic will be revealed – with 52 being the goal – as well as additional insight from the village where this story really happened: Eyam in Derbyshire. Excitingly, Nick Burton and HOME will be teaming up with Eyam Museum (pictured below) to interact with the history in an even more evocative way – opening up fascinating historical accounts, exploring the archives and discovering even more of the village’s powerful past personalities.

Owen Roberts, Curator of Eyam Museum, reflects:

 “We are delighted to be working with HOME in this project. As a museum, we promote dynamic engagement with the past. The Eyam plague story – more compelling than ever now – has been retold many times, continually attracting new readings and creative responses. We welcome Nick Burton’s addition to this rich lore and relish his dark and beady take on its contemporary resonances.”

Our Plague Year originally launched online back in May 2020, with a 10-week programme encountering the claustrophobia as well as the characters of this remarkable Plague-struck place. It was commissioned by HOME and took artist Nick Burton on a unique comic journey, his drawings encoutering this fascinating community and the people within it. These are individuals with unique insights, packed with personality, depicted through Nick’s distinct creative style.

But how did the ‘Eyam Plague’ of 1665-1666 come about? In 1665 a posting of cloth had been brought to the village from London – a city already struggling with the implications of the plague. Disastrously, the cloth was infested with plague-carrying fleas, and disease quickly spread through the close-knit community. As deaths in the village mounted, with 42 residents lost between September and December 1665, the new Rector William Mompesson made a remarkable decision. He ordered that the village quarantine itself, with people unable to leave or enter, in the aim to prevent transmission to other areas in the North. In effect, this was a village that decided to go into ‘lockdown’, with the hope of saving more lives beyond it… although terrifying for those within.

Not only did Mompesson have a task on his hands to persuade the villagers – of whom an estimated 260 would become victims of the disease – to stay, but also faced the difficulty of trying to remain determined in the face of threat. Yet in ‘cutting off’ Eyam from its surroundings, the plague was largely contained, and the number of lives that were saved as a result of the village’s sacrifice are potentially countless.

In his previous interview with Haunt Manchester here, Nick Burton (pictured below) explained how his own interest in the Eyam Plague story had developed when he began to think about the parallels between this village he had once read about, and what was happening as the UK was gripped by the first Covid-19 lockdown. Therefore, using the inspiration of Eyam combined with his comic artistry seemed like an innovative way for Nick to respond to HOME Curator Bren O’Callaghan’s creative brief: considering what was going on in the world in terms of Covid-19.

What can the experiences of a ‘lockdown’ over 350 years ago teach us today? How do communities respond in the face of a crisis? And where do the tensions emerge? Our Plague Year explores these still-resonant questions through a highly engaging comic form. Characters such as Edith Webster and Jacob Smithfield come alive through vivid imagery and text, in a small village that historically stands out.

According to Nick himself:

 “When Our Plague Year returns, it’ll unfold with a renewed focus and in a more chronological fashion – from September 1665 through to November 1666. There’ll be new people, new perils, people who aren’t who you thought they were, love, jealousy and fear. Plus a few laughs.

“The global interest in this project has been a wonderful surprise. It’s nice to know that the story of a small village in lockdown can transcend cultural barriers, and I hope that the people who continue to read it, like where it goes from here. Even if where it’s going is pretty selfish and miserable.”

The first of the new comic strips will be published on Friday the 4 December (with subscribers receiving an exclusive preview two days earlier), marking the continuation of an exciting online series that has enthralled over 12,500 readers to date. Nick’s bold and memorable characters have certainly proved popular, as was also shown when HOME’s gallery reopened, featuring the comic strips on display, earlier this year.

Bren O'Callaghan, HOME’s Curator, who commissioned Our Plague Year, added:

"’If you build it, they will come...’ so said someone about a baseball diamond or a netball court or maybe it was a pop-up chicken wing shack. Regardless, I knew this project had legs, and the opportunity to respond to the parallel and similarly nightmarish Plague Year unfolding around us in real time was too ripe an opportunity not to pluck. 

“Our new goal of 52 episodes split by seasons will draw upon not only historical reference but contemporary news cycles as past and present become intertwined. I can't wait to see what fresh bile young Godelena has to share about her neighbours, or what new miracle brew Fanny Dankwoth is peddling. Bring it on, Nick!”

The series will be made available via HOME’s website, with email subscribers receiving the digital strips before anyone else plus additional bonus material from the villagers of Eyam, digital updates, news and more.

To sign up to subscribe, click here.

Image 1 by Nick Burton, image 3 by Renée Goulet. 

Why Burnage? The project was developed in order to celebrate what is a historically inspiring yet often overlooked area, as well as in response to the provocation ‘Burnage hasn’t got any history!’. Determined to show differently, Burnage Activity and Information Hub had been running popular local history groups at the library, before setting up a Memory Bank for people to submit their real-life stories. The result was a wide range of accounts, emphasizing not just the deeper history of the place, but the significance of the Corporation estates and how a community emerged.

In turn, ‘ Burnage: A Place Called Home’ was forged, as an 18 month project (funded by the Heritage Lottery) collating these stories and showcasing what is the all-too-often stigmatised legacy of social housing and corporation development – which actually had a transformative and lasting impact on the area.  The beginning of this house-building drive in the area stems from the aftermath of WWI, with many troops returning from time at war. Notably, Prime Minister at the time David Lloyd-George had promised ‘Homes fit for Heroes’, and a number of new ideas had been proposed in order to improve living standards, especially in terms of the urban population. This included the Tudor Walters Report of 1918, a government report setting out higher standards for social housing provision. In turn, the launch of ‘Burnage: A Place Called Home’ in 2018 marked both 100 years since the end of WWI, and the Tudor Walters Report itself.

Now, at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the importance of local resilience more than ever, Burnage stands out. As well as previously being the site of an ancient hamlet and a Roman Road, it holds a rich industrial and communal history, with its strong civic identity still evident today. The work of ‘Burnage: A Place Called Home’ over the last two years has included working with partners at Manchester Central Library’s Archives+ to explore images, film and oral histories of the area, with the University of Manchester’s Dr Charlotte Wildman and Southway Housing also being partners to the project. It certainly has made progress, with the remarkable ‘Stitching Burnage Together’ – a patchwork quilt created by groups across the Burnage community, a range of heritage based exhibitions, displays, school visits – and now the varied website where people can browse the stories of Burnage and see another side to this bustling place. One of the most remarkable activities was how the project invited the community to ‘build their street’ as part of the Big Burnage Lego Map! (pictured below)

The area certainly has seen plentiful change over the years – from having areas of common pasture during the Middle Ages, to areas of farmland emerging, and eventually becoming a township, with the Egerton family being major landowners in the area. Hence, Burnage hasn’t always been so urban… the writer George Bernard Shaw reportedly once described it as the prettiest village in Manchester! Yet by the late 19^th century, Burnage had become a place of what was a growing cottage industry at the time, weaving.

It was then the 20^th century that saw a range of changes in Burnage’s land use. For example, in 1919, Cringle Hall in Burnage became the new home of the Manchester Babies Hospital, then continuing in this location (later under the name the Duchess of York Hospital for Babies), until 1986.

 In addition, Burnage Garden Village is another example of a development here with a lasting legacy. Influenced by Ebenezer Howard's Garden Cities movement (as outlined in his book Garden Cities of  To-morrow) with its utopian principles of better urban living standards and improved use of space, it was built in 1907, consisting of 144 houses to the West of Burnage Lane. The houses themselves were designed by the local architects Gustave Agate and J. Horner Hargreaves, embodying suburban housing ideals of the Edwardian era, and presented in a roughly hexagonal layout.

Garden Cities Movement styling was especially evident in the consistency of hedging, front gardens, trees and grass verges around the estate – as well as the features of interlinking pedestrian footpaths, tennis courts, bowling green and a clubhouse! Meanwhile, Arts and Crafts Movement principles can be seen in the format of the houses themselves, low-set with rooves that often extend below the height of the eaves within – allowing for maximised usable living space, and plentiful natural light. Also notable for the time, was the inclusion of indoor bathrooms, running water and an electricity supply.

Picture below by Steve Marland. Find out more, including his post on 'Burnage Garden Village', on his Modern Mooch website here.

In turn, Burnage Garden Village offered a radical alternative to the often cramped, poor-quality housing that had emerged out of industrial era Manchester; with overcrowding, poor sanitation and inadequate space being all-too-common problems. Burnage became somewhat of a blueprint for a better way of living – and there were some rather radical first residents too! Take the example of Tom Larrad, who was Labour Councillor for Ardwick and lived at 9 East Avenue; significantly active in Labour politics during the 1920s and 30s. Meanwhile, at 21 East Avenue was the Wallhead family, including member of the Independent Labour Party (ILP) Dick Wallhead, who worked as a lecturer and journalist – a notable objector to World War I, who went on to be elected to Manchester City Council in 1919. Daughter Muriel embraced similar views, becoming an ILP propagandist (primarily on anti-war terms), whilst her brother James was also a conscientious objector. At 26 North Avenue was Clara Doughty, a member of the Women’s Freedom League, whilst at 5 West Avenue, Maud Dean was also a member of the Women’s Freedom League and lived with her husband, Herbert.

The progressive mood of the new occupants was also matched by the will for welfare improvement that drove residential development. Further housing expansion came to Burnage, fuelled not just by ideals but the necessity to house a growing population.

During the 1920s and 1930s, 3700 cottage style houses were built by the Manchester Corporation– affordable and high-quality – putting Burnage on the map as a place of municipal vision. It also provided a source of work for people after the war, and 275 previously unemployed workers helped to build Errwood Road (above), with the first ‘all electric house’ (including features such as lighting and a washing machine) opening for public view in 1926. More houses then formed what we may call a ‘Council Estate’ today, close to Kingsway – a road which was itself constructed in the 1920s and named after George V.

Burnage was after all a place where people lived – and worked. Renold Works was key feature of the local landscape from 1906 onwards, the factory of Hans Renold, who invented the roller chain. Additionally, he was a key champion of worker’s rights and supported a Hans Renold Social Union being set up, a group that encouraged leisure activities and a sense of community amongst colleagues. Renold also introduced a 48-hour week, one of the first employers to do so, as well as providing a canteen and sick fund. There are also examples of how local working life and housing plans came together. The Cooperative Estate, for instance, was built for the workers at the M&S Cooperative: consisting of 40 houses and a range of thorn-inspired road names i.e. Blackthorn Drive.

Memories Burnage’s growing residential estates, as well as their leafy surrounds, are evident on the ‘Burnage: A Place Called Home’ website. It includes fond accounts of the nearby Errwood Park and Cringle Fields; complete with recollections of a busy bandstand, local pub football teams playing tournaments and even the inclusion of a lido! There are also further details about what the original Burnage Corporation Houses were actually like – with many including unique ceiling racks, as well as the option of having a colour-painted front door. Pictures highlight how the residents’ choice of bright colour schemes really brought the façade of the houses alive!

However, Burnage’s burgeoning housing did not come obstacle-free. Although the number of new dwellings increased, the community provisions did not – with a number of ideas stalled by the Great Depression, including the original plan of the library. Yet in a response perhaps testament to the unique spirit of the area, people developed their own clubs and activities in an array of spaces. A mobile library quickly began to serve the area instead, and during WW2 the local library was housed in a semi-detached house on Bournelea Avenue! After all, it seemed that the residents of Burnage were keen readers, with this makeshift library issuing more books than the libraries in Hulme, Gorton and Newton Heath. Residents also continued to petition for a permanent library, and although it did move to another temporary location in 1947 (some former wooden mortuary huts), the current library was finally built in 1974. Even more remarkably, after it came under threat, local people have been running the library themselves since 2013, under the title Friends of Burnage Library in partnership with Manchester City Council and Southway Housing Association. This was a fast-thinking local response, and these communal efforts, transforming the library through a lively body of volunteers into an information Hub, has been recently awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. Even the shutters on the library front (pictured below) are decorated in an original piece by Hammo, the Northern Quarter mural artist!

During the turbulence of the Covid-19 pandemic, the community of Burnage has continued to strive for positive progress, adapting to help local residents according to the circumstances. This has included providing phone support for people who may be isolated or vulnerable, and supporting local causes such as the Foodbank. In turn, the project’s title ‘Burnage: A Place Called Home’ seems more apt than ever, and its own resilience during the pandemic has included adapting its planned exhibition into an innovative outdoor display (pictured above)! Thanks to support from Burnage Academy and Green End Primary School – who let the project use their railings for display purposes  – an outdoor art trail was created out of panels showcasing the community quilt (pictured below). 

To find out more about the project, visit http://burnagehome.co.uk/wp/. There are also three downloadable guides online, with walking ideas in Burnage for those who may fancy exploring further.

All photographs by John McCrory, with the exception of the aforementioned photograph by Steve Marland and the final photograph which is by Kate Turner

Article by Emily Oldfield 

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/11/burnage-a-place-called-home-a-project-showcasing-the-stories-of-this-manchester-suburb-b1443#comments1443 Fri, 13 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/11/football-writing-festival-kicks-off-b1442 The seventh Football Writing Festival will run online between 23-27 November.

FREE FESTIVAL STARTS 23 NOVEMBER AND RUNS FOR FIVE NIGHTS

The seventh Football Writing Festival will run online between 23-27 November.

The National Football Museum has brought together super scribes for the free five-day festival.

The line-up includes Melissa Reddy – senior football correspondent at The Independent, football finance expert Kieran Maguire and authors Ashley Hickson-Lovence, Eve Ainsworth and Ed Aarons.

Instead of a physical event, covid restrictions mean the festival will be digital and steamed on Facebook and YouTube. And for the first time, the museum’s expert team of curators will be leading the conversations.

Sam Broadley from the National Football Museum said: "We’ve moved the 7th annual Football Writing Festival to an online celebration. The ‘in-conversation’ events pair museum staff with renowned journalists and authors from the world of football.

“This is our most diverse line-up ever and the five authors will cover a wide range of themes, both contemporary and historic and all related to the beautiful game.”

Find out more: https://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/whatson/fwf2020/

Festival fixture list:

Monday 23 November 7pm

Believe Us: Melissa Reddy

The National Football Museum’s Dickie Felton joins journalist Melissa Reddy to discuss her new book Believe Us - How Jürgen Klopp transformed Liverpool into title winners. From 35,000 frenzied fans tracking Klopp’s first flight to Merseyside, through to Liverpool’s first Premier League title in 30 years, Melissa gets unparalleled access to the inside scoop.

Tuesday 24 November 7pm

Price of Football – Kieran Maguire

The National Football Museum’s Jon Sutton quizzes football finance expert Kieran Maguire in a hugely topical discussion examining how professional football clubs operate and balance the books.

Wednesday 25 November 7pm

Your Show – Ashley Hickson-Lovence

The National Football Museum’s Sam Broadley catches up with Ashley Hickson-Lovence. The author behind Your Show - an upcoming novel based on the career of legendary referee Uriah Rennie - gives us a stunning insight into the life of the first black official in the history of the Premier League.

Thursday 26 November 7pm

Kicking Off – Eve Ainsworth

The remarkable story of the Dick, Kerr Ladies is one that is well represented on the galleries of the National Football Museum. Curator Belinda Scarlett chats with award-winning author Eve Ainsworth about her new book Kicking Off, which brings this astonishing story to life for a new generation.

Friday 27 November 7pm

Made in Africa – Ed Aarons

Christian Allen from the museum talks to author Ed Aarons about his brilliantly insightful new book, Made in Africa. From Arthur Wharton to Mohamed Salah the pair look at the history of African players in English football. This fascinating discussion looks at the personal stories behind pioneers in the game and how confronting racism has helped change the face of English football forever.