Find out what's on and let us know you’re coming at www.facebook.com. Read on for our roundup of the top events to enjoy!

1. Monster Invasion: Return of the Monsters

Look up, look out, beware. The giant inflatable monsters are back and multiplying! Catch them taking over the city’s landmarks and buildings in a public art trail that weaves its way through the city centre. Share your monster pics across social using #MCRMonsters.

Find them at Manchester Arndale, Selfridges, House of Fraser, The Printworks, Depot at Mayfield, Royal Exchange, Spinningfields, Piccadilly Place, INNSiDE by Melia and Native at Ducie Street Warehouse.

Download the monster map.

25 October - 31 October 2019
Manchester City Centre

2. Trick or Treat Trail

Get your spook on courtesy of this creepy trail around the city centre. Dress up and pick up a map from the information point in Exchange Square to discover trick or treat houses scattered across the city – there’s a different character at each, waiting to greet you. Check off each point and collect a special treat at Lightopia’s Candy Land on New Cathedral Street.

Market Street, Manchester Arndale, New Cathedral Street, House of Fraser, The Printworks, St Ann’s Square and the Old Bank Residency NOMA.

26 October - 27 October
Manchester City Centre

3. Dr Mancenstein's Mad Science Castle & Poisonous Maze

Meet Manchester's mad-for-it scientist, Dr. Graphena Mancenstein (and her monster, Liam) in the ruins of their exploded castle, then take a walk through the grounds of her garden. It’s a real hedge maze that’s been taken over by creeping vines, enchanted statues and monstrous creatures – oh, and deadly, walking, talking bushes, too…

26 October - 27 October 2019
St. Ann's Square, Manchester

4. Grimm Rita’s Creepy Carnival & The Strolling Bones Skeleton Procession

Don’t look now: Grimm Rita’s Creepy Carnival takes spectral twists and turns along New Cathedral Street, a family-friendly freakshow bursting with street performers, sideshow stalls and a traditional Helter-skelter. Don’t miss the Strolling Bones procession, led by Grimm Rita herself, as it moves between the Creepy Carnival and Dr. Mancenstein’s Castle.

26 October - 27 October 2019
New Cathedral Street

5. Family Favourites at Halloween in the City

Get into the Halloween spirit with spooky screenings from CBeebies and CBBC, with family favourites such as Hey Duggee, Peter Rabbit, The Worst Witch, and Dennis and Gnasher Unleashed.

Plus, families can get creative with a special fun filled Slime School workshop, inspired by CBBC favourite Scream Street.

Manchester’s favourite kids’ arts centre, Z Arts, offers up a taste of the exhibition A World Inside a Book – Gruffalos, Dragons and Other Creatures, dedicated to the children’s author, Julia Donaldson. Head to Manchester Arndale to meet some of her best-loved characters and enjoy magical storytelling sessions of Room on the Broom.

26 October - 27 October 2019
Exchange Square & Manchester Arndale 

Head to The Printworks to join in PJ Masks’ ‘Be a Hero’ Tour, where little ones can learn hero moves like their favourite PJ Masks heroes - Catboy, Owlette and Gekko! But watch out for those Villains!

26 October 2019
The Printworks 

Follow the fun @HalloweenMCR.

‘The Gothic’ is a term often argued over, attracting a range of diverse and often conflicting definitions. Equally, it is a term that is embraced and celebrated by some yet shunned and rejected by others. In a fascinating hour of readings, reflections and conversation, Tania and Rosie took to the stage, with questions from Dale (all pictured above, L-R: Tania, Rosie, Dale) – considering their own writing, its relationship to Gothic themes, and the cityscape of Manchester. After all, neither writer is a stranger to being inspired by Manchester and its environs: whilst Rosie Garland is the inaugural writer-in-residence at The John Rylands Library (covered by Haunt here), Tania is writer-in-residence at Southern Cemetery (also covered by Haunt).

It is perhaps no surprise, then, that the themes of mortality, darkness and time permeate Tania’s work. A prolific short story writer with a PhD in creative writing inspired by particle physics, Tania’s third short story collection Some Of Us Glow More Than Others was published by Unthank Books in May 2017, whilst her debut poetry collection, Terms & Conditions was published in July of the same year by Nine Arches Press. Yet when she was initially approached to be involved in this event, Tania hadn’t necessarily considered her writing to be ‘Gothic’ at all. This was something explored and opened up in the course of the evening, leading her to reflect that:

“Since being asked to be involved in this event, I have considered The Gothic more and more in relation to my work… despite not having done so much before. Then yesterday, I was reading the Gothic Manchester Festival Symposium website, which said: ‘the Gothic mode has routinely placed the present moment under scrutiny, exploring the terrors of the age whilst calling into question the comforting fantasies upon which the established order rests’. That’s when it really clicked and I thought… I do that in my work!

“I place the present under a lot scrutiny in my writing – exploring the unsettling, the inherent weirdness in the every day. There is a line by the poet Louis MacNeice that connects to this: ‘ordinary people are peculiar too’. I don’t mind my work being seen as ‘Gothic’ – I let go of labelling my own work a long time ago – so I’m happy, excited, to embrace it. Since looking more into The Gothic I’ve already discovered new things - that it is not what I thought it was, for example. Perhaps it is a bit on the margins, like I think my work is… and on the margins is a great place to be!”

Rosie (pictured below, standing) was particularly supportive of Tania’s exploration of the Gothic in her work – after all, Rosie is a long-standing participant in the Gothic Manchester Festival, as well as a novelist, poet, and performer under the alter-ego Rosie Lugosi the Vampire Queen. She is the author of novels including The Palace of Curiosities, Vixen and the The Night Brother - the latter set in late nineteenth-century Manchester. She is currently working on a novel inspired by The John Rylands Library in the 1980s.  Yet she is also determined to venture beyond the stereotypes of ‘The Gothic’, to reach beyond the surface.

As she reflected:

“In terms of The Gothic and Manchester – people often go on about the Gothic architecture here – the city has a wealth, after all, the likes of Chetham's Library, The Town Hall, The John Rylands Library itself. Yet it is ‘Gothic’ I think, in terms of its history too… a restless radical history that doesn’t always get talked about. I’m talking about the reality of the ‘dark satanic mills’, the suffering during the Industrial Revolution, the struggle endured for suffrage. There has been lots of hard work here historically, and I mean HARD.

“I do think that there’s something in the water here too. There’s a real atmosphere, though it’s hard to define – like The Gothic. After all, The Gothic is a definition that doesn’t slip down easily… it isn’t beige, it can be challenging, it often dances out of reach. I’d say Manchester is like that too… it is the opposite of beige – it keeps on reinventing itself, resisting definition… it is full of stories of discovering identity, radical politics, Queer history, scenes that won’t die. It still persists. Manchester adopted me and I am eternally grateful.”

Following the insightful questions posed by Dale to both writers in front of a live audience, Tania and Rosie then took questions from the floor. Dale reflected on what certainly was seen by many to be an inspiring evening: "It is truly fascinating to realise, in conversation with these Manchester-based writers, the extent to which the city itself has shaped and influenced their dark Gothic imaginings". 

For more information on further Gothic Manchester Festival 2019 events, visit the website – with content throughout October and into early November.

By Emily Oldfield

With thanks also to RAH! - Research in Arts and Humanities at Manchester Met - and Lucy Simpson also provided image 2

This fascinating building, given its Grade I listing in 1952, was constructed in stages—and certainly makes a profound impression on the eye. The architect behind it was James Wyatt; a man known by many in his time as one of the country’s leading Gothic Revival architects, responsible for buildings including Fonthill Abbey in Wiltshire—created for the author of the novel Vathek, William Beckford. However, Wyatt was also recognised for his Neoclassical designs—and set to work on the design of Heaton Hall in 1772, for Sir Thomas Egerton.

Who was Sir Thomas Egerton? He was a descendant of Sir John Egerton, the man who married into the Holland family in 1684; this being the family that had owned the Heaton estate since the mid-17th century. There had even been a previous Heaton Hall in place before the one seen today! However, in 1772 Sir Thomas Egerton decided he wanted a more fashionable, tasteful, and up-to-date place to live—and hence his decision to choose Wyatt, one of the leading and most fashionable architects of his day, to create a new pile set within significant grounds.

Wyatt clearly had grand aspirations for Heaton Hall, and the building took shape over time—first the central block and West Wing in 1778, and later the East Wing in 1789. The impressive sandstone and stuccoed brick give the building its characterful light colouring, and it is an example of Neoclassical design. This type of design takes its inspiration from Classical architecture from Italy and further afield, a style that throughout eighteenth-century Britain had been revived in quite distinct ways. The Heaton Hall that can be seen today is the product of later and more informed interpretations of Classical architecture.

It places an emphasis on light decorative ornament informed by ancient classical sights, but also imaginatively recomposed; on the outside this is monochromatic, but changes in light and shade create movement; on the inside Wyatt, the Georgian architect, deployed these forms in a colourful, yet pastel palette.

Much of his work emphasised the use of perspective and symmetry—as he himself was inspired by and interpreting the Classical architecture of the Greeks and Romans. His approach was in turn mimicked by European designers, aware that classical recreations would be well received—especially as lots of the nobility were embarking on the fashionable ‘Grand Tour’—and they would have understood this style, and hence the Classically styled English country house, such as Heaton, as fashionable.

Heaton Hall therefore has been designed with close attention to detail, with a number of specific features. Its entrance is located on the North side, leading onto a semi-circular bow. On the ground floor, this is connected by a single corridor allowing for colonnaded wings with octagonal pavilions at each end; with the kitchen area in one and the library in the other. There is also a smaller library area (The Ante-Library) which would have been reserved for the ladies—and is arguably a more comfortable, snugger space with the original fitted bookcases still intact.

However, this was a country house just as much about entertaining as it was education—and a number of the design features of the building indicate that was primarily a building used for parties and guests! The colonnaded wings mean that all the rooms are connected, making it easy for guests to pass through and circulate. In addition, the downstairs dining room is located intentionally close to the kitchen—whilst many buildings of his time still had their kitchens and dining rooms at a distance from each other, meaning that food was often cold by the time it was served! The design of Heaton Hall allowed for piping hot food to be quickly transferred from the kitchen and put onto serving tables in the dining room.

Another engaging feature of downstairs is the 18^th-century chamber organ that fills a whole wall in the Music Room (pictured above), built by Samuel Green in 1790 and complete with a beautifully ornate case with decoration from Biagio Rebecca, the respected Italian artist. The room itself is resplendent in detailed plasterwork, created by the Joseph Rose II of York firm. Original artwork and furnishings still exist in many parts of the building, with a number of features thanks to Gillow's of Lancashire; the craftsmen behind the sturdy mahogany doors, for example.

As is a usual feature of Classical design, an attention to symmetry is clear throughout the building—with doorways mirroring each other in a number of places. Yet it is also sensitive to its position in the landscape, and long, floor-length windows throughout much of the ground floor indicate a desire to highlight the building’s proximity to nature—looking out over landscaped gardens, intentionally designed in awareness of the views out to the Pennine hills.

Falling beyond this symmetry, as built as a later date, is The Orangery (pictured below) - a remarkably ornate structure that would have originally had a glazed top, added to the house about 1823. This would have in effect been one of the most glorious greenhouses of its day—and although the building still stands now, it no longer has such a roof; this being removed when the park was taken over in 1902. It now stands as an atmospheric relic, displaying the building’s closeness to nature.

Heaton Hall demonstrates a strength and depth in the range of Georgian architects’ vocabularies; Wyatt, the most fashionable architect of the day who, like the Scottish architect Robert Adam before him, would happily work in a confident manner across different styles, or architectural modes. Egerton’s home, like Beckford’s, demonstrates Wyatt at his best; imaginative, yet grounded firmly in historic architectural models. As such, it is a relatively forgotten jewel in his Neoclassical ‘crown’.

Today, the public can still visit Heaton Hall at select times (for more information, see the website), with most of the rooms available to visit lying in the central part and East Wing—what would have been the family quarters of the building. Much of the maintenance and continued celebration of the building is thanks to the hard work of The Friends of Heaton Hall, a group established to promote public awareness of the Hall and its heritage.

Heaton Hall certainly has experienced some unusual stories and alternative uses over the years too. During its time as a country home, especially under the Egerton family, prominent individuals gathered to be entertained there—including the likes of Charles Hallé, of The Hallé Orchestra! Live classical music would have been a regular feature through much of the Victoria era, though it was no longer used as a family home by the late-19th century. In turn, the hall and park faced an uncertain future—and it was thanks to the goodwill of the public that a pressure group was formed, including the antiquary (and namesake of Fletcher Moss Park in Didsbury), Alderman Fletcher Moss—persuading Manchester City Council to purchase the site as a museum and parkland when it went up for sale in 1902.

Since then, the hall has spent some time unused, it functioned as a Military Hospital during the First World War, in the Second World War was surrounded by a Royal Air Force camp (and an area of anchorage for barrage balloons!) and has since seen even more intriguing uses—including as a location for music and theatrical productions!  From 1998, the local Feelgood Theatre Productions has brought a range of performances to the park and hall area including The Wizard of Oz, Macbeth and most recently ‘Dracula—The Blood Count of Heaton’, using the hall as an atmospheric backdrop.

But what else about inside the building? There is plenty to see. Downstairs, the colour scheme could be seen as more reserved. Another feature of especial intrigue is the central stairwell (pictured above) which boasts an expansive, two-sided iron staircase—this itself testament to the Industrial Revolution and highlighting the evolution of the building and its interior over time.

The varied content of Heaton Hall certainly lends it a fascinating quality—and this continues upstairs on the first floor, which is home to one of the rarest features of its kind: a room in the Etruscan design with a domed ceiling and mirrored walls, one of only three like it in the entire UK. This is the Cupola Room (pictured below). The original Etruscan architecture from which it takes its inspiration was a style coming out of Ancient Roman culture between 700Bc and 200Bc—again highlighting the Italian influences that persist within the design of the building and would have made it one of the most fashionable of its day. As well as its extravagant beauty and rarity, the upstairs Cupola Room also holds its own stories—a place seemingly used by Lady Egerton during the period of mourning for her deceased husband, and as the haunting mural on the wall suggests.

Visitors to Heaton Park today can look onto the hall as a relic of life in the 18th and 19th centuries. From Easter, through to the Heritage Open Weekend in September, it is accessible to the public for tours, and there is a wider events calendar for the park also.

By Emily Oldfield and Dr Peter Lindfield (Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies)

With thanks also to The Friends of Heaton Hall (also on Facebook), David Blood and Dave Clegg who helped to inform this article

Photography: with thanks to Michael Denham and The Friends of Heaton Hall

The choice was made by an impressive 6-strong Festival Jury Panel, all key figures within the industry. They were: producer and Grimmfest 2018 Lifetime Achievement award-winner Barbara Crampton, UK film critic Anton Bitel, US producer Amanda Presmyk (of Fangoria), UK producer Jennifer Handorf, UK film critic Nikki Baughan and Canadian sales agent James Fler (of Raven Banner).  They had a range of decisions to make, with 13 awards up for grabs in total, including Grimmfest’s first ever BEST WORK-IN-PROGRESS award – open to feature films that are not yet completed, instead in production or post-production. The prize for this includes £20,000 worth of post-production funding courtesy of M2 MediaPost, a year’s subscription to Screen International magazine and an exciting offer of international sales representation from Film Seekers.

The award winners were as follows:

Best Feature (Sponsored by M2 MediaPost)

WHY DON’T YOU JUST DIE!

With Special Mention for EXTRA ORDINARY

Best Director (Sponsored by M2 MediaPost)

KIRILL SOKOLOV, WHY DON’T YOU JUST DIE!

With Special Mention for ROB GRANT (HARPOON)

Best Screenplay (Sponsored by Final Draft and InkTip)

HARPOON

With Special Mention for A SERIAL KILLER’S GUIDE TO LIFE

Horror Channel Achievement in Horror Award

JEN AND SYLVIA SOSKA (pictured below) (AMERICAN MARY, DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK, RABID) – with both attending the festival as Special Guests, with a screening of their most recent film RABID.

Best Cinematography (Sponsored by One Bright Dot)

4x4

With Special Mention for WHY DON’T YOU JUST DIE!

Best Score (Sponsored by Grimmfest Films)

ARTIK

With Special Mention for TONE-DEAF

Best Actor

PETER LANZANI, 4x4

With Special Mention for MUNRO CHAMBERS (HARPOON)

Best Actress

MAEVE HIGGINS, EXTRA ORDINARY

With Special Mention for POPPY ROE (A SERIAL KILLER’S GUIDE TO LIFE)

Best SFX (Sponsored by Fangoria Magazine)

WHY DON’T YOU JUST DIE!

With Special Mentions for BLOOD VESSEL and THE WRETCHED

Best Kill (Sponsored by Dread Central)

SATANIC PANIC

With Special Mention for HARPOON

Best Scare (Sponsored by Rue Morgue magazine)

THE WRETCHED

With Special Mention for BLOOD VESSEL

Best Short (Sponsored by Shudder)

LIMBO

With Special Mention for HOW TO BE ALONE and LOOM

It certainly was a productive festival for the darkly comic Russian crime drama WHY DON'T YOU JUST DIE! – recipient of both the BEST FEATURE and BEST DIRECTOR awards. The prize for this significant scoop is £80,000 worth of post-production services courtesy of Festival Award Sponsor, M2 MediaPost, which can be used as finance against a future film production. The film’s Writer-director Kirill Sokolov had this to say:

“I'm absolutely happy!  It is so important for a young filmmaker to get rewards for your work.  The best inspiration for the next steps.  Huge thanks to Grimmfest! I'll do my best!"

Michael Laundon of M2 MediaPost, also added:

 “M2 MediaPost is honoured to sponsor both BEST FEATURE and BEST DIRECTOR for this year’s Grimmfest and it's great to see Kirill Sokolov’s amazing kinetic and stylish Russian thriller picking up both awards. We are looking forward to working with him on a future project and excited to also sponsor the new WORK IN PROGRESS award of which Paul and Mike’s new project, KARLI, is a worthy recipient.”

As aforementioned, 2019 also saw Grimmfest’s first ever BEST WORK-IN-PROGRESS award, which was awarded to Paul Gerrard and Mike Clarke, the directors of KARLI – a hotel-based horror loaded with themes of grief and mystery.

If all this wasn’t positive news enough - Grimmest 2020 will take place in early October next year in Manchester! 2019 saw some of the festival’s biggest ever audiences and therefore, when it comes to exciting horror and cult cinema, Grimmfest really is the place to be. Film submissions for next year will open December 2019 via FilmFreeway. More information about the festival can be found at www.grimmfest.com

Keogh is after all no stranger to considering iconic figures of history within his work – yet with a personal, perceptive quality that brings real insight to the surface. He is also the writer of ‘Thorn’: a play exploring the early life of Steven Patrick Morrissey – the frontman of The Smiths – which was directed by Chantell Walker and widely acclaimed, winning Best Newcomer award at the Greater Manchester Fringe 2017, following a sold-out run at The Kings Arms (one of Haunt's featured venues, full article here) in Salford. In Out of Time he also plunges into the past, taking the audience into the gritty Soho streets of 1962, where Brian – only in his early-twenties – auditions Mick Jagger and Keith Richards for the band that will become The Rolling Stones.

 Not only was Jones the original founder of the group (including the name – which originally was ‘The Rollin’ Stones’) but a talented multi-instrumentalist; playing guitar on record, as well as contributing his skill on the likes of sitar, dulcimer and keyboards  (to name just a few) during live performances. He was capable of playing across multiple genres, perhaps inspired by his time as a blues musician, briefly under the name of ‘Elmo Lewis’ in the early sixties.  He even reportedly taught Mick Jagger how to play harmonica!

But what about the trouble behind the talent? Whilst The Rolling Stones went on to ramp up success after success – including London concerts and a lucrative recording contract, the cracks were already beginning to show. ‘Out of Time’ sensitively considers the struggles faced by Jones, including a difficult childhood in post war Cheltenham, the pressure of his peers… and what became the ruthless internal dynamics of band life. Rather than overlooking Jones as a hedonistic figure who fell victim to the excesses of the ‘swinging sixties’, ‘Out of Time’ is an encounter with the fascinating backstory, the hidden histories and curious qualities of a life.

Tim Keogh’s aptitude for looking beyond the surface is notable - and perhaps inspired by his own North Manchester upbringing, taking an interest in history and music from an early age. He grew up here during the ‘60s and ‘70s, a time of music evolution, football culture and post-industrial tensions.  Yet it was later in life that he documented it, publishing the books Nothing but blue skies in 2009 and This was our City in 2013 respectively. Whilst the former book follows his adolescent experiences in the area and travelling around the country to watch Manchester City Football Club, the latter looks at his journey into adulthood and the ‘80s: the Thatcher years, time in teaching and the explosion of punk rock.

Interestingly, Thorn (2017) was Tim’s first foray into playwriting – and proved particularly popular. It was in this fascinating piece of theatre he considered the young Morrissey, living in 1970s Streford and faced with questions of sexuality, identity and the power of Glam Rock inspiration. 

Now Out of Time seeks to provide another perceptive window into a time in history so often surrounded by myth and speculation.  Ahead of the play coming to Salford Arts Theatre on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th October 2019 (as well as tour dates including 1st and 2nd November at Hebden Bridge Little Theatre) we decided to speak to Tim himself to find out more…

Hello Tim! We have met in The Kings Arms, Salford. You have already staged ‘Out of Time’ here in March 2019, as well as your earlier play ‘Thorn’. Why is this place significant?

“The significance is - I’d been to see plays here on a Monday night, run by the brilliant Manchester ADP. This was back in 2016. Somebody at one of the sessions explained it to me: people submit plays, new writing – if they like them they’ll put on a 10 minute scene; usually from about four different plays in one night. So being driven to write a play – despite never having even aspired to do so in the past – must have coincided with me coming down to ADP. I think what they do is great, and I wanted to give it a try.

“By that point I had written two books about growing up and living in Manchester and didn’t want to repeat that. So I was encouraged to send a play off to them. I’d never written one before! I just thought – ‘well, I’ll see if I can do it’… and I did: that was Thorn. It was received really well – I was taken aback! I got back an email telling me that they didn’t just want to put an excerpt of the play on, they wanted to put the whole thing on! Being new to all this, I didn’t have any formal knowledge about the structuring of plays, the logistics of putting one on, working with a cast. In Thorn, I had 11 roles in the play, 9 actors – which was barmy! But that’s just how I saw it: in my head then on the stage.

“The Kings Arms… they’ve always been fantastic with me here, very open, very welcoming. I’m incredibly grateful. It was here Thorn sold-out for four nights – we even ended up having to turn people away - and Out of Time came here in March 2019 for three nights, which sold out a week before. Now I’m bringing Out of Time to another great Salford venue, Salford Arts Theatre… and later to Hebden Bridge Little Theatre.”

Tell us a bit more about ‘Thorn’ – your first play – which saw you win Best Newcomer Award at the Greater Manchester Fringe 2017 awards?

“In terms of Thorn, I didn’t write it with a purpose in mind. Although it is ostensibly about young Morrissey, that’s not how it was advertised. Ultimately, it was about a boy growing up in the Manchester area who was 14 years old in 1972… like me!

“The play itself was inspired by a very distinct image – something that was a watershed moment at the time. It was one of David Bowie’s first appearances on mainstream British television in June 1972. Although a lot of people mention Bowie’s feature on Top of the Pops around the same time, the first was actually on a programme called Lift Off with Ayshea on ITV. He played Starman… and I remember watching it. That programme sent out shockwaves, opened up a generation gap, it shattered everything. This was a man wearing makeup, being creative, being an individual. So many artists quote that as a key inspiration, even now, the first time seeing Bowie. That moment was massive… and it opened up questions on themes such as identity, sexuality and masculinity that are a key part of Thorn.

“I am a huge Smiths fan as well. In terms of Thorn though, it wasn’t advertised as a ‘Morrissey’ or a ‘Smiths’ play – I just wanted people to have the conceptualisation that it was about a boy growing up in Manchester. It then went from the ADP in 2016 to play  at the Greater Manchester Fringe in 2017… and that’s when a great thing happened. After one of the Fringe shows, a guy came up me, saying that in the course of watching the play, it was only then he realised the character was Morrissey!

“Another thing, one of the very best things – and a moment that still touches me -  is that straight after the first night, I was out the back of The Kings Arms with the actors. That’s when a lad came up to me and said ‘thank you for writing my story’. He told me he was gay, 19 years old, and that he loved the play and what it covered. And that hit me, that the themes within the play had really connected with him. That’s why I defend my plays, even though they look at stories of the past, against being defined as ‘period pieces’. Their themes are very much relevant now… exploring issues such as sexuality, gender confusion, family, identity. In Thorn, I was writing about being 14 in 1972… but it resonates across the decades.”

Do you think that growing up in the North Manchester of the ‘60s and ‘70s has influenced your writing. If so – how?

“I think so. Talking about Thorn – at the centre of it is the big question: what’s it like for someone who’s a bit different to everybody else? It was a physically tough time for many people back in ‘60s and ‘70s Manchester… and I’m talking from experience of what was a very masculine culture. During the week schoolteachers  would hit you, at the weekend – football fans were hitting you. Some people were even hit at home. So for the people who were sensitive, into the likes of music and poetry… how was it for them?

“I’m interested in this as I was a kind of gentle lad myself, I felt different. I went to the local Grammar School where we were hit by teachers, in Cross Country practice there was the ethos ‘if you’re not muddy, you’re not doing it right’. Yet I was into books, reading, music, magazines like Sounds. I should have been in a band but wasn’t… that’s something I wish I’d done. That raises a significant point though. Back in those days, growing up in Manchester… I felt that culture and creativity was all being done by somebody else. Writing books, being a musician, being in the charts – it was a thing for others, not for the likes of people like us. It felt out of reach.” 

“Consider the line sung by Morrissey himself – has the world changed or have I changed?  A lot of what went on in the ‘60s and ‘70s still goes on now, though perhaps we wouldn’t like to admit it. Sexism. Homophobic behaviour. Racism – even just this week in the England vs. Bulgaria football game. It is disgusting- and I want to highlight that too. Since Morrissey has recently come out with controversial statements on race I haven't played a single track of his. It is so alien to me. I am upset and disappointed… I think especially because Morrissey seemed to speak up for so many people in the 1980s, covering real life experiences, struggles, making connections. Not now.”

Morrissey is a local, well-known figure. Why did you decide to focus on Brian Jones for the next play?

“I’ve always been a Rolling Stones fan – and Brian founded the band, devised the name, even auditioned the members! When he died I was only ten, it was front page news …yet now, hardly anybody knows who he is. Or they just know about his death - found in a swimming pool, aged 27. This seems unjust.

“There also was a particular moment that inspired this one – and the reason why I particularly wanted to put the play on in Hebden Bridge. I went to a gig at The Trades Club in Hebden Bridge about three years ago, to see Donovan – a singer-songwriter well-known in the ‘60s who still gigs now. I was a big fan, and knew that Donovan comes out to speak to his fans at the end, he speaks individually them… so waited on purpose, last in the line after the gig, in the hope of getting plenty of time to chat. So, I met him and we were talking for about five minutes… when he introduced me to a young lad, 19 years old. This was Joolz Jones, grandson of Brian Jones. We got talking, and one of the things Joolz said that really struck me, was that he wished his grandad would be portrayed for his life, not his death. (Picture left:  Tim talking to Joolz Jones, grandson of Brian. Taken by Mel Tripkovic)

“After that conversation I went out and bought anything I could on Brian Jones. I thought: here is a great story and one that needs to be told. I feel that Brian Jones is a figure who has been written out of history… yet this was the man who founded The Rolling Stones, dealt with the logistics of the band, decided what they would play live and in what order. He was a highly talented musician, a pioneer. He was sensitive too.

“It became my mission… to paint a better picture of Brian Jones. Look at people like John Lennon and Jimmy Hendrix – they have endless dedications, monuments – Lennon has an airport named after him! Brian was no saint, just like these figures weren’t either – but he had many positive qualities too. Yet in Cheltenham where Brian is from, they won’t build any kind of statue to him. Some people wanted a street in the town to be named ‘Brian Jones Close’, but that was talked down. He is treated like a figure of embarrassment.”

Can you tell us a little more about the process of writing ‘Out of Time’ itself?

“It was 2017 when I started writing it – and a few years previously I had taken early retirement, which was a fortunate happening for me: it gave me time. I hadn’t had this when I was writing my books – as that was when I was working full-time too – and would use the hours between midnight and 2am to write! Yet since early retirement, I had lots of time alone in the week to get writing.

“I wanted to elaborate on themes that aren’t always talked about in terms of Brian Jones… and I’ve been thinking about it coming down to this interview today. One of the key themes is love – and the absence of it. I don’t think Brian Jones was given enough love when he was growing up. It was the 1950s then, a middle-class upbringing in Cheltenham… very efficient, but not necessarily affectionate. His dad had a high-powered job in aviation, his mum was a classical pianist. Brian was intelligent, he went to Grammar School, did A Levels. It was a well-heeled upbringing so to speak… but I think he lacked being given fondness and love. I don’t think the books written about him always illuminate that. Then I came across the quote by George Harrison: ‘there was nothing the matter with him that a little extra love wouldn’t have cured. I don’t think he had enough love and understanding.’

“By the time Brian was in his teens, he and his parents were living completely different lives. He loved music… the type which was unpopular with them. He started getting into The Blues, often treated at the time as ‘Black Man’s Music’. Yet he pushed against what he was told to think and believe. He was interested in the Blues, in women, got involved with people he shouldn’t have… all very young.  Family and love are the fundamentals I think… and when you don’t have this, what does it do to us creatively? Our decisions?

“One of the most fascinating things that I learned – is about Brian’s kind of yearning for a ‘lost childhood’, elaborating on the point about love and upbringing I’ve just mentioned. When he had to get out of London towards the end of his life in 1967 – the Police were closing in on him, the implications of his actions catching up – yet he was the only one who pleaded guilty, owned up. He also expressed that he didn’t want to disappoint his parents. There was a child-like quality… it was at this time in the late ‘60s that he bought Cotchford Farm, Sussex – the house where AA Milne, author of Winnie the Pooh, used to live. In the play, the character of the housekeeper says, ‘you have a look of Christopher Robin’ to Brian.

“It’s become a key theme of my work without me ever really meaning it to – family.   This is what  interests me the most… people’s upbringing, their early teenage years. It’s your formation, it’s what makes you – Brian Jones, he even had a train set in his attic… a passion started off in childhood and carrying onto the end of his life.”

Why the title ‘Out of Time’?

“You are the first person to ask that! I was listening to the actual record of the same name, The Rolling Stones put it out in 1966, and I was listening to the words. I thought: they could be singing this about Jones. Although the lyrics seem like it is referring to a girl ‘you are obsolete my baby’ – this also seems to link to how they viewed Jones by that point, his ‘usefulness’ to them in their eyes had waned significantly. I also think he was ‘Out of Time’ – in that he was way ahead of his time. He was one of the earliest pioneers of World Music– he played what would have been seen as really exotic instruments: the sitar, marimbas, dulcimer, he was a very early user of the mellotron. He gave tracks such as ‘Under My Thumb’ and ‘Paint It Black’ such a distinct sound with his instrumentation.  

“He also was ahead of his time as he championed black artists… at a time when in Western society even the finest black musicians were treated differently. How black people were treated then was appalling, especially in America. Yet Jones did not agree with such divisions. He wanted black people and their creativity to be celebrated – for example, he helped black artists get onto television. There was a Rolling Stones gig on TV which he said he wouldn’t let the band play, unless the black US artist Howlin’ Wolf got to play too. There’s a great YouTube clip of that.”

So why write a play about it all?

“I’m trying to write plays I would like to go along and watch. It reminds me of something along the lines of what the great Salford playwright Shelagh Delaney said – she’d seen plays at the theatre, and thought she could do better. I’d like to create a play that people can come and enjoy even if they would never go to the theatre normally.

“I’m very excited for Out of Time too as it has a brand new cast, including a new director: Ben Rivers, who is 24. The lad who is playing Brian is called Jake Bush, coming up specially for rehearsals on a train from London – all for the love of it, that he will get to be Brian Jones for a few weeks. It’s amazing. I like working with young people. And the whole creative process… and I don’t always know why I’m doing this, but I’m loving it!

“I think the importance of writing about Brian Jones was underlined to me in terms of another strange co-incidence too. During the summer, I went to a Brian Jones 50^th anniversary concert, set up by Kenney Jones (no relation – of The Faces, The Small Faces, The Who) who organised this concert in memory of Brian featuring artists such as The Waterboys, The Stranglers, Donovan. That’s where I met Joolz Jones again. He thanked me for writing a play about his grandad. This meant so much to me.

“It matters to me that it is a play exploring real-life themes… family, identity, gender. Even though the plays Thorn and Out of Time show another era – they hold a light up to issues such as toxic masculinity. Men often treated women really badly. Yet in Out of Time there is the character of Anita Pallenberg, Brian’s girlfriend – a real modern woman in the 1960s, a strong woman.

“I’ve been taken aback by all this… I never saw myself as a playwright. Take what happened with Thorn, it sold out at The Kings Arms, was nominated for awards and won Best Newcomer. This is a bit of a funny story. When it was the GM Fringe 2017 Awards evening, it was hosted at the old 53two. Lisa (of The Kings Arms) asked me if I was coming down, so I thought ‘OK’.  It was a nice night weather-wise, and when I approached the venue, there were lots of people stood outside with their drinks… and I was too nervous to go in! I didn’t have the courage to go in there, I was worried that I didn’t fit in. This was all new to me. So I went to Rain Bar by myself for an hour until I finally vowed to go back… that’s when I was met with so many surprises. Not only did people welcome me and encourage me to sit with them, but Thorn had been nominated for a number of awards and won Best Newcomer! And I had been too scared to go! I think that’s what connects with my earlier point, when I mentioned growing up and thinking that the arts, creative success, things like that – were all for ‘other people’. I couldn’t believe that I had won, I was 58!

“I suppose it really doesn’t matter how old you are… and there are certainly are so many supportive, creative people out there. Someone I thanked on that night was Hannah Ellis Ryan, the local actor and director who had been so helpful. There are plenty of people out there creatively saying YES rather than no… what an opportunity to give someone. That’s what I love: enthusiasm and opportunity.

“Now on to Out of Time. This really is the best time of my life, because it is now and it is exciting.”

For more about Tim Keogh, visit his website.

By Emily Oldfield

Image 1: by Ian Rothwell (Tim featured on Ian's 'A Bit of Everything' show) at Salford City Radio

Image 2: by Shay Rowan

Image 3: Daniel Murphy plays Steven in 'Thorn'. Taken by Shay Rowan

Image 4: Tim talking to Joolz Jones, grandson of Brian. Taken by Mel Tripkovic

Image 5: Tim and Haunt's Emily at The Kings Arms, Salford

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/10/meet-the-middleton-based-playwright-who-is-bringing-the-hidden-story-of-brian-jones-founder-of-the-rolling-stones-to-the-stage-b988#comments988 Wed, 16 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/10/50-years-of-the-science-and-industry-museum-b987 For the last fifty years, the Science and Industry Museum has told the stories of how Manchester’s innovators and entrepreneurs have changed the world. From its original foundation on Grosveno..

For the last fifty years, the Science and Industry Museum has told the stories of how Manchester’s innovators and entrepreneurs have changed the world. 

From its original foundation on Grosvenor Street to its re-opening on Liverpool Road in 1983, and its incorporation into the world-leading Science Museum Group in 2012, years of work by many hundreds of passionate volunteers, dedicated staff and generous supporters have created a place enjoyed by millions of people from all over the world.

Many people would say that this is a site where the modern world began. Here, you can walk through the world’s oldest surviving passenger railway station and railway warehouse, crucial to the growth of Manchester as the world’s first industrial city. Star exhibits highlight how ideas born in Manchester have changed the world, from Arkwright’s water frame, which revolutionised cotton manufacturing, to ‘Baby’, the world’s first stored programme computer.

Our special exhibitions and events programmes showcase some of the world’s best contemporary science exhibitions and experiences. In recent years we’ve seen a heady mix of Robots, Tim Peake’s Soyuz capsule and Stephenson’s Rocket. We are currently showing a major exhibition. The Sun.

Forty years ago, the museum was a catalyst for the regeneration of Castlefield, the world’s first urban heritage park. Now, alongside our partners at Manchester International Festival and The Factory, we are helping to create an exciting new destination together with culture at its heart. Revolution is in our DNA.

We are restoring our internationally significant buildings to ensure we can provide our visitors with unforgettable experiences for generations to come. We are currently restoring our beautiful Power Hall, one of our best-loved galleries, and creating a new gallery for world class exhibitions. Our next projects will be to landscape our lovely outdoor spaces and create interactive galleries and learning spaces to inspire the next generation to become scientists, inventors and entrepreneurs, with ideas that will change the world.

Make sure you come and visit us!

www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk

Written by Sally Macdonald, Director of Science and Industry Museum

GETTING THERE: Metrolink

Sale is located five miles to the south-west of Manchester city centre in the local authority of Trafford. It is on the Altrincham line of the Metrolink tram system with a journey taking approximately 17 minutes from St. Peter’s Square.

THINGS TO DO: Sale Water Park

Sale Water Park is an area of countryside and parkland containing a lake, woodland, meadows, the River Mersey, cafe, restaurant and water sports centre. It’s a great location for a family walk or cycle from where you can reach Chorlton and Didsbury or just circle the lake. If you need refreshment, you’ll find The Boathouse restaurant or the Jackson’s Boat pub (which has an outdoor play area). There is plenty of parking and its also on the Manchester Airport Metrolink line (with park and ride facilities).

THINGS TO DO: Walkden Gardens

Sale’s ‘secret garden’ with Japanese, Fuchsia and Dovecote gardens, Wisteria Arch and labyrinth. Walkden Gardens host outdoor theatre and events throughout the year.

EAT: Mustard

A neighbourhood diner serving burgers, craft ale and milkshakes. Make sure you try their buttermilk chicken. Mustard is a one-minute walk from Sale Metrolink station.

DRINK: Us Four

Just down the road from Sale, literally on top of Brookland Metrolink station, you’ll find US Four, a retro-styled American diner serving shakes, cocktails, waffles, cakes and snacks.

DRINK: Cork Of The North

A wine shop and bar selling over 300 different wines by the glass and by the bottle, as well as artisan bottled beers and a great selection of spirits, including local gins. Cork Of The North is really close to Sale Metrolink station and also about ten metres away from Mustard (and other bars) if you want to make an evening of it.

ENTERTAINMENT: Waterside

The Waterside is a thriving and vibrant arts venue in the heart of Sale. Comprising a theatre, art galleries, studios and workspaces, there’s always something going on from theatre productions, music, comedy and art exhibitions.

WHAT’S ON: Makers Market

On the third Sunday of every month you’ll find the Makers Market in the centre of Sale. Makers Markets bring together the finest and often award-winning food, drink, art and craft producers in the area.

WHAT’S On: Sale Art Trail

Every July the Sale Art Trail takes over the M33 postcode. The Sale Arts Trail provides the opportunity to visit artists’ studios, quirky and unusual display spaces; gardens, shops and cafes all exhibiting and selling the work of professional artists and makers in the Trafford area along with some guest artists.

FAMILY FRIENDLY: Bean & Brush

Bean & Brush is an independent, neighbourhood, family art café serving breakfast, brunch, lunch and beyond. After eating, head up to the Art Studio where the kids (and you) can try some art projects, from paint a pot to decopatch.

FAMILY FRIENDLY: Walton Park

Close to Brooklands Metrolink station you’ll find Walton Park, with bowling greens, tennis courts and play areas. Every Sunday (weather permitting) the Sale Area Model Engineering Society run the narrow-gauge railway on which adults and children can ride for the sum of thirty pence per person.

Richard is an artist who rather than just reflecting the themes of the natural world, evocatively engages with its frequencies; creating artwork that explores as well as is underpinned by the importance of nature having its own expression – a point perhaps beyond human definition. From being inspired by the gripping tensions of glacier ice to the closer contours of open moorland, Richard has created an array of poetry, prose and soundscapes notably rooted in landscape. An example is the West Pennine Moors of his earlier years, including the isolated parish of Anglezarke, part of the Lancashire borough of Chorley; a location interlaced with Bronze Age artefacts and dramatic gritstone. Much of Richard’s previous work was released on his earlier Sustain-Release Label, a sensitivity to place brought together with self-taught instrumentation and handcrafted design.

This is artistry that engages with place and its experiences; steeped in the sonic waves of its complexities, hauntological layers locked in human-tainted terrain. In an age where the impact of the Anthropocene is increasingly discussed, Richard’s work has an urgency without ever feeling overt – instead a moving minimalism and love of language are often part of the approach. This is something he will continue to explore in his upcoming involvement in Rural Eerie: The Strange Countryside Explored through Sounds and Words - an immersive evening of readings and a soundscape created by Manchester’s own hauntronica trio Flange Circus on the 19^th October at The Peer Hat in Manchester (part of the Gothic Manchester Festival 2019, an event presented by Flange Circus, MASSmcr and Haunt). Here he will be reading some of his work, with other writers involved including Andrew Michael Hurley, Helen Darby, Sarah Hymas and Mark Pajak. Tickets can be booked via the link here, over the phone (please contact Lucy Simpson on 0161 247 6740) and tickets will also be available on the door.

It certainly seems a busy year for Richard, recently featured on the likes of BBC Radio 6 Music, including Stuart Maconie’s Freak Zone, highlighting his own sonic output which this year includes Border Ballads – a kind of artistic encounter with the Scottish-English borderland, an area where he currently lives. Pulling on a panorama through the likes of piano, viola, cello and ambient electronics, Richard’s intimate approach expresses the want of a creative consciousness to co-exist and communicate with, rather than on behalf of, nature. This is also evident in his range of writings, including 2009’s critically acclaimed Landings and 2018’s novella The Look Away; shortlisted for the Portico Prize 2019. Richard is also completing a PhD with a Place Writing focus at the Manchester Writing School (Manchester Metropolitan University).

Yet rather than just focusing on his own experiences, Richard is passionate about the depth and diversity of voices creatively engaging with the natural world. With Autumn Richardson he seeks to operate Corbel Stone Press as a publisher of pieces interested in ‘Ecology, anthropology, folklore, animism and other than human consciousness’. As well as creating beautiful editions of work with a fine attention to detail and presentation, it also has another imprint – Xylem Books – allowing for affordable, globally distributed paper forms. As aforementioned, Reliquiae is the title of their bi-annual journal.

Ahead of Rural Eerie – Haunt Manchester decided to speak to Richard to find out more…

Hello Richard. Thank you for your involvement in Rural Eerie. What instinctively came to mind when you were presented with this concept?

"I immediately thought of a passage from Gerard Manley Hopkins’ diaries about his journey on foot across a Lancashire landscape in unusual atmospheric conditions. He describes the Bowland Fells as having a ‘pale goldish skin without body’, and the passage concludes with the observation that ‘nature in all her parcels and faculties gaped and fell apart’. For me, the eerie involves a sense of rupture, of ‘ordinary’ reality breaking open to reveal something else. When I first read them, I was strongly moved by Hopkins’ words, and was motivated to discover other writers whose work conjured a similar sensation. Among them were: Dorothy Wordsworth, W.H. Hudson, Rainer Maria Rilke, Thomas de Quincey and Mrs Gaskell. A piece by Hudson in particular I found extremely evocative – he describes an encounter with a ruined house in the middle of a forest, and how it had a ‘strange look in [the] memory’. For me, this is the other component of the eerie – a sense of sentience that is beyond human; that the things you look at also look back. And so Hudson relates how the house seemed to speak to him, saying: ‘We have waited these many years for you to come and listen to our story and you are come at last’. Having had an almost identical experience with the ruins of farmhouses on the West Pennine Moors, I found this passage exhilarating. I collected this and others into a book which I published in 2014, entitled ‘Nimrod is Lost in Orion and Osyris in the Doggestarre’. My aim was to distill these disparate fragments into a loose but somehow coherent sequence."

In terms ‘the eerie’ and its relationship with the rural – how do you see this? Is this a human expression of what we fear we cannot understand – or do you think the rural has its own innate eeriness?

"The innate eeriness of the countryside must surely be its lack of other-than-human presences. In Britain we have suppressed our wildernesses to the point where the countryside is contained and controlled. Every inch of it is mapped and owned; it is no longer wild. For me, there is an eeriness in its silence. Having spent evenings among the deafening clamour of wild life in the woods of Canada and America, the quietude of British woodland is haunting. Nevertheless, there is the possibility of its return to life, and, depending on your perspective, this is either a promise or a threat. The return of apex predators in particular may promise the return of fear. It could even be argued that this fear has never left us, and that the rural eerie explores this lingering afterimage. In some of my work I have written about the violent return of the animals that we have extirpated; about the need for a human blood-letting."

How can exploring this relationship be beneficial, do you think – and is there a particular artistic approach that lends itself best to this, in your experience?

"From my perspective, as a British artist, I think it is important to acknowledge these absences. Much of my work with Autumn Richardson has been focused on giving attention to what has vanished. It has had an elegiac quality. Nevertheless, with musical recordings like ‘Diagrams for the Summoning of Wolves’, and poems such as ‘The Medicine Earth’, we have tried to cultivate a kind of optimism. This is important, we think. Art has a great capacity for positive action; we can’t wallow in despair and apathy. There has to be hope that progress can still be made."

Can you tell us about how some of your own experiences of the rural and nature have influenced your current creative work and the choice of mediums you use?

"A couple of years ago Autumn and I moved to the Scottish Borders, close to the riverine border with the English counties of Cumbria and Northumberland. Over the course of about eighteen months I recorded an album of music which very much feels distilled from our time in this new environment. And so I called it Border Ballads. The process of making music, after a decade and a half, is still mysterious to me, and so I couldn’t tell you exactly how that distillation process works. In many ways it is unconscious – it comes from simply being in a place, day after day, week after week. As the Kielder Observatory is nearby, perhaps a good analogy is stargazing. From my own experience, if I look directly at the Pleiades, for example, they seem to squirm and their brightness dissipates. But in the periphery of my vision they appear quite vivid. And so in a similar fashion the landscape of the Borders has slowly infused my work without me ever looking at it intently. It’s as if I have somehow absorbed its textures and colours."

To expand on the previous point, can you perhaps tell us about Corbel Stone Press and any upcoming projects?

"We’re very excited to be reissuing two vital books of ecological and esoteric writing by the Canadian poet and philosopher Tim Lilburn; Moosewood Sandhills and Living In The World As If It Were Home. We’re also just about to publish a bumper issue of our bi-annual journal Reliquiae, which has some incredible new writing by poets and essayists, including Jeffery Beam, Nancy Campbell, Tim Cresswell, Penelope Shuttle, Gabriel Ventura, and G.C. Waldrep, as well as folklore and mythology from Greece, India, North America and Egypt. In terms of personal work, Autumn has a new collection of poetry forthcoming with occult publisher Scarlet Imprint, and I’m working on my second book of fiction."

Why engage with the ‘Rural Eerie’?

"As far as I see it, engaging with the eerie is fundamentally an acknowledgement of life beyond our own species. It’s about probing that complex and troubling relationship between humans and others. In my own work, at least, it’s about exploring mystery, wonder and awe, rather than simply promulgating fear of the unknown."

By Emily Oldfield

Photography: Image 1/featured image - with thanks to Autumn Richardson. Rest of images - Richard's own.

Now she is part of Rural Eerie: The Strange Countryside Explored through Sounds and Words - an evening of readings and a soundscape created by Manchester’s own hauntronica trio Flange Circus on the 19^th October at The Peer Hat in Manchester (part of the Gothic Manchester Festival 2019).  Here Helen will be plunging the audience into an immersive performance of her poetry, with other writers involved including Andrew Michael Hurley, Sarah Hymas, Mark Pajak and Richard Skelton. Tickets can be booked via the link here, over the phone (please contact Lucy Simpson on 0161 247 6740) and tickets will also be available on the door.

Although a regular performer at a number of Manchester spoken word nights, Helen is currently based in New Mills, Derbyshire and grew up in Newhey, a village near Rochdale at the base of the South Pennines. She is therefore no stranger to the influence of the rural, regularly exploring the areas around her as well as the mysterious borderlands edging on the urban, areas in flux. Research Impact and Public Engagement Manager at Manchester Metropolitan University, Helen regularly crosses from country to city, taking in landscape and letting it load her use of language.

Themes of exploration and self-expression seep into her wide-ranging work, with a chapbook 12 DRAWINGS WITH POEMS – Helen responding poetically to illustrations by artist Victoria Jane – published in 2018. A resonant performer, she has since been invited to read at a range of events including Lancaster Spotlight, That's What She Said Manchester, Superbia for Manchester Pride, New Mills Festival and the Brontë Festival of Women's Writing: to name just a few.  Place permeates her work, as is seen in the inclusion of her writing as part of the New Mills Festival Poetry Trail and a piece in the ‘Buzzin Bards’ Anthology, to be released on Local Gems Poetry Press.

The instinctive urgency of Helen’s use of language highlights a writer determined to create work that has an impact beyond the page and into the environs –as she is significantly interested in people, community and their connection to place, after all. This also extends to her other creative endeavors, especially as one of the key figures behind Queer Family Tea; a communal gathering for queer people to enjoy shared time and food together, taking place every Thursday at Manchester’s co-operative venue Partisan Collective. It was here Helen also performed poetry on the theme of ‘Queer Family’.

Ahead of Rural Eerie, we spoke to Helen Darby herself to find out more…

Hello Helen. What were your first thoughts on being presented with the concept of the ‘Rural Eerie’ and how do think it connects with your writing?

“I grew up in a semi-rural area near Rochdale, and have been preoccupied with the Gothic and occult since my teens, so the theme appealed to me immediately. I have written some Gothic themed poetry before, but this event has given me the chance to write specifically towards a concept to which I feel a strong affinity.”

Can you tell us about some of your own experiences of the ‘Rural Eerie’ – or experiences that you have seen this way in retrospect, as a result of being involved with this project?

“Living in Derbyshire, as I do now, I can find the rural eerie everywhere. Since engaging with this project I have observed more scenes and dioramas – a particularly crooked twisting branch, a white goat craning to eat leaves, a half ruined stone doorway. I photograph them when I can (and ruin the magic).”

Why do you think it is important to explore the relationship between the rural and the eerie – what can be gained from it, do you think?

“My deepest influence in terms of the rural eerie is probably Alan Garner. I am interested in how rural landscapes are as much palimpsests as any urban space – how slips in time can be evoked from shadow presences traced in brooks, fields, forests and ruins. The deep appeal of the rural, for me, is the extent of time found there: back further than the industrial age to the medieval, roman, pre-historic and deep geological time frames of the landscape. Accessing this sense of time in the countryside I find to be a sublime experience, one of vastation and personal transformation. I return to it to disappear from the immediate demands of the city, and find the dispersal of my individuality there to be a consolation.”

The Rural Eerie event itself is taking place in Manchester, as part of the Gothic Manchester Festival 2019. Do you think the concentration of human activity in cities somehow makes the rural even more eerie?

“The city is exciting, but humanity makes it dangerous. Although the rural might be eerie, I do not find that dark and solitude to be unnerving. If what hides in the shadow line beneath the trees is other–worldly then it is welcome to take me in.”

Can you tell us about some of your other current and future projects?

“I am taking a hiatus from performing for a few months after the Rural Eerie to concentrate on writing, but any news I do have will be found on helendarbypoetry.com.”

By Emily Oldfield

Photography: Image 1 - of Helen Darby, makeup and photograph thanks to Rose Niland (covered in this previous Haunt Manchester article here). Rest of images - provided by Helen.

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/10/rural-landscapes-are-as-much-palimpsests-as-any-urban-space-poet-helen-darby-on-the-rural-eerie-the-gothic-and-manchester-b982#comments982 Tue, 15 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/10/i-think-poetry-has-the-potential-to-offer-new-ways-of-being-in-the-world-an-interview-with-sarah-hymas-b983 Inspired by the dramatic Northern seascape and layers of history lying at the heart of Morecambe Bay – the area in which she is based – Sarah Hymas creates a real range of artistry. Inspired by the dramatic Northern seascape and layers of history lying at the heart of Morecambe Bay – the area in which she is based – Sarah Hymas creates a range of artistry resounding with nature, going on to engage with place on a national and international level.

She is also part of Rural Eerie: The Strange Countryside Explored through Sounds and Words - an immersive evening of readings and a soundscape created by Manchester’s own hauntronica trio Flange Circus on the 19^th October at The Peer Hat in Manchester (an event presented by Flange Circus, MASSmcr and Haunt as part of the Gothic Manchester Festival 2019).  Here she will be reading some of her work, with other writers involved including Andrew Michael Hurley, Helen Darby, Richard Skelton and Mark Pajak. Tickets can be booked via the link here, over the phone (please contact Lucy Simpson on 0161 247 6740) and tickets will also be available on the door.

One of the key connections Sarah is keen to explore is our relationship with the sea. In terms of the concept of ‘Rural Eerie’, this stirs up questions such as: is the sea a rural space or does it resist such definition? Is it a ‘space’ at all? And, in this light, does our inability to express and define it create a kind of eeriness?  Sarah’s words convey both wonder and care, weighted with experience of the environment and preserved in her artistry, including intricate hand-stitched pamphlets.

Although Sarah will be reading some of her poetry as part of Rural Eerie, she is no stranger to exploring the natural world through a range of forms either, celebrating creativity – with artistbooks, films and immersive walks also a feature. She has hosted imaginariums, highlighting her interest in engaging others with place and process – and themes of ecological awareness and historic depth permeate her work.

Just some examples of Sarah’s fascinating previous projects include Frankenscience of Poetry – a  piece fusing writing, science and filmmaking together, whilst Ripple  became part of a GFEST exhibition at London’s Menier Gallery; a triptych in the form of interactive poetic sculptures considering the impact of climate change on the Indian subcontinent.

 It is clear that Sarah’s passion for exploring place and human impact upon it have taken her far and wide, through a fascinating range of artistic encounters. In 2017, she played a part in Aberdeen’s SPECTRA FESTIVAL, creating The Seventh Door– an immersive audio walk set at the heart of this famously granite-clad Scottish city, whilst in recent years she has also received funding from the NWCDTP to research critical and creative approaches to writing about the sea.

Yet despite such wide-ranging and far-reaching work, Sarah is still based in the North, close to Morecambe Bay – the area that frequently inspires her. She also practices as a celebrant. Haunt decided to speak to Sarah to find out more – and why coming to Manchester to reflect on the themes of ‘Rural Eerie’ matters to her…

How does your work connect with  the concept of the ‘Rural Eerie’ would you say -  and what sprung to mind when you were presented with this concept?

"Eerie as uneasiness seems to be my default position in relation to the changes I am witnessing and experiencing in our current environmental crisis. I live on Morecambe Bay, where rubbish - in familiar and unfamiliar forms - is washing up daily, fishermen talk of diminishing fish numbers, the saltmarsh changes shape from year to year and the seawall bears the brunt of storms. Change, uncertainty and a slow threat to the place I live in and love is a constant underpinning to my being here. 

"'Rural' is more tangential in terms of my work as I write mostly about the sea, and our interdependence with it, either knowingly or inevitably. And while the shoreline could be considered rural, at the edge of the countryside, how might we term the pelagic ocean? It impacts the rural (and urban) with its carrying of wind and rain, but it is not explicitly rural. Its remoteness, unpinabledownness is why I'm interested in the ocean. It is a mighty body of water, covering over two thirds of our planet, upon which we are reliant for our survival, yet barely know or understand. Of course as the human need for more rare earth minerals grows there'll be more investment in exploring the seabed. But it is not an easy place to explore. It resists us. In constant flux, it demands a reflexivity to live alongside it. Such an adaptive and responsive mode of living will, I believe, serve us well in the coming years when our worlds will change more and more as the climate changes."

Why do you think it is important to engage with this relationship creatively?

"I think poetry has the potential to offer new ways of being in the world, imaginatively, perceptively, consciously; and we desperately need new ways of being - our current habits of exploitation and hierarchical thinking are outmoded. I try to find new avenues of embodied thinking in my work, push my sense of self into new shapes and relationships, exploring less boundried understandings of my experiences. I hope these may find traction with readers and listeners, that the work offers a strength of connection between us humans and the more-than-human. We are a very small element, in some ways, in the planetary ecosystem, and seem to have developed a skewed sense of our importance and capacity in the world, to put it mildly. I attempt in my work to decentralise the humanist perceptive, as much as might be possible, when writing from such a perspective."

Much of your work embraces multiple formats – for example combining words with cut-ups and sound. Do you think this eclectic approach has enhanced your engagement with place… and is poetry/writing typically always the bedrock point for you?

"Both my work in artistbooks and audio collaborations allow me to reconsider the relationship between text and space and text and silence, which goes back to what I was saying above in questioning the position of humans (and their desire to name and fix through language) within the new worldings they find themselves a part of. The experience of new worldings, or perhaps more accurately co-worldings, is advanced for me in the making of text-based artistbooks and collaborative audio soundscapes. Each encourages me inhabit physically the work, perhaps more so than words on a page, and keep the sense of unfolding alive. To be actively engaged in paper folds or with a musician who responds to words so differently to how I do, ensures I do not forget how everything is constantly unfolding, revealing or concealing itself from my perspective. 

"As for whether writing is a bedrock, it has been so far. Although I am increasingly interested in the sculptural forms of paper and how that works with text, and I'm open to how that will develop in my work."

Can you tell us about some of your current work and any of your upcoming projects?

"I have a new collection of poetry out next year with Waterloo Press, which I'll be reading poem from on Saturday evening, so am looking forward to road testing them. It continues my explorations into how to engage with the ocean, how I might imaginatively, creatively expand a sense of self and place, and where this might unfold. I'm hoping it manages to hold many of the principles of the artistbooks I've made while being a traditional flat page book. We'll see! 

"Another project in its very early stages is a prose project - at the moment - who knows what it'll become? I turn up everyday to bash out words, knowing approximately what I want to write about - forms and degrees of violence - while being totally in the dark as to what it'll be eventually. That's very liberating and exciting."

To find out more about Sarah Hymas, visit her website. 

By Emily Oldfield 

Photography - Image 1: thanks to Floris Tomasini, Image 2: thanks to Sarah Hymas

‘The Dead Good Show’ is where David will be in-conversation with a range of local talents, as well as playing a selection of music, all curated with Manchester in mind. This provides a valuable platform for current creativity, as well as revealing fascinating stories and hidden histories. On the air so far, he has interviewed the likes of actor Steve Evets, and the musicians who make up the bands No Hot Ashes and Larkins; all upholding the importance of conveying an authentic experience of Manchester, its high-points as well as hardships, within their artistry. Many more interviews are already lined-up, and an innovative angle for each.

David himself is no stranger to encountering diversity and urban depth within his own creative work. The lyricist and MC at the heart of the ARGH KiD band, through blistering alternative hip hop he delves into themes of city decay, the impact of austerity and the spirit of the city’s diverse communities. This is positive yet honest artistry, not shying away from the grit, with his first two singles Frank and Neighbours bringing together the lyrics of lived experience with bold beats. That it has been met with great acclaim, is perhaps little wonder. He has recorded much of his work at the legendary Blueprint Studios, hidden away on an industrial estate in Salford –with more to come. 

Through his music and wider creativity, David is a recognised champion of independent venues and organisations, having been involved with the likes of the Greater Manchester Fringe, MancMade festival, SPEAK (one of our featured spoken word nights) at Jimmy’s and even more in recent years.  Exciting, engaging creativity matters to David – and he’s keen to convey the accessibility of poetry and writing to all through school and community workshops he continues to be part of, as well as in his role as Official Poet for the NSPCC, UEFA and Manchester United.

Sport is after all another key passion of David’s, a feature he will maintain as a BBC Radio Manchester Presenter – also known for his sport commentary and insight on the likes of ITV, BBC, BT Sport and beyond. With his eye on the ball and ear on the beats, plenty of excitement is expected from David’s broadcasting role. Here at Haunt Manchester, we spoke to the man himself to find out more….

Hello David. Congratulations on the show. What do you think you will bring to the airwaves that is different?

“Thank you! I want my show to offer two sides of Manchester. My biggest love of Us (people here in Manchester) is how self-deprecating we are, our ability to laugh at ourselves is second-to-none. So expect tongue-in-cheek pokes at our idiosyncrasies, but we also have differing opinions - so we’re tackling a lot of big topics from Mental Health to Mixed Religion Relationships… a yin and yang show with great tunes between the chat.

“I want to give a quick shout-out and thanks to my Producer Pav and the whole BBC Radio Manc family who are just that - a family; welcoming, supportive and brilliant to work with, I’m really loving being part of it.”

You are a known champion of grassroots and alternative creativity here in Manchester – how do you plan to express this on the show?

“I’d like to give diverse creatives exposure; with our well-known guests I'll be gauging them for advice as to how you 'make it' in a field as unforgiving as the creative industry. Guests have been really open about their experiences (see Steve Evets interview)- I'm looking forward to more of that with some really exciting names lined up. Line of Duty’s Craig Parkinson is coming in on 24th October.”

 Manchester, as many cities do, has its particular cultural myths and nostalgic tendencies. What do you think of this – and does it affect you, both as an artist and in celebrating the creativity of others on the contemporary scene?

“It's brilliant what we've achieved but it shouldn't anchor us to the past. As an artist I force myself not to be nostalgic in what I, or others, have done - it’s dangerous to stare in your rear-view. Listen… audiences need to venture beyond their comfort zone but equally, perhaps more importantly, artists need to take risks and make such a noise people can't not turn up. Any celebrated artist worth their salt didn't find success by following suit, they rebelled against it. I’m here for that.”

Can you tell us more about your current creative work – in terms of music and writing?

“At the moment my creative work has taken an 180 degree turn; in that I’m focussing the pen on myself rather than documenting what I see. It’s quite a cathartic experience but I’m conscious that it could become self-indulgent if not done with restraint. This has been a huge year for me in terms of productivity and learning; I’m taking all that into 2020 with some fantastic projects on the horizon.”

In your music, you encounter content such as austerity Britain and social tensions. Why do you think it is important to explore subjects such as these in popular culture, and what can be gained from this?

“There are social issues in my work but that's because I live in a world that has a lot of social issues - it isn't always the intention to highlight these when I start writing (I wonder if it's a subconscious thing). I don't know how it'd come out if I said ‘today I will write a piece on climate change because that's trending’. I point my pen at things I find interesting - I do it from a selfish place not because I want to stand on a soapbox. This where I struggle with the label ‘Working Class Artist’; it seems a tag to culturally homogenise the working class as all angry upstarts screaming about social injustices - it detracts from the nuances in the work. How often have you heard the term ‘Middle Class Writers’ as a genre…?  I’m a writer, that proudly comes from a working class background. I love the work of people like Sillitoe, Delaney, Welsh, Meadows et al. mainly because they create incredible characters in a world that is littered with social problems. This is England is a brilliant bildungsroman as much as it is a social commentary on '80s racial tension, it’s just that they co-exist in the world the story is told in. (Did I just I get on my soapbox to talk about not being on a soapbox???)”

Do you think engaging with a city is just as much about encountering and understanding its complexities as well as mentioning its successes?

“You know when you did something good at school and your mum would put the star, the picture, the certificate, on the fridge door to show how proud she is of you? That’s what I think walking the streets of Manchester is like. You can’t escape the successes because the city will never let you…to know that these wins came from so many different cultural backgrounds is to realise our city's greatest success: its people.”

You have turned your passion for words and writing to many cultural forms; performance, lyrics, broadcasting. What would you say to people who want to get creative and express themselves, but aren’t sure where to start?

“You create for yourself and not for others. If the fear of what other people think is stopping you then, and I know from experience, those preconceptions tend to be way off the mark. Pick up the pen, instrument, brush whatever and get cracking it could be the best thing that you ever do…”

By Emily Oldfield 

Photography: Image 1 (also featured image) - by Debbie Ellis (Asupremeshot) and Image 2 - by Sal Thompson (Gig Junkie)

The evening was Friday 11 October, yet the audience were taken back in time to 1953; the year the animated version of Edgar Alan Poe’s The Tell Tale Heart was released, the year Aldous Huxley experimented with the psychedelics that inspired his novel The Doors of Perception. It also was a time of post-war tensions, cultural clashes and Hollywood highs and lows – all inspiring the mood as a group of characters from all over the world come together for an evening in the English country house Blaine Manor; apparently one of the most haunted of its kind.

At the heart of the matter is Doctor Roy Earle, an American investigator of ‘alleged paranormal phenomena’ who is sceptical of ghostly claims – travelling all the way from The States to prove the story of the house wrong. The play pulls us into the action in medias res – it is already unfolding – as Roy meets at the mansion with interested journalist Vivian Rutledge. Roy Earle initially appears unflappable, played with charismatic cool by Peter Slater, creating a character who seemingly prefers to put on a layer of charm rather than give too much of himself away, all topped up with an authentic American drawl. Yet, interestingly, the character of Vivian Rutledge seems rather too interested in Mr Earle – probing, questioning and teasing; a strong show to from actor Jo Haydock who quickly underlines a key theme of the play… perhaps we have more to fear from the living than we have from the dead.

After all, for this intense evening the house is also occupied by the eccentric figures of Cairo – an acclaimed medium- and parapsychologist Adolphus Scarabus. Phil Dennison confidently and creatively channels the character of Adolphus; fine-tuned body language bringing to life an old man seemingly lost in his billowing beliefs of the spirit world. But true or not? Oozing eccentricity also is Cairo, with actor Andrew Yates developing a figure who brought bursts of light relief to the stage – even just in the intense raise of an eyebrow – yet does not allow the viewer to fully relax.

The tension created between the cast, cleverly fitting the story, was after all seriously palpable; no easy feat considering this was a rather small ensemble given the size of the magnificent stage. Yet all the actors admirably used this space to full effect, shifting position across the area in a way that still did not feel forced, their faces further animated thanks to atmospheric flashes and pulses of lighting from David Heald. As a storm closes round the mansion for a terrifying night, the atmospheric use of light is amplified by specially-designed soundscaping from Justin Wetherill, all working well with the features of the room – including the opulent organ, which, when cast into intense hues of purple and red, held a terrifying quality. Blaine Manor is indeed is a place transfixed in terror, told even through the notable attention to detail on set: authentic, dark-toned furniture, a skull in a case, strange vials of drink.

The devil is the detail, as they say – and these are qualities conveyed through what is evidently a skilfully written script by  Joe O’Byrne (also the author of a number of gripping stories within Tales from Paradise Heights); a plot intricate and exploratory in its twists, turns and backstories; yet never feeling overdone. This is what I call writing of real depth, exploring the characters psyches in a way which then sinks into the script, storylines emerging from states of the self. The Haunting of Blaine Manor swerves and unnerves, never letting the audience sit easy, stirring up the question… are we more haunted by ourselves and our own actions, than anything else?

Joe O’Byrne is not just writer and director of the play either, but also plays the character of Grady, a charismatic butler of the house – with some terrifying secrets to reveal to Doctor Earle. This plunges into an extended exchange of character confrontation… will the American expert face up to his demons – and ultimately, will he admit the terrifying truth? O’Byrne gives the character of Grady real persuasive charm, pulling the audience further into the grip of the ghostly. There are also a number of evocative Northern references, including a mention  of Calderdale and a discussion too of the Pendle Witches, all adding to the immersive setting and skilled storytelling.

 Another character also skilled at creating unnerving effect is custodian of the house Vincent de Lambré – new cast member Ed Barry’s developed characterisation of this mysterious man weighted with gravitas, all adding to experience of Blaine Manor. This a place that leaves visitors changed forever, where time does strange things…

Witnessing the times and evolution of this play itself has also been an experience over the years; having first seen it on a much smaller, more intimate stage at The Kings Arms in Salford. Therefore, I was curious as to how this would translate to a much larger space– though quickly reassured thanks to the tight-knit cast and their distinct yet developed character identities; each a curious case of their own, locked in intrigue. Perhaps, at times, a little more projection of the actor’s voices is needed for such a large stage… but all on the evening added to an intense, unnerving show.

Even more unnervingly, the venue itself – the Albert Halls – is home to a terrifying story that creepily connects with the plot of the play. In The Haunting of Blaine Manor, the country house seems to be cursed… especially after enduring a devastating fire in which a number of already disturbed occupants burnt to death. Here in Bolton, the Albert Halls itself endured a devastating fire in 1981, destroying most of the building except the external structure. It is within this ghostly shell that history has been remade, and The Haunting of Blaine Manor truly is testament to a production determined to offer audiences something diverse and gripping. A strong and supportive team underline this effort, not just the cast, but also the likes of Darren McGinn providing digital media skill, as well as photography over the years coming from the likes of Karen McBride and Shay Rowan.

 This is not just a piece of theatre but  an experience you could immerse yourself over and over and still not get to the bottom of…. just like the very depths of the mind. The Haunting of Blaine Manor is a play which leaves us just as terrified of the capabilities of the human condition, as it does stir up the spookiness of the supernatural. Dare you experience it? Read our interview with Joe O'Bryne, telling even more about it here. The play continues its English tour throughout October, including what is set to be a truly unique Halloween showing at The Pavilion in Whitby. Highly recommended.

Photography: with thanks to Karen McBride (organ image provided by Joe O'Byrne)

By Emily Oldfield 

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/10/theatre-review-the-haunting-of-blaine-manor-at-the-albert-halls-bolton-b980#comments980 Sat, 12 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/10/manchesters-much-loved-independent-theatre-53two-is-to-be-reborn-in-the-railway-arches-b979 Right beneath Manchester Central in the Grade II* listed railway arches – this is set to be the new home for 53two, the independent theatre and creative hub that faced the tragic loss of its previous premises earlier this year. Right beneath Manchester Central in the Grade II* listed railway arches – this is set to be the new home for 53two, the independent theatre and creative hub that faced the tragic loss of its previous premises earlier this year.

Formerly based just 100 yards away in the arches close to the Deansgate-Castlefield tram line in an old car showroom, 53two first started life in the city in 2016 (Haunt previously wrote about their work here) – championing grassroots creativity of all kinds, in a refreshingly affordable and approachable manner.

Not only did the team – with core members Simon Naylor and Alexandra Maxwell – set up MAP (Manchester Actors' Platform) running out of 53two, but they also welcomed a range of  material to the venue including new writing, comedies, dramas, dance shows, experimental pieces – even wrestling (!). Stage shows, special events and performances of many varieties brought people together too; including the much-loved MancMade festival, MonologueSlam and JB Shorts. It is clear that  the ethos of 53two celebrates creativity and community in a highly personal way, and there was profound upset when the theatre announced it was having to close premises earlier this year, due to building development plans.

Therefore, the recent news that 53two is to reopen right back in the city – with planning application validated by Manchester City Council - is highly welcomed. The location of the arches is on Watson Street, beneath Manchester Central, offering a 6000 sq ft space; with prospect for a theatre capable of seating 150 people, and a standing capacity of 350.

This exciting development opens up even more creative and communal potential for 53two, with one of the visions being a members’ bar where creatives can meet, mingle and feel supported: acting as a creative hub.  And that’s not all – this extension of space allows for even more opportunities, including gigs, exhibitions and even ‘urban weddings’!

It evidently is a labour of love, and according to 53two Theatre Manager Alexandra Maxwell:

“We work tirelessly not for any self-entitlement but because of the love and passion we have for producing work, supporting new writing, nurturing young and emerging artists and offering an accessible space for artists to be able to show off their hard work. Smaller venues are the life blood to the industry and without them artists wouldn't have the platform they need to get their work out there to be seen.”

Simon Naylor, 53two Artistic Director added:

“We are beyond excited at taking this massive step towards our goal. Our theatre friends from the old venue provided us with a Kickstarter of £11,000 without which, we would have been unable to even take the first steps. Since then, we’ve managed to raise the required capital from various places, in particular our Theatre Angel Sharon Colpman, and we’re now incredibly close to opening the doors to 53two theatre once again.

“We can’t wait to become a part of the new Watson Street community that is set to bring a new focus on the arts and nightlife to a previously unused stretch beneath the iconic Manchester Central.”

Of course, 53two’s passion for affordable, exciting theatre that connects with the community – occupying the crucial space between smaller fringe theatre and the larger theatres of Greater Manchester – will continue in the new premises.

Artists have also been quick to come forward and express their appreciation of 53two – having previously been involved in related events and still feeling a connection: a key indication of the kind of the community it creates – and will continue to do so.

“53two take the heart and soul of this city's culture and give it a stage,” was the reflection of writer, performer and musician David Scott (ARGH KiD), whilst Jess Kemp – who performed at the former venue for MancMade festival, had this to say:

“It's absolutely fantastic that 53two have decided to make the move to the arches on Watson Street. The arches are a massive part of Manchester's history so to have a 53two sitting proudly within them is really exciting".

Poet K.G. Hildebrandt also expressed his appreciation of 53two: 

“53two and MAP have been a constant in Manchester for a couple years now. I was privileged to perform some spoken word at the arches for the MancMade festival, in between short plays that Simon Naylor had commissioned. The space and vibe was immense. It dripped with talent and that talent was nurtured…as I’m sure it will be in the new premises. Manchester does what everywhere else does, but 53two do it better, with added rain.”

53two, which is also a charity, is currently in consultation and if planning approval is secured then work will begin in November of this year– with aims to open the new space in the spring of 2020. A crucial part of their plans is to ensure that the venue is as accessible as possible – both for performers and audience members alike – surely a notable feature when genuinely accessible venues in the city seem increasingly rare.  Installations in the planning include ramped access at street level, accessible toilets throughout and an availability of lowered tables in the bar and dressing rooms.

Keep updated with the progress of 53two via their website and also social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – an exciting independent hub of creativity coming to the historic heart of Manchester.

By Emily Oldfield 

The Manchester Contemporary 2019 sets itself apart from previous editions with an increased international offer and fresh emphasis on artist collectives, with five collectives taking up stands at the event. This year, The Manchester Contemporary has also achieved a majority of female-led galleries and collectives for the first time: over half of the thirty galleries and collectives on the exhibitor list are led by women (further details available, please see media information below). These include l’étrangère under Director Joanna Gemes, which presents intricate tapestries by USSR-born artist Yelena Popova; and TJ Boulting headed up by Director Hannah Watson, which shows new works by acclaimed photographer Juno Calypso.

Curator of The Manchester Contemporary Nat Pitt reflects on the global scope of this year’s show, saying: “The fair has increased its international offer, bringing LMAKgallery in from New York, Square Art Projects from London/Caracas and Espacio Liquido from Madrid. The big difference we made at last year’s event was to bring international galleries for the first time; this year is really about amplifying that commitment.” LMAKgallery, with its central focus on artists’ practice, was founded in New York in 2005, while artist-run curatorial project Square Art Projects is based in London but with an international presence. Madrid-based Espacio Liquido will present contemporary Spanish artist Teresa Moro, whose work is concerned with the ‘relic effect’ of objects owned by famous artists.

With regard to his approach to curating this year’s exhibitor list, Pitt says: “As well as introducing more international galleries, I want to open up The Manchester Contemporary as a space where younger galleries can develop, supporting the spread of UK-based artist-led spaces.” In order to engage further with regional art practices, this year the fair has welcomed collectives from York, the West Midlands, Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle. “I’m really excited about building The Manchester Contemporary as a test bed for future galleries, by offering project spaces to new initiatives,” Pitt says. These include Yo! Collective (York), No Room to Breathe (Madrid), Salt Road (West Midlands) and Pink, a Manchester-based project from curators Katy Morrison and Matt Retallick.

The Manchester Contemporary 2019 also builds on the focus of last year’s event, which gave particular attention to galleries representing artists who face challenges to entering the mainstream art world. Among the three ‘roving’ art projects being exhibited at the show are works by Mark Titchner, presented by Bethlem Gallery, which is situated on the grounds of the Bethlem Royal Hospital. A series of mirrored placards by Titchner confront the viewer with a forthright question, each addressing mental capacity and assessment as well as wider issues of personal autonomy and the fragile relationship of individual to state. Returning organisation Venture Arts, which works with learning disabled artists, highlights two of its most prominent Manchester-based artists, Leslie Thompson and Barry Anthony Finan.

Both Curator Nat Pitt and CEO of The Manchester Contemporary and Manchester Art Fair Thom Hetherington are committed to maintaining a strong northern presence at the show: “The fair has had a tangible impact on the careers, opportunities and ambitions of a generation of artists, gallerists and curators within the region,” says Hetherington. “To have created this from nothing represents quite an achievement for the whole team, and everyone who has supported us.” This is also part of what Pitt describes as “using the fair as a platform to counterbalance London, and the expense of exhibiting there.”

Returning to the event are two Manchester-based organisations: Castlefield Gallery, presenting new work by Nicola Ellis, Parham Ghalamdar and George Gibson, three artists living and working in the North West region; and artist-led initiative Paradise Works, showing sculptural works by studio member Richard Dean Hughes that collide contemporary artefacts with abstract representations of coping methods. Other galleries with a northern focus include The Art House from Wakefield, whose two international artists in residence – Cole Ndelu from South Africa and Dimple B. Shah from Gujarat – will be presenting new and existing pieces created in response to their new context in the North of England.

Thom Hetherington says: “It’s not about creating a replacement for London, it’s about creating an alternative. I strongly believe that everyone should be free to go to London, or indeed anywhere else their career ambitions and funds can take them, but they shouldn’t have to.” In terms of what sets The Manchester Contemporary apart, Pitt argues that: “The Manchester Contemporary is a lot more relaxed and collegiate than other events, and a great space in which to build friendly relationships. There’s a real feeling of camaraderie.”

This emphasis on both placemaking and openness also applies to The Manchester Contemporary’s approach to reaching new audiences. Describing the event’s inception, Thom says: “I loved the idea that access to critically engaged art and the art world shouldn’t be limited by class or geography – but when I asked around my contacts in London about launching an art fair, they said, ‘there are no galleries in Manchester because no one buys art’. I strongly believed that no one bought art because there were no galleries. There is a wonderful Keith Haring quotation that we have really taken to heart: ‘There is an audience that is being ignored… They are open to art when it is open to them.’ I felt it just needed someone to disrupt things, and to start making art buying into a habit.”

The recently established Manchester Contemporary Art Fund further expands on this principle by pooling donations from private individuals, which are then used by Manchester Art Gallery to acquire new works from emerging artists at The Manchester Contemporary and exhibit them publicly. “The pieces of art are owned by the people of Manchester in perpetuity, as part of the gallery’s permanent collection,” Hetheringon explains. Set up in 2017, the fund has doubled in size this year, and is now the largest outside of London. Its intention is twofold: to both provide a platform for rising artists through which to achieve critical acclaim and increased exposure and, as Hetherington describes it, to “form a part of the overall aim of The Manchester Contemporary, which is to reignite Manchester’s long and sometimes overlooked history of cultural patronage.”

Perhaps the artwork most emblematic of the philosophy behind The Manchester Contemporary is the piece Hetherington has selected to act as a central gateway at the event. ‘Clandestine’ is a towering installation of trousered legs with formal shoes, forming a giant archway in the café space of The Manchester Contemporary and Manchester Art Fair. This piece is by Manchester-based, early career artist Imogen Ellerby Sansom, and was enormously popular when she debuted it at MMU’s Manchester School of Art degree show earlier this year, reaching new audiences through its proliferation on social media. It will act as a powerful emblem of the values that are The Manchester Contemporary’s guiding light.

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Music & Nightlife | Food & Drink | LGBT+ | Attractions | Activities | Sport | Outdoors | Shopping

Mysterious Music and Nightlife

1. Explore a musical playground

An award-winning music and arts playground, Hidden is one of the newest (and coolest) event spaces in Greater Manchester. The upper floors and accompanying warehouse provide room for low cost studio and exhibition space. The idiosyncratic graffiti throughout the building and dark alleys to explore offer a playful and creative environment – perfect for late-night gigs and performances.

2. More than just a pub

A bit more than your average boozer, The Kings Arms is a hive of activity most nights of the week. Hosting theatre, music, comedy and quiz nights, this Manchester/Salford bordering pub has been listed in the Good Beer Guide for ten years running, too. If that’s not enough encouragement, they even have a resident cat. Grab a beer and a cuddle with Charlie!

3. Enjoy live music every night of the week

One of the most active music venues in the city, with live music options downstairs nearly every night of the week, The Peer Hat is somewhat of a Mancunian institution. On the ground level there is a bustling bar with a rustic, relaxed vibe – with wooden tables, drapes and a comfy sofa. Forget pretentious venues and overpriced entries, The Peer Hat stands out for its warmth and accessibility.

4. See live music in an unlikely venue…

Perhaps not the first place you’d think of when it comes to gigs and nightlife, but Manchester Cathedral has been host to many. As well as regularly hosting Manchester Children’s Choir and Chetham’s School of Music, the cathedral has acted as a stomping ground for Elbow fans, dance music devotees and gin enthusiasts.

5. Be amazed by internationally-acclaimed artists

The Royal Northern College of Music is an internationally-acclaimed conservatoire and a thriving performance venue delivering an eclectic programme of music and opera. A major venue for classical, jazz and opera music, both top international professionals and RNCM’s acclaimed student ensembles perform here.

6. Experience live classical music

With its own purpose built studio in MediaCityUK, the BBC Philharmonic offers a fantastic opportunity to experience live classical music at its best. Those interested can apply for free tickets for concerts in the studio, or purchase tickets for their annual season at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall.

7. Find entertainment in somebody else’s living room

Transforming everyday spaces from living rooms to shops, Sofar Sounds create gigs where you think you’re least likely to find them. Each Sofar session is small, and typically features three diverse acts, with no headliner. Shows are a lottery, and you’ll never know who you’re seeing until you arrive!

The Pink Room at YES. Photo from their Facebook

8. Visit the Pink Room

A relatively new player to the game, YES is a performance and event venue spread over four floors in a former auction house in the city centre. With events predominantly taking place in the aptly named pink room (you need to see it to believe it) and the basement, YES is also home to a roof terrace, ground-floor bar space, and two incredible food vendors in Firebird Hope and Pepperoni Playboy.

9. See a gig in the shadow of Strangeways

From behind the guys at SWAY records, The White Hotel is a former garage in the shadows of Strangeways and hosts regular gigs from up-and-coming artists.

10. Be Surprised by Salford’s Soul

This characterful venue is tucked away in the Salford backstreets, but still extremely close in proximity to Manchester city centre. Once an abandoned terraced house next door, the Eagle Inn’s intimate capacity venue was converted in 2014 and now plays host to a full calendar of live music, spoken word, comedy, theatre, film screenings and more, almost every night of the week.

11. Rock on in Rebellion

Open for events and gigs only, Rebellion is a dark, dramatic music venue close to Deansgate Station. Founded in 2013 and with over 400 capacity, you can usually find some of the best local and touring heavy metal and rock bands, as well as hip-hop, punk and funk.

12. Enjoy music in a Grade II listed church

Located just off Chapel Street on the Manchester/Salford border, this Grade II listed church is regularly used for live music. Check their website for scheduled nights and visiting gigs – you can even access the creepy crypt below.

13. Get your Science on

The Old Abbey Taphouse re-opened in October 2016 as a STEAM (that's Science Technology Engineering Arts and Maths) focused hub in a pub connecting communities through events and creating networks between academics, residents and local businesses. Having recently built an outdoor stage, The Old Abbey Tap House now hosts indoor gigs and outdoor events!

14. No frills, no problem

Home to some of the longest-running alternative club nights in Manchester including ‘The Smiths Disco’, The Star and Garter is built in the style of a no-nonsense boozer situated behind Piccadilly Station, with a room upstairs for club nights and gigs. It’s especially good for punk, grunge and rock shows, and has plenty of atmosphere.

Peculiar Food and Drink

15. Enjoy food from shipping containers

An award-winning destination hidden underneath the Mancunian Way, Hatch has continued to grow in size and popularity since it opened in 2018. Now home to over 30 independent traders who rotate frequently, this isn’t just a place to eat and drink (though the food and drink is out of this world!)

16. Market madness

Operating every weekend between March and December, Levenshulme Market is a volunteer-run market offering up a whole host of food and drink traders.

17. Dine in a former public library

Throughout its 160+ year life, the Produce Hall has previously hosted fish and meat markets, cheese stalls, sweet shops, and even a public library. Now, it is very much the home of one of Stockport’s newest foodie destinations. With delicious food and drink from around the world, the Produce Hall offers authentic market-style dining.

18. A Story every six weeks

Six by Nico offers a highly affordable six-course tasting menu which rotates six-weekly. Each menu is themed upon a different place or memory, and each dish sets out to encompass this. Six by Nico offers the opportunity to switch to a vegetarian menu, or to swap out any dishes on the standard menu for their vegetarian counterparts.

19. Graze, dine and drink

A new social space in Manchester city centre, CULTUREPLEX is the place to graze, dine and drink. It’s also a bright and airy co-working space, somewhere to listen to a talk, or engage in a discussion. It’s  a space for everyone. Bistrotheque at CULTUREPLEX will be delivering the menu, with dinner on offer seven nights a week and brunch at weekends.

20. Get your sugar fix

A common favourite amongst Mancunians and visitor, Black Milk is the perfect place for those looking to get their sugar fix. With a menu that changes on a regular basis (and the reason you’ll need to keep going back), Black Milk offers everything from freakshakes and waffles to ice cream sundaes and frozen coffee.

21. Enjoy a brew in the company of some feline friends

Certainly not an experience you’ll have on the daily, Manchester’s cat café offers the chance for visitors to enjoy a slice of cake and cup of tea in the company of its 13 furry residents. Specifically selected for their individual breeds and personalities, guests can interact with cats they wouldn’t necessarily get to meet on a day to day basis.

22. Darts + beer = good idea!

The home of social darts! Experience a game of darts like no other, with Flight Club’s supercharged version of the traditional game. With multiplayer games, interactive boards, and a huge choice of food and drink to keep you energised; a visit to Flight Club is time well spent.

23. Drink your way through the taps

Based in Piccadilly, Unit 9 is Cloudwater’s tap room. Situated next door to the brewery, the tap room includes 20 draft taps to showcase fresh releases and barrel-aged beers. There is also a shop offering cans and bottles to take-away.

24. Get a taste for pub classics

A bar, pub, restaurant and brewery located in a beautifully restored pub building in Bury town centre, The Clarence is a foodie paradise. With traditional pub favourites and British classics with a twist, The Clarence offers a good old fashioned, down to earth Manchester welcome.

25. Wine, wine and more wine (and gin!)

With two branches – one in Sale and one in Heaton Moor, Cork of the North is becoming all the more popular thanks to its well-stocked shops with wines from across the world. Wines by the glass change daily and are displayed on a blackboard behind the bar and both sites offer wine tasting events regularly.

26. Discover Stockport’s blue side

A small bar with a big blues attitude, this Victorian inspired blues bar is one of the latest additions to Stockport. Behind the bar are eight keg lines pouring beer including the bar’s own Cracked Actor Lager. The bar also serves Cracked Hatter Gin, made by Stockport's Hatters Gin, as well as a selection of spirits from Manchester's Zymurgorium distillery.

27. Indulge in the best afternoon tea

A stylish and experiential dining and drinking atmosphere, West Ivy’s afternoon tea in particular is quite the show stopper. Serving up the likes of deep-fried halloumi chips, Nutella mini shakes and Biscoff Cheesecake, arrive hungry for this incredible delight.

28. Eat the day's harvest, catch and slaughter

Skilfully maintaining what's best about the produce they find, Where the Light Gets In offer no menu but instead create a dining experience from the day's harvest, catch and slaughter. Now one of Stockport’s foodie hotspots, be sure to book in advance for a table here.

29. Enjoy Greater Manchester’s pub of the year

Located just next to Rochdale Town Hall, The Flying Horse Hotel is a pub packed with character. Voted Greater Manchester’s Pub of the year in 2018, expect to find an ever-changing range of cask ales, and 2 cask ciders regularly sourced from local breweries.

30. Health, well-being and great food

A local institution that has been running as a co-operative health-food shop since the 1970’s, Eighth Day has a café downstairs which is worth a look for a quick stop after stocking up on vegan staples. Meals are hearty and colourful.

The Christie Bistro. Photo from their website.

31. Enjoy food where great minds have met

Based in the old Science Library of Owens College, this hidden gem owned by the University of Manchester offers up a delectable menu from breakfast to afternoon tea. The chilled lounge area is the perfect place to enjoy light bites and artisan coffees.

32. Discover one of Boothstown’s best

Situated in Boothstown, this quirky bar and café serves up tasty food, a whole host of drinks (including milkshakes to die for), and open mic nights. In terms of the menu, think loaded triple cooked chips, peri peri chicken and smokey BBQ pulled jackfruit (vegan friendly).

Hidden LGBT+

33. No pretention or labels here

Whilst the Gay Village is centre of LGBT+ life, fringe venues across the city have popped up providing alternative queer nights. Homoelectric fits this category. Sexual orientation and music genres are irrelevant on Homoelectric’s dancefloors. Into their melting pot they throw disco, house, techno, garage, pop, dirt, and glamour with no pomp or pretension. Keep an eye on their social media channels for upcoming events.

34. A picnic that is pink

Although it’s a seasonal event, it’s worth noting the Pink Picnic. Taking place each June, the Pink Picnic is Salford’s annual celebration of the LGBT+ community. Expect a stage with music, food and drink vendors and a selection of stalls reflecting the diversity of the city.

35. That’s What She Said

Taking place monthly in Canal Street’s very own Tribeca, That’s What She Said is a spoken word night for women. Shortlisted for Best Spoken Word Night in the UK (Saboteur Awards), That's What She Said showcases the best new writing and performance by women and non-binary writers, featuring iconic and emerging authors with a mix of performance, poetry, storytelling, slam and more.

36. Kiss Me Again

Offering a regular scheduled programme, Kiss Me Again takes place at the Soup Kitchen in the Northern Quarter, and is dedicated to bringing a broad spectrum of sounds and good times to the LGBT+ community.

37. Dance in a former printing press

A 200-capacity club in the basement of a former printing press in the city’s Northern Quarter, with a focus on LGBT+ and female balanced line-ups. Cotton boasts custom Danley sound system and a selection of up and coming headline talent, mixed with some more established acts and local DJs on support complete this revolutionary venue.

38. Hop down the rabbit hole

With an award winning ‘Alice in Wonderland’ themed dining experience, Richmond Tea Rooms is a poorly kept secret in the heart of Manchester’s Gay Village. With a selection of weird and wonderful exotic and rare teas from around the world, Richmond isn’t your normal tea room…

The Vimto Statue, Photo by Mark Jennings

Atypical Attractions

39. Explore Manchester’s cordial history

In 1908, a herbalist called Noel Nichols made his very first barrel of Vim Tonic in a terraced house on Granby Row. Fast forward to 1992 and the “Monument to Vimto” was installed at the site of its creation and has become a pilgrimage site for tourists and locals alike. The monument consists of a giant Vimto bottle surrounded by some of the fruits and herbs used in the drink’s production.

40. Stand where the Smiths once stood

Established in 1903 as a purpose-built club for boys, Salford Lads Club is now perhaps most famous for that photo of the Smiths outside its doors. Continuing to provide a facility for boys and girls, the club is now considered to be the finest example of a pre First World War club surviving and operating today.

41. Travel back to Victorian times

Get in touch with the past at Clayton Hall and see what it was like to live in Victorian times. A Grade II listed building, this is the only remaining moated manor house in Greater Manchester. With plenty of hands-on activities, it’s a fun day out for all of the family.

42. See how the Moravian’s lived

A unique model village built by the Moravian Church in 1785, the Fairfield Moravian Settlement is a living community retaining all of its original charm, symmetry and tranquillity.

43. Explore the largest surviving spinning-mill steam engine

Built in 1892 on the banks of the River Beal, the Ellenroad cotton mill produced fine cotton yarn using mule spinning. Nowadays, Ellenroad Engine House is home to the largest surviving, spinning-mill steam engine. See the restored 3,000 horsepower twin engines, Victoria and Alexandra, the 80 ton flywheel, Whitelees beam engine (1842) and 1921 steam generator in action.

44. Discover how the revolutionaries lived

Recording over 200 years of organising and campaigning work by men and women for social and political progress, the Working Class Movement Library is a revolutionary attraction in the heart of Salford.

45. Appreciate the city’s oldest surviving synogogue

Just outside of the vibrant city centre, Manchester Jewish Museum is somewhat of a hidden treasure. Located in a former Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, it is the oldest surviving synagogue building in Manchester. The museum chronicles the lives of Jewish people in Manchester and their contribution to making the city what it is today.

46. Travel all the way back to 1460

Discover the history of Staircase House from 1460 to World War Two. With the help of a state-of-the-art audio guide, discover the fascinating history of the house, and even try your hand at 17^th Century quill pen writing. Another good one for families.

47. Mad as a Hatter

This award-winning visitor attraction offers two floors of interactive exhibits taking you on a journey through the history of Stockport’s once thriving hatting industry. Hat Works includes a recreated hatting factory floor with a collection of over 20 fully restored working Victorian style machines and over 400 hats on display, it’s a fun day out for all the family.

48. Live the life of a firefighter for the day

This unusual museum in Rochdale offers visitors the opportunity to explore the fascinating history of firefighting within Greater Manchester. With several varied exhibits including fire appliances in period settings such as a Victorian street, fire station and 1940 Blitz scene.

49. Explore Grade-II listed beauty

A Grade II listed contemporary art gallery in Saddleworth with a gift shop, workshop, tea bar, garden and two galleries, there’s plenty to do at the Weavers Factory. With a new art exhibition launched on the first weekend of every month, and weekly creative workshops, return visits to the Weavers Factory are recommended.

50. Wander back through time

Salford’s hidden gem, Ordsall Hall dates back 600 years. This stunning building will allow you to take a step back in time. Wander back through time soaking up the atmosphere of the fully-furnished Great Hall and Star Chamber Bedroom.

51. Delve into Contemporary Art

Leading the UK in exploring Chinese Contemporary culture, the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art (CFCCA) hosts a unique programme of exhibitions, film screenings, talks, performances and workshops made accessible to all.

52. Visit a gallery that encompasses versatility

With a wide range of exhibitions and activities, Gallery Oldham is a centrepiece in the district’s cultural calendar. As well as exhibitions, it plays host to talks, tours and workshops targeted at different audiences of all ages.

53. Thriving and vibrant art

A thriving and vibrant arts venue in the heart of Sale, Waterside Arts Centre is home to a theatre, art galleries, studios and workspaces. Often playing host to touring theatre productions, music groups and comedians, the programme at Waterside is always chock-a-block with exciting things to see and do.

54. Get artsy in an industrial warehouse

This industrial warehouse by the Irwell has stood out in its transformation into a state-of-the-art creative space, since its conception in 2017. Paradise Works has now built up a dynamic programme of exhibitions, film screenings and showcases, and celebrates both UK-based and international artists.

Rochdale's Pioneers Museum

55. Discover the beginnings of the Co-operative movement

Widely regarded as the home of the worldwide Co-operative movement, The Rochdale Pioneers Museum started its story in 1844 when the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society opened their first little store selling food at fair prices with honest weights and measures. Now, the site of the first shop is home to the museum, with displays and exhibitions telling the story of the inspirational Pioneers.

Adventurous Activities

56. See theatre in a former cotton mill

Situated in the Grade-II listed Hope Mill, the five storey Hope Mill Theatre is also home to several creative’s studios including writers, artists and designers. The theatre space is entirely versatile, meaning the audience could be sat in a number of shapes and sizes! There’s also the Engine Room Café and Bar which is open an hour and a half prior to performance.

57. See theatre in Manchester's provocative performance space

Manchester's provocative and innovative performance venue situated in the heart of the city's busy Oxford Road Corridor, Contact Theatre is the national contemporary arts organisation. Its distinctive towers also make it one of Manchester's most unique architectural gems.

58. Take a Highlights Tour of the Manchester Museum's Natural History Collection

Discover how Manchester Museum’s collection of four million artefacts connects Manchester’s radical history to the rest of the world: this 45 minute guided tour gives unparalleled insight into the museum’s international collections, including specimens of a moth directly affected by the Industrial Revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries that transformed Manchester’s fortunes and global standing. 

59. Learn how to cook tasty veggie goodness

The Altrincham-based Vegetarian Society have long been offering their cookery school, with friendly tutors passionate about modern veggie and vegan cooking. With a whole range of international cuisines to learn, the Veg Soc cookery school is perfect for those looking to try something a little different.

60. Dinosaur fun!

Under the shadow of the Chill Factore’s slope, DinoFalls Adventure golf is an 18-hole, action-packed course in a dramatic Jurassic setting. With realistic moving dinosaurs, there are also fascinating facts about dinosaurs as you head around the course. It’s as educational as it is fun!

Spirit of Manchester Distillery

61. Make your own gin

New to the scene, the Spirit of Manchester distillery has recently been opened by the long-established Manchester Gin. After a full distillery tour, the guys at Manchester Gin will then teach you the art of gin creation. Choose your own botanicals and distil your own bottle of gin to take home. There might be some gin tasting to do on the way, too. Someone’s got to do it…

62. Check out indie cinema and virtual reality all in one go!

Picture this: an indie cinema, video games, tap room from Squawk Brewing Company and a VR lounge. It doesn’t exist, right? Wrong. Chapeltown Picture House has arrived to the city with a bang. With screenings almost nightly, it’s worth keeping an eye on what’s upcoming on their event page.

63. Get your game on

Taking up two floors of an unassuming warehouse in Bury, ‘Europe’s largest free play arcade club’ is home to over 250 consoles from three decades of arcade gaming. This nerd magnet is home to an incredible selection including retro arcade classics like Pacman, Donkey Kong and Space Invaders alongside the latest in VR, home consoles and Far East imports.

64. See film in a boutique setting

Rescued, refurbished and re-opened in 2015, The Savoy in Heaton Moor is a proudly independent ‘boutique’ cinema. It offers more than just fizzy drinks and popcorn and loves to make a special event out of screenings. For example, a screening of The Big Lebowski offered a free White Russian to anyone wearing a dressing gown.

65. G and Afternoon T along the Bridgewater Canal

Savour a Worsley Gin Champagne cocktail on arrival and then cruise along the Bridgewater Canal sipping on gin and indulging in a 3-course afternoon tea. We wouldn’t mind doing this on a regular basis…

66. Play bingo, but not really

The most outrageous game of bingo you will ever play (and that’s a promise), Bongo’s Bingo is turns a predisposed evening of bingo on its head. Expect impromptu raves, dance offs and prizes so bad they’re good.

67. Dippy is coming to Rochdale

If you’ve ever been to the Natural History Museum in London, you’ll have seen their huge resident dinosaur, Dippy the Diplodocus. Now, Dippy is going on tour, and will be accepting visitors from February to June 2020 in Rochdale.

A potential stop on Scranchester's Tour

68. Eat your way around the city

A truly immersive food tour of Manchester, Scranchester Tours will take you on a multi-stop tour across the city, offering edible insights into its food history and culture along the way. Arrive hungry, and with an elasticated waistband, as there will be a minimum of eight stops revealing why the city’s food and drink scene is booming.

69. Discover ghosts and ghouls

With a wide range of award-winning ghost walks and experiences, be spooked by a Flecky Bennett Production in the city centre or further afield. Flecky will guide you around the backstreets and passageways of the like of the city centre, Stockport Air Raid Shelter, Didsbury, Bolton and Altrincham to name but a few. Not for the faint-hearted.

70. Escape to another dimension

Located in Escape Hunt within Manchester city centre’s Corn Exchange, ‘Worlds Collide’ is a Doctor Who inspired escape game. Step into the world of the Time Lord and take on the challenge as a team to save the world from a tear in the fabric of space and time within the space of an hour. No pressure…

71. Marvel at Street Art

Join Skyliner in learning about the creation of the Northern Quarter as we know it today, find out the major names behind some of the area's oldest street art and those behind the most recent installations such as the Cities of Hope exhibition. Skyliner tours will identify lesser known heritage sites and highlight how modern art movements in Manchester hope to continue to drive creativity within this very unique neighbourhood.

Strange Sport

72. Get a jog on

Don’t know what parkrun is yet? Taking the world quite literally by storm, parkrun is a series of 5km runs held across the UK in areas of beautiful open spaces. Parkrun is open to all, free, safe and easy to take part in. And if the kids want to join in too, junior parkrun events are open to 4-14 year olds too. We’ve created a list of some of the best in the region, here.

73. Experience a live ice hockey game at Manchester Storm

Silver Blades Ice Rink is the home Manchester Storm Ice Hockey team. Manchester Storm play in the Elite League in the UK, and you can watch the high-tempo sport during the season with a great family atmosphere.

74. Groovy Yoga in time with the cool rhythms of Jamaica

Reggae Yoga is designed to help you build strength, stretch and sweat whilst listening to the uplifting beats of a roots reggae soundtrack. Eirian teaches Vinyasa flow, a fast-paced style of yoga, with smooth, swift moves that come across as almost dance-like. Classes are held weekly at The Wonder Inn, an old 18th century listed building now used as a wellness centre in the trendy Northern Quarter neighbourhood and is open to all levels. Book or drop in to bring those tired muscles back to life in time with the cool rhythms of Jamaica.

75. Take to the skies

Ever fancied becoming an acrobat? Well now you can at least learn some of the skills. Cloud aerial arts run a number of classes such as Aerobalance, Aerial Hoop and flight school designed to teach you the most popular moves and transitions to get you gliding through the stunts.

Whistle Punks Axe Throwing

76. Throw axes at things

Fancy competitively hurling axes at targets? Situated in the Great Northern Warehouse, Whistle Punks Urban Axe Throwing gives you the opportunity to launch metal hatchets at targets in a unique axetravaganza experience. 

77. Base MCR

With 3 batting cages named after 3 of the most famous baseball playing fields in America, Base MCR offers visitors the chance to bat balls while sipping on craft beer and indulging in real American snacks. Grab a hotdog, peanut butter pretzels, twizzlers and popcorn to name but a few. Ok so this might not be sport in its purest form…

78. Ping Pong extreme

Twenty Twenty Two is a seven day a week hang-out with ping pong playable all night long. The bar staff will be on hand to test the skills, challenge visitors to a game or referee any dodgy line calls. There’s an eclectic drinks menu on offer each and every day, including a happy hour of bargain basement prices, and special offers on Prosecco and cocktails from start to finish every Wednesday. 

79. Set yourself a challenge

Aerial treks, climbing walls, traversing beams and a leap of faith, all in a day’s work at Challenge 4 Change. Based in Trafford Park, this unique indoor urban activity centre is a one of a kind venue fit for all the family. The 19,000 sq. foot arena can also accommodate individuals with physical and learning disabilities over the age of 10 years old, meaning everyone can get involved!

80. Fancy yourself as the next Tony Hawk?

With the opportunity to go biking, scooting, climbing and skateboarding, Graystone Action Sports Centre certainly isn’t for the faint-hearted. Rapidly becoming the hub for action sports in the north west, its renowned skatepark is a haven for skateboarding, scooters, inline and BMX biking - freestyle skiing, snowboarding, and soon to be opened gymnastics, cheerleading, parkour and bouldering zone.

Get Outdoors

81. Find tranquillity in Didsbury

A hidden green haven in the centre of Didsbury Village, Fletcher Moss is renowned for its botanical beauty. The park has maintained many of its original features since it was acquired in 1914, such as its rock and heather gardens, its alpine house and a collection of unusual plants and flowers.

82. Try out the largest sculpture route in the UK

Extending over 33 miles through Salford, Bury and Rossendale, the Irwell Sculpture Trail isn’t something you’re likely to achieve in a day, though makes a great (free) day out for all the family. Pick a section of the trail, and admire the local landscape and fascinating backdrop on offer.

83. Wythenshawe Park

This beautiful park is set in 109 hectares of open parkland in South Manchester, with historic and ornamental woodlands, herbaceous borders, formal bedding, open grassland and beautiful wildflower meadows. Wythenshawe Park is steeped in history and there are three Grade II Listed Buildings located within the park: North Lodge, the Statue of Oliver Cromwell and Wythenshawe Hall.

84. Take a walk with an impressive backdrop

Reddish Vale Country Park can be accessed via the Peak Forest Canal trail. While this country park is not so hidden in terms of discoverability, its location makes it difficult for you to believe that you’re only 6 miles from the bustling streets of Manchester and just 2 miles from the centre of Stockport. In fact, if it wasn’t for the impressive stature of the viaduct cutting through the woodland’s skyline, it will be hard to believe you’re close to a bustling town at all during your visit.

Healey Dell Nature Reserve

85. Find yourself amongst wildlife

Healey Dell is a beauty spot and wildlife sanctuary rich in industrial archaeology, towards Whitworth and Bacup in Rochdale. The River Spodden has carved its way through the woodlands over thousands of years, which has created delightful scenery and spectacular waterfalls, which were once responsible for powering ancient corn, wool and cotton mills. After a walk why not treat yourself to a drink in the Victorian themed tea rooms, serving English cream teas served in vintage bone-china.

86. Enjoy a peaceful canal-side setting

With its picturesque half-timbered houses, and tranquil canal setting, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were somewhere else. Worsley is a gem in Salford and there is a 3-mile circular walk around Worsley which takes in the picturesque village, the Bridgewater Canal, its fascinating heritage and explores the rich woodland area of Worsley Woods.

87. Take a hike in Bolton’s countryside

Rivington Pike is located on the West Pennine Moors in Bolton. Taking in the Grade II listed Rivington Hall Barn, meander through the stunning Rivington terraced Gardens, as well as the wonderfully romantic Japanese Gardens. On a clear day from the summit of Rivington Pike Tower, you might be able to spot The Lake District, Blackpool Tower, and the Isle of Man.

88. See the city from above

Extending for 200 acres, Werneth Low is only 9.5 miles from the city centre of Manchester, with unprecedented views across the entire city. It’s a haven for wildlife and an area where visitors can find a place to relax and take a quiet walk through the countryside.

89. Find nature in Chorlton’s reserve

Chorlton  also  offers  up  easy  escapes  into nature  in  the  form  of  Chorlton Water Park and Chorlton Ees Nature Reserve with its woodland and meadow trails. A 58-hectare site designated as Site of Biological Importance, this nature reserve really does offer up some tranquillity in the centre of one of Manchester’s most bohemian neighbourhoods.

Alternative Shopping

90. Get a little crafty

Rooted firmly into Manchester’s history (since 1886, no less) Fred Aldous has grown over the last 128 years to provide the region with all the arts and crafts materials it could so desire. Set over three floors, it’s relatively easy to get lost in here for a few hours if you’re the crafty type. With its laser cutting studio, Risograph printer and photography studio, Fred Aldous has also become a hub where makers and creatives can hire out these spaces to produce their work.

91. Go designer

A multi-brand womenswear and lifestyle store, Nola Boutique is heavily focussed on considered, modern design with an emphasis on ‘buy less, buy better. The selection of labels is constantly evolving with new brands being added each season, mixing up and coming designers with more established brands.

92. Stay on Form

Tucked away on a Northern Quarter side street, all of the pieces at Form Lifestyle Store have been carefully selected with a focus on design, function and simplicity. Their spiral staircase is perhaps the most photographed in Manchester.

Northern Quarter Shopping

93. Classic, with a twist

The ultimate selection of classic, functional outerwear with innovative contemporary labels and a serious arsenal of casual footwear, Oi Polloi is a one stop shop for some of the best classic and contemporary men’s clothing and footwear.

94. Find your endless love

Something of an institution in Greater Manchester, Endless Music is the North-West’s leading vinyl music store. Having been in the record business for almost 20 years, this Prestwich-based store is proud to supply vinyl to some of Manchester’s foremost DJ’s.

95. Shop inside history

Once the hub of the world’s cotton trade, The Royal Exchange Manchester is now an eclectic collection of luxury retailers, premium high street brands and best in class independent boutique shops playing a key role in Manchester’s thriving shopping and lifestyle culture.

96. Get decorative in Stockport’s heritage

If you fancy something a little more eclectic for the home, Agapanthus Interiors in Stockport is the place to go. Specialising in European chandeliers and hand painted antique furniture, they carefully source decorative furniture and homewares from across the UK and Europe.

97. Go bespoke

Hand-fashioned, beautiful and bespoke corsetry and clothing for women available at the heart of the Northern Quarter. Kiku Boutique is based at 100 Tib Street and boasts the services of skilled designers, a milliner and a corsetiere – making it the place for truly special dresses, corsets and head-gear. 

98. I wanna rock and roll all night...

A self-confessed ‘Emporium of Rock ‘n’ Roll Delight’, Rockers is home to vintage rock ‘n’ roll inspired clothing and accessories. Established in 2003 and situated in the heart of the Northern Quarter, you can pick up everything from jeans and tees to ornaments and swing dresses.

99. Pick up quirky gifts and homeware

One of the city’s favourite gift and homeware stores, Oklahoma is spread out over 2000 square foot of floor space and is packed to the rafters with vibrant and colourful products. From kitchenware to jewellery, cards, wraps, books & Stationery, retro sweets, tin toys, novelty items and curiosities from around the world, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

100. Get lost in one of Manchester’s oldest book shops

An absolute treasure trove of collectibles, comics and second-hand books, Paramount Books’ unchanged outdoor signage is familiar to many. It’s a little like taking a step back in time when entering this wonderful establishment, with bookshelves overflowing and authentic tunes being played over a speaker system almost as old as the shop itself.

101. Explore a true Manchester legend

A Manchester legend since the 1980’s, Empire Exchange has had many a shop across the city, though the concept has never changed. Now at its current home in Piccadilly Gardens, Empire stocks everything from militaria, vinyl’s, antiquities, sporting paraphernalia and literature, this really is the hidden treasure of Manchester’s shopping scene.

Is culture just another word for creativity? Is it as simple as that? When you think of art, literature, music, theatre and everything else we consider to be cultural, aren’t they all borne of creativity?

Hmmm…

If that’s the case, the Northern Quarter might be Manchester’s most cultural neighbourhood. It’s full of creative people doing creative things. And even people who aren’t creative are drawn to the Northern Quarter by the atmosphere. There’s nothing wrong with that. You don’t have to be an artist to love an art gallery, right?

But once upon a time, there was no such thing at the Northern Quarter. In the 60s, 70s and 80s, Manchester was in decline. There were a lot of disused buildings and not nearly enough economic activity to fill them. Let’s be honest, the city was a very different place back then.

For a hard-working city like Manchester, it was unimaginable that art, culture, fashion and creativity could fill the post-industrial void. Unimaginable. Laughable, even. But there was a handful people who stuck at it and made it happen.

Manchester Craft & Design Centre

When Manchester’s fish market closed down in 1973, it was the end of an era. But within ten years, the city council reopened it as Manchester Craft Village and the seeds of the Northern Quarter were sown. Even the phrase ‘Northern Quarter’ originates from here.

Now known as Manchester Craft & Design Centre, it’s a complex of studios for independent artists, designers and makers. Contemporary jewellery, ceramics, stationery, wall art – two floors of beautiful things being created right in front of you by the makers themselves.

Everyone who comes to Manchester should take a look. The things being created and sold at Manchester Craft & Design Centre are unique. You can’t get them anywhere else. There’s also a very nice café so even if you don’t find something you like, it’s a lovely place for a coffee. Ask Guy Garvey. He’s a frequent visitor and likes it so much, they made him a patron.

Afflecks (formerly Affleck’s Palace)

Culture and creativity are organic. They need a place to grow. When Affleck’s Palace opened as an independent indoor market in 1982, it democratised trading with cheap rents and no long-term contracts. Anyone could have a go and it attracted hippies, punks, goths, greebos, indie kids, fetishists, university drop-outs, misfits and even (shock, horror!) veggies and vegans. It was like the Internet, before the Internet.

Alternative fashions, obscure fanzines, strange records: Affleck’s Palace became a focal point for every counter-culture in the region. But it was a friendly place too. The labyrinthine layout meant there were endless nooks and crannies to explore. Getting lost, but being too cool to admit it, was standard. And when Madchester came along, people flocked to Affleck’s Palace for the baggiest flares in the world.

Afflecks is still a focal point and the Northern Quarter has grown up around it. It has evolved over the years but it hasn’t always been easy. It has survived closure threats, re-development plans, fires, lease renewals and landlord changes along the way. It keeps on keeping on because (and credit where credit’s due) even ‘the man’ doesn’t want to close it down. But maybe ‘the man’ in this case was a tie-dyed teenager back in the day too? We may never know.

See also: A Gothic Guide to Afflecks

Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art

There was a Chinatown in Manchester long before there was a Northern Quarter. Chinatown has been the hub of city’s Chinese community for more than half a century.

To broaden perceptions of Chinese culture, the Chinese View Art Association was founded in Manchester in 1986. By 1989, they had opened the Chinese Art Centre in Chinatown, focusing on traditional Chinese art and craft. But although Chinatown seemed like the natural choice, by the mid-nineties, people started talking about a new independent, creative quarter.

The city’s vision for the Northern Quarter chimed with the Art Centre’s own ambitions. They moved there in 1996 and it was much more than just a change of address. They shifted their focus from traditional to contemporary art in order to be socially engaged and to develop, promote, educate and advocate for new Chinese art.

Now called the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art (CFCCA), their RIBA award-winning and purpose-built venue on Thomas Street has two galleries, a shop, archive, library, event space and even studio and living space for their artists-in-residence. The CFCCA is a unique, internationally connected gallery that has developed in parallel with China’s own economic and cultural growth.

So, yes. A lot went in to creating the Northern Quarter. It’s nice to nod to places that were there from the start but spare a thought to all the people, shops, cafés, venues and myriad other businesses that didn’t survive. If the three success stories listed here tell us anything, it’s that the Northern Quarter was built on ideas that seemed crazy at the time. Long live crazy ideas!

Jump to:

Christmas Markets | Festive Family Fun | Ice Skating | Christmas Shows | Santa's Grottos | Food & Drink | Christmas Shopping | Luxury Hotel Stays and Experiences

Explore Greater Manchester’s Festive Markets and Lights Switch-Ons

1. Manchester’s annual Christmas Lights Switch-On spectacular will move from Albert Square for the first time, taking place near Manchester Cathedral on Deansgate on Thursday 14 November. 

2. Visit the UK's original, award winning Christmas Markets in Manchester City Centre, offering mouth-watering international food, drinks and delicately crafted Yuletide gifts.

3. Just a short sleighride from the city centre, Tameside Christmas Markets hosts over 20 traditional cabin stalls, offering handmade crafts along with delicious festive treats. And to add an extra sparkle to a Christmas family day out, enjoy the ferris wheel, carousel and donkey rides.

4. Wrap up warm and head to Rochdale Festive Markets to enjoy steaming hot drinks and find unique gifts for your loved ones. There will be mouth-watering food, drinks and gifts with beautiful stalls in the magnificent setting of the Great Hall.

5. Head out of the city to Ramsbottom Christmas Markets; dotted around the beautiful town centre, it features food and craft from local producers. While in Ramsbottom, why not visit the lovely independent shops, cafes, bars and brewery too!

6. Discover unique vintage and handmade gifts for loved ones at the Etsy Made Local Manchester Market. There will be over 40 local Etsy sellers at the People's History Museum from Friday 30th Nov to Sunday 2nd December. Be sure to enjoy mulled wine, mince pies and live music as you explore the treasures

7. Head to Wigan for Standish Christmas Markets, with its indoor craft markets offering the best from North West traders, streets lined with outdoor market stalls and a beer tent operated by the village’s own Albion Ale House.

8. As always, the Lowry Outlet Makers Markets are open on the last Saturday and Sunday of the month, offering the finest local food, drink, art, design and vintage and modern craft around.
 

Enjoy some Festive Family Fun

9. Lightopia is a brand-new addition to the Christmas festivities in Manchester, and the very first of its kind in Europe. An exploration of light, movement and form, Lightopia promises to beautifully captivate the senses with unique interactive and immersive lights, lanterns, and installations.

10. Returning again for 2019, Manchester’s Ice Village will be welcoming visitors, featuring attractions such as a new -10 degrees Ice Tiki Bar, a brand-new ice skating rink, an Ice Cavern and an unmissable Santa experience.

 
11. Head to the family favourite The Lanterns at Chester Zoo and watch the little ones’ eyes light up and their imaginations run wild on a magical night time journey.

12. Add a little thrill-seeking to your Christmas cheer with Winter Funland's indoor theme park at EventCity.

13. Ride the super fun snow slide at Bolton Winter Festival along with a visit to their ice rink, magical Santa's Grotto and festive artisan markets.

14. Discover new immersive installations as the magical winter trail at Dunham Massey is set to be bigger and better than ever.

15. Walk in the footsteps of famous Coronation Street residents, discover filming secrets and hear stories of their favourite characters at the official tour.

16. Explore one of Manchester’s Highlight Tours, a collection of experiences that tell the story of a radical, inventive, innovative Manchester through its significant museum and gallery collections, creative organisations and expert guides.
 

Go Ice Skating

17. Skate in magical surroundings on the Skate Manchester at the Ice Village this Christmas, the UK’s biggest ever ice attraction!

18. Get your skate on at Winter Funland,  where sessions will be included in your ticket price and available during your 4 hour visit. Skate instructors will be available to assist your family with advice and penguin skate aids for children who need a helping hand.
 

Christmas Shows, Carols, and Concerts

19. For the first time on a UK stage, Dr Seuss’ classic How The Grinch Stole Christmas will come to The Lowry in December. 

20. Can I get an amen? RuPaul's Drag Race favourites BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon are back for an all new two-queen holiday extravaganza in All I Want for Christmas is Attention.

21. If you like your theatre with a slice of technical hitches, flying mishaps and cast disputes, Peter Pan Goes Wrong stumbles along to The Lowry at the start of December. 

22. For more traditional pantomime, don’t miss Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Opera House, with jaw-dropping dance, side-splitting comedy, sensational special effects, and plenty of festive magic.

23. Is it even Christmas if you don’t hear a version of ‘Walking in the Air’? Bring the whole family to the screening of Raymond Briggs' classic animated film, The Snowman, accompanied by The Hallé performing the live score. Or, head to Manchester Opera House to watch the enchanting live version of The Snowman, which has thrilled audiences around the world. 

24. With a recommended age of 3-103, the kids and great-great Grandma can enjoy the enchanting adaptation of the much loved The Gruffalo's Child at The Lowry.

25. Catch X Factor winner Alexandra Burke starring in The Bodyguard at The Palace Theatre, based on the Oscar nominated movie.

26. Interested in hearing a heart-warming tale about a brave little bear who helps to save Christmas? (If not, what’s wrong with you?!) The Met in Bury will host The Big Snowy Christmas, perfect for those little bears aged 3-6.

27. To get you really into the festive spirit, on the 19 December The Hallé will perform A Christmas Cracker, featuring festive favourites such as Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, Jingle Bell Rock and many many more. 

28. Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. From Tudor queens to pop princesses, the six wives of Henry VIII finally take to the mic to tell their tales in the homegrown histo-remixed pop-concert musical Six.

Meet Father Christmas

29. Meet the big man himself in an all new, unmissable Santa experience at the returning Ice Village Manchester. 

30. Get your Christmas wish list ready for when Santa's Grotto opens at Manchester Arndale.

31. The story of Beatrix Potter’s woodland wonderland will once again be brought to life this Christmas in a magical festive experience, as the Peter Rabbit™ Christmas Grotto returns to intu Trafford Centre.

32. Top off your snow adventure with a visit to Santa’s Grotto at Chill Factore, and for the littlest ones, discover the magic of real snow in Mini Moose Land.

33. To keep the little ones and the adults happy, step in to the magical winter wonderland of Bruntwood Hall at Oddfellows on the Park to meet Santa, and get a festive afternoon tea included in the ticket price!

Eat, Drink and be Merry

34. Experience an après-ski atmosphere like no other and enjoy classic cocktails, seasonal treats and live entertainment at Spinningfields Bar Hütte.

35. Enjoy an exquisite selection of contemporary Japanese and Mexican small plates at Peter Street Kitchen the winner of ‘Best Luxury Restaurant’ in the UK. At the British Restaurant Awards 2019.

36. Showcasing all its original Edwardian beauty with a modern twist, The Corn Exchange is home to a mouth-watering mix of new restaurants in Manchester that offer a fusion of flavours from around the globe.

37. Open for breakfast, lunch, afternoon chai, dinner, and late night tipples, all are welcome at the excellent Dishoom, which pays loving homage to the Irani cafés and food of all Bombay.

38. A highlight of the Christmas calendar, The Portico's annual Christmas Feast offers an evening of good food and festive entertainment in a relaxed and jovial atmosphere.

Go Christmas Shopping

39. With over 200 stores, get all of your shopping done under one roof at Manchester Arndale. Or, give your loved ones the gift of freedom to choose with a Manchester Arndale Gift Card. 

40. Browse Manchester’s range of independent stores to get a truly unique gift for your favourite person (and a little something for yourself!)

41. Hit the High Street and shop ‘till you drop in Manchester’s enviable range of stores. 

42. Combine shopping with a day out at intu Trafford Centre and get those pesky presents in-between visiting the cinema, going deep underwater at SEA LIFE, and enjoying fantastic food from over 60 restaurants. 

43. Make your way to Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet for their late night shopping event, where you can save up to 70% off the Autumn collection. 

44. Grab those Christmas goodies, treats, pies, and quirky gifts at Oldham’s wonderful Albion Farm Christmas Festival.

45. Wander around the stunning grounds at Tatton Park before entering the famous mansion and browsing gifts from 45 exhibitors at the Christmas Shopping Show. 

46. Treat that special someone with a piece of unforgettable jewellery from Manchester’s Jewellery Quarter. We promise we can keep a secret..

Hotel Stays and Experiences

47. A monumental listed building ingrained in Manchester’s history, the Radisson Blu Edwardian Manchester Hotel has 236 beautiful, contemporary-designed rooms. 

48. Stay in five-star Lowry Hotel, where Salford meets Manchester on the banks of the River Irwell. 

49. Boasting 150 rooms on-site at Emirates Old Trafford, the home to Lancashire Cricket Club, Hilton Garden Inn offers luxurious yet relaxed surroundings.

50. Crowne Plaza Manchester – Oxford Road and Staybridge Suites Manchester – Oxford Road are situated on the University of Manchester campus, close to many attractions including The Royal Northern College of Music, Whitworth Art Gallery and the popular concert venue; O2 Apollo Manchester.

51. Dakota, one of Manchester’s newest hotels, is a lifestyle brand for the independent thinking and discerning traveller, featuring 117 luxurious bedrooms and 20 opulent suites.

The auditorium was full for each screening and the audience rewarded every film with applause. This carefully curated journey through genre film is the work of Festival Directors  Simeon Halligan and Rachel Richardson-Jones, as well as Chief Film Programmer Steve Balshaw. 2019’s curatorial focus held women at the centre—with nearly half of the screenings featuring F-rated films (those written and/or directed by a woman). Diversity and inclusion do not simply happen; representation is fostered when people in power make space for underrepresented voices—and Grimmfest was definitely strengthened by the diversity of perspectives. 

[Harpoon director Rob Grant answering audience questions]

One of the great aspects of film festivals is the large number of screenings that feature introductions and filmmaker Q&As. This gives the audience the opportunity to expand their understanding of the film and to personally engage with the filmmakers. Standouts include Abigail Blackmore and Johnny Vegas, who were on hand to kick off Grimmfest 2019 and introduce their delightful horror comedy Tales from the Lodge. Abigail was quite informative about getting the film made—and Johnny was simply hilarious. Also, it was inspirational to hear how Staten Cousins Roe and Poppy Roe made the darkly funny and poignant A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life with a micro budget; a reminder of just how much practical limitations can open up creative possibilities.

Another highlight was hearing Justin Dix talk about how he made his vampiric practical effects film Blood Vessel around the availability of a WWII ship in his hometown—showcasing how a film can still be made around easy points of access without compromising one’s overall vision. And a delightful tidbit came from the Soska Sisters (also known as 'The Twisted Twins'), who discussed remaking Rabid as ‘fan’ directors who made the film for an audience of one: David Cronenberg.

[Natasha Pascetta’s Road Trash]

While all of the anticipated festival feature film highlights were crowd pleasers, I was especially impressed with the variety and quality of the short films programmed throughout the long weekend. Short films are a valuable part of festivals for both filmmakers and audiences alike, offering filmmakers important exposure and audiences a chance to see the next generation of horror filmmakers before the general public. Moreover, short films demonstrate how effective storytelling can be in 3, 6, or 15 minutes. I particularly enjoyed Natasha Pascetta’s Road Trash and Thomas Nelstrop’s The Cabinet; I will definitely be keeping an eye out for their next films. 

[The 2019 award recipients will be announced in approximately one week on the Grimmfest website]

No film festival is complete without awards. This year’s festival Awards Jury was helmed by horror icon Barbara Crampton and the winners reap the rewards of receiving a Grimm statuette—arguably the best statuette of the international horror festival circuit. One of the festival’s true highlights was seeing the Horror Channel present Jen and Sylvia Soska with the much-deserved Achievement in Horror Award for “representing and furthering the cause of female filmmakers both in the industry and the genre”. Sylvia Soska got emotional and stated that she nearly quit filmmaking because the industry has beat her up so much, but then explained the Rabid experience has turned this around for her. Hearing this was not only a reminder that there’s still more opportunity for the industry to improve its treatment of women both behind and in front of the camera, but also a relief that we haven’t lost a respected horror director.

After attending nearly all the film screenings, it is easy to understand why MovieMaker Magazine declared Grimmfest one of the ‘30 Bloody Best Genre Fests in the World’. Between seeing great independent horror films, making new friends, meeting favourite filmmakers, and supporting independent horror vendors and artists, I experienced four frightfully fulfilling days at Grimmfest. Manchester has much to be proud of with this gem of a horror film festival and I look forward to returning to the UK in future years to see how this festival continues to develop and grow. Here’s to Grimmfest 2020—and its celebration of horror films from increasingly diverse perspectives.

By Heather Oriana Petrocelli

Not only do Rochdale’s Halloween celebrations offer something for everyone, but they are particularly unique – making the most of the town’s historic buildings and iconic locations. Adventure inside the magnificent neo-gothic Town Hall for an early-evening experience with Haunt Manchester, explore Touchstones museum like never before and even indulge in some karaoke at the characterful Cask & Feather!

Haunt Manchester is certainly no stranger to exploring alternative offerings and entertainment in Rochdale, having previously enjoyed one of Colin Meredith’s fantastic Rochdale Ghost Walks (with an October edition available, more information below), taking in the eerie aspects of Rochdale’s history; tales of industry, mystery and more. We’ve also journeyed behind the scenes at Rochdale Town Hall (pictured below, read our full article here), the buried-away cultural gem of The Curtain Theatre (close to Rochdale Station) and even encountered unusual aspects of heritage along the Rochdale Canal; walking the stretch from the town right into Manchester city centre with Dr Jennie Bailey.

Playing a key part in the organisation of these exciting Halloween celebrations is Rochdale Town Centre BID – and the Halloween Festival Office is located within the Rochdale BID Offices, Unit 34 in The Wheatsheaf Centre. Updates are also available on their website (see their fantastic Halloween Festival video here), as well as social media via Facebook and Twitter.

Rochdale Town Centre’s Halloween offerings certainly don’t disappoint – with themed fun not just on the 31 October, but a selection of options throughout the month. Here are our highlights…

Creepy Creature Catchers at Touchstones

Come along to Rochdale’s historic Touchstones Museum & Art Gallery– and see the building transformed with the addition of an Enchanted Forest… and a hunt for creepy creatures on Thursday 24 October (10-11.30am and another session 2-3.30pm).  This is a family-friendly opportunity to learn about the folklore and fantastic beasts of Rochdale… including trolls and goblins! Get to grips with ‘Goblin Goggles’, craft a magic wand and explore. Admission is £4 per child, booking at link4life.org. During a previous visit to Touchstones, Haunt Manchester met Dr Oliver Bishop (of Yan Tan Tethera), who was able to tell the team about boggarts and even more creepy creatures in our interview with him here.

Day of the Dead at The Flying Horse Hotel

The wonderfully-named Flying Horse Hotel is one of the oldest pubs in Rochdale (read the full Haunt article on the venue here), right at the side of the beautiful Town Hall – and as well as being full of character, it is Greater Manchester's Pub of the Year (for the second year in a row!) according to the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).  On Friday 1 November they will be having a ‘Day of the Dead’ special, with the option of a Mexican-themed tapas menu earlier in the evening (see the Facebook page for more details and booking), and then Day of the Dead themed live music!  Live tunes will be coming from the exciting Mariachi band Juan Direction, performing energetic Mexican covers of favourite hits! 8pm until late.

Fancy Dress Mad Pop Up Shop at the Wheatsheaf Centre

Who says that shopping isn’t spooky? Find out more about the ultimate Halloween fancy dress… from experts in the field Fancy Dress Mad! This team of creative costume providers will be popping up in the Wheatsheaf Centre until Saturday 2 November, with plenty of outfits to try on for men, women and children.

‘Spooky Pies in ‘ere’ at the Pioneers Museum

A historic place for pie-making! Children are invited to come along to the Pioneers Museum – the place known as the birthplace of the Co-operative movement, where the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society started in 1844 – and get hands-on making and filling sweet pies on Wednesday 23 October. There will plenty of tasty and spooky toppings to help create a treat! Admission is £3 per child and for more information and booking email museum@co-op.ac.uk or call 01706 524920. We love the play-on-words!

Sugar Skull Halloween Parade at Exchange Shopping Centre

A creative carnival experience in Rochdale on the theme of Halloween! On Friday 25 October, come along to a free fun festival in Rochdale’s Exchange Shopping Centre as the place will be decorated in themed props, children can decorate a Giant Halloween Doodle Skull, have their faces painted… and even create their own Sugar Skull Keep Safe Box. And that’s not all! During the day, the shopping centre will see a whole new side… as a parade of spooky stilt walkers, dancers and skaters make their way through: every hour on the hour.

Halloween Fancy Dress and Karaoke Party at the Cask & Feather

A great one for the grown-ups… get on your glad rags and get involved a Halloween sing-song special with fancy dress and themed karaoke at city centre pub the Cask & Feather. An annual event, this is set to be popular… taking place on Saturday 26 October, 8pm until late.

Family Halloween Day at the Wheatsheaf Centre

On Saturday 26 October, 11am until 3pm there will be a free family-friendly Halloween event inside the Wheatsheaf Centre – with a visit from Ranger Rob, who will be bringing along some creepy creatures (like lizards and snakes!) and even some edible bugs. Dare you try one? There will also be a pop-up spooky sweet shop from Candy Kabin, arts and crafts opportunities, thrilling live performances from Footlights Theatre, pumpkin carving and spooky storytelling from the experts Can O’Worms.  Children can also get exploring with a Trick & Treat Trail around the shops… complete with spooky performances. Admission is free!

Spooky Board Game Night at The Baum

Dare you come along  to one of Rochdale’s most characterful pubs for an evening of creepy board games on the night of Halloween itself – Thursday 31 October? From 6pm until late, The Baum on Toad Lane –  next to the Pioneers Museum – will be the place to play some themed board games and enjoy fabulous drinks. Great for the grown-ups, this pub has been in the Good Beer Guide since 2007, won CAMRA pub of the year in 2012 and supports a range of microbreweries, with plenty to pick from! Sounds like more treats than tricks!

Haunt Manchester at Rochdale Town Hall

Haunt Manchester is delighted to be bringing a dark evening of exploratory fun to within the magnificent Rochdale Town Hall.  Enter the building with us and join ‘spooky researchers’ from Manchester Metropolitan University (including of the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies) on Halloween itself - Thursday 31 October - for some spooky storytelling and talks 4pm-6pm and then a tour at 6-7pm. Dr Jennie Bailey will be telling spooky stories exploring folklore, myth and history, whilst Dr Emma Liggins (who is also organising a special Halloween dance spectacular at Manchester's The Dancehouse Theatre on 30 October, more information here) and Dr Matt Foley will give some fascinating Gothic-inspired talks. And if that wasn’t all, Dr Ken Drinkwater and Fabrizio Cocchiarella will be telling us more about paranormal encounters ... all part of The Gothic Manchester Festival 2019 too! Discover more, ask questions and of course... fancy dress is encouraged! Are you ready to be intrigued? Even better,  once the tour had finished…guests could even run along to join Colin Meredith’s great Rochdale Ghost Walk which will be working its way through the town from 8pm (starting at The Baum, full information below). The afternoon talks at the Haunt Manchester event are free, whilst the tour is 6pm-7pm and £7, bookable via Eventbrite.com.

Colin Meredith’s Ghost Walk

Haunt Manchester has already enjoyed one of Colin Meredith’s innovative and engaging Rochdale Ghost Walks... and therefore his Halloween night edition on 31 October is highly recommended. Meet at The Baum pub on Toad Lane at 8pm with local expert Colin who will take the group on an immersive walking tour of the town centre, its supernatural stories, hauntings and fascinating past. Highlights include the atmospheric Parish Church of Saint Mary in The Baum, hidden town centre passageways and tales of cells beneath Rochdale Town Hall itself. Admission is £5 – and although booking is not required, it is advised that people arrive at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start time.

Halloween Cult Film Night at the Pioneers Museum

The Pioneers Museum on Toad Lane makes an old, atmospheric location to watch screenings of some cult spooky film favourites, from 5.30pm until  8pm on Thursday  31 October. Ideal for horror film fans, this is an event suitable for those aged 15 and over – and it’s free! Reserve a seat by calling 01706 524920 or email museum@co-op.ac.uk

Spooky Cocktails at The Medicine Tap

Enjoy frightfully themed drinks within a historic setting, served on Friday 1 and Saturday 2 November at The Medicine Tap; the beautiful bar now located in Rochdale’s Grade II listed Old Post Office building. Located right by the town centre’s sunken gardens and the Sir Edwin Lutyen-designed Cenotaph, this an atmospheric location to enjoy a tipple or two – looking out onto The Town Hall!

Halloween Fancy Dress Party at The Empire

Creative costume and dressing up is all part of the Halloween fun... even for the grown-ups! The town’s biggest Halloween fancy dress party is coming to the Empire on Saturday 2 November (6pm-4am... dare you last the night?)- so extend those Halloween celebrations and enjoy a night of dancing, singing and selection of music. The Empire, a former music hall theatre, makes an ideal location. With tracks from the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, guests are surely in for a treat, plus there are cash prizes for the three best fancy-dress costumes. Admission is free!

Spooky Halloween Scarecrow Competition

A scarily good crafty competition! This year Rochdale BID have teamed up with a range of local schools to create a trail of spooky scarecrows -  discover them in the town centre between 24 October and 4 November. Can you find them all? Brilliant for the young people who have been  involved, the BID team will pick their favourite design and prizes will be awarded to the winning school. For further information contact the BID team on 01706 926677.

By Emily Oldfield

Images - provided thanks to Rochdale Town Centre BID and also previous Haunt Manchester articles on Rochdale

Previously covered by Haunt Manchester here, the Bones of Paine Puppet is a unique creation intended to spread the story of the pioneering 18^th century political theorist Thomas Paine – and more about his life can also be discovered at The Working Class Movement Library. His ideas on concepts such as human rights and representation proved highly influential – and 2019 marks the 200th anniversary of when his bones arrived in Salford!

So what is the story?  Although Thomas Paine died in America 1809, in 1819 his bones were dug up from their original New York resting place by the campaigning journalist William Cobbett, who wanted to give Paine a proper burial… and he attempted to bring the bones to England! This involved a journey across the Atlantic, arriving in the port of Liverpool in 1819 and yet on reaching Manchester, Cobbett and Paine’s bones were refused entry to the city. In turn, they only got as far as Salford! The bones later disappeared.

But now they are back – in the form of Walk The Plank’s larger-than-life puppet; a skeleton sitting in a chest atop an adult tricycle! The public will be able to see it again for themselves – following earlier involvement in the Peterloo 2019 commemorations – as Walk the Plank’s home of the Cobden Works (we previously featured their fundraiser for an eco-friendly roof here) becomes a Halloween-inspired Fun Palace for a family-friendly Sunday.

Throughout the day on the 6 October, visitors will be able to see the Bones of Paine puppet plus other ‘Skelly bobs’ puppets. There will be creative sessions with Salford Victorian Theatre Trust, including badge making and activities such as a pumpkin tombola, part of the Veg Show. Other features include information from the National Trust, and catering on-hand thanks to an outdoor stone baked pizza oven!

It certainly sounds like fun – and Walk The Plank are no strangers to the Fun Palace concept, having been involved in two previous events. Fun Palaces are part of a community-driven initiative intended get the community at the heart of creating, making and exploring – involving people of all ages and backgrounds. This interaction and innovation matters to Walk the Plank – outdoor arts experts who have been based in Salford for a number of years, with their Cobden Works base going on to win a RIBA North West Award 2018 and bouncing back despite a devastating fire.

Therefore The Bones of Paine Fun Palace offers an exciting opportunity to visit this unique venue and get up close and personal with fascinating figures from history, pre-Halloween treats and plenty more. Visit the website https://walktheplank.co.uk/project/fun-palace/  for further information.  Don’t forget, for more Halloween fun, Walk the Plank are also bringing back a skeleton of a different kind…  The Strolling Bones – a brilliant procession – as part of Halloween in the City 2019, across the weekend of 26-27 October.

For more on The Bones of Paine, the puppet is set to be part of an exciting procession down The Crescent in Salford on Saturday 30 November and there is more information about the project online. https://www.wcml.org.uk/about-us/projects/bones-of-paine/

By Emily Oldfield

Photography - from Salford’s Big Day Out, with thanks to/credit Chris Payne

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/10/salfords-cobden-works-will-be-transformed-into-the-bones-of-paine-fun-palace-for-a-unique-weekend-event-b972#comments972 Fri, 04 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/10/whats-new-in-october-2019-b971 This month we bring you details on everything inside Ducie Street Warehouse - Piccadilly’s newest hangout; several new food and drink offerings; and exciting upcoming events including Halloween in the City – the UK's biggest celebration of all things spooky, amongst other things.

Financial support at this difficult time will allow for crucial repairs to the sash windows, damaged soft furnishing and to replace damaged suffragette costumes.  It will also allow for an important upgrade to the alarm system, CCTV and lighting improvements, because sadly this incident follows previous break in attempts over recent weeks. Members of the public can therefore support the Grade II* listed building – a place many consider one of Manchester’s historic hidden gems – at a time of need.

The Pankhurst Centre has played a crucial role in history; a site of key women's activism, as well as continuing to exist as the only museum dedicated to telling the story of women’s fight for the right to vote.  It was here Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters Sylvia, Adela and Christabel lived for a number of years – and in the parlour Emmeline and a group of women formed the Women’s Social and Political Union, the group that became known as the suffragettes.

 Since 1987, 62 Nelson Street has been open to the public as a small museum dedicated to the women’s suffrage movement, their efforts and the Pankhurst family. The parlour had even been maintained to appear as it would have done in 1903 – and therefore funds will play a crucial help in restoring it back to its historic norm.

 In addition,  The Pankhurst Centre still serves today as the base of The Pankhurst Trust and headquarters of Manchester Women’s Aid; a charity that has been working for over 40 years to provide safety to victims of domestic abuse– and therefore support at such a time, is crucial.

Gail Heath, CEO of the Pankhurst Trust, says:

 “We are heartbroken that the Pankhurst Centre, which symbolises so much in the campaign for women’s equality should suffer this set back.  It’s also a tragedy, and extremely sad, that it was someone seeking shelter for the night that led to this incident.

“We are already a museum fighting for our future, our current survival depends upon the support of volunteers and donations, with no public funding in place.  This major set back comes as we near the eve of the anniversary of the founding of the suffragette movement, which we plan to mark with events, family fun, tea parties in the parlour, talks and much more beginning from 8 October.  We will continue with the planned programme of activities, galvanised by the persistence of spirit of the suffragettes, as this is the only way we know how.”

 The building after all has provided an inspiring place to visit – usually open to the public on Thursdays from 10am - 4pm and from 1pm to 4pm on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month. In 2018 it was a key venue for the national celebrations marking the centenary of the first women achieving the vote.

Free to enter and grateful for donations, it is hoped that support will allow the building to continue in its crucial work for many years to come.

For further information on the Pankhurst Centre visit www.PankhurstTrust.org. In addition, whilst the Pankhurst Trust is reaching out to people for support, it is also very mindful of those vulnerable people who find themselves homeless.  It has emphasised these as key sources of information and support:

• Manchester Emergency Accommodation Information Pack https://www.boothcentre.org.uk/partnerships.html
• Manchester Homelessness Partnership  https://streetsupport.net/manchester/manchester-homelessness-partnership/
• Centrepoint Manchester Youth Homelessness Helpline  0808 800 0661

Popular culture seems as obsessed as ever with the zombie. Indeed, judging by the huge numbers of books, television shows, films and games featuring the undead, zombie-ism is infectious!

As Chloé Germaine Buckley shows in her work, this increasing popularity of the zombie in mainstream culture has opened up a space for the monster in children’s literature. Book series such as Darren Shan’s Zom-B (2012-2016) and Charlie Higson’s The Enemy (2009-2014) play with the figure of the zombie in interesting ways. In her novel, Dread Nation (2018), YA author Justina Ireland uses the zombie to imagine an alternate history of the United States and comments on real histories of racism and the nefarious science of eugenics.

In her work, Professor Jo Verran uses books to get people interested in science, specifically microbiology. In 2009, she established a Bad Bugs Bookclub, providing a place for the discussion of disease in fiction. Jo thinks children’s zombie fiction has something to tell us about real world infectious diseases, too.

At the upcoming “Bad Bugs: Zombie Outbreak Event”, Chloé, Jo and Matthew will be investigating the “science” of zombies and exploring how similar zombie-ism is to infectious diseases that we are more familiar with. Usually, in the zombie story, symptoms are passed on after a bite or perhaps even a scratch from an infected ‘person’. Transmission is 100% effective.

In reality, no diseases that we know of are as effective: if our pathogenic (dangerous) viruses and bacteria killed everyone they infected, and infected everyone they came into contact with, then they would run out of people to kill – and that would not be a good idea for the germs or for us! Also, we have ways of preventing the spread of infectious disease (for example by vaccination or by isolation), and of treating infected individuals (for example using antibiotics for bacterial infections).

In fiction, a lot of zombie outbreaks are caused by an infectious agent. The incubation period is usually very short (if the incubation period is too short, then it is difficult to spread the infection unless there are a lot of other susceptible individuals close by). The only means of prevention is to avoid contact: vaccination is a disastrous failure in Dread Nation! There is no cure: destruction of the brain is the only way of ending the infection (as well as ending the host!).

However, there are always small variations in the epidemiology of zombie outbreaks, and often evolution of symptoms. This affects how the main characters behave, how the story develops – and how games and simulations can be modified to present different scenarios. For example, in Dread Nation, the heroine Jane knows it is important to kill the newly infected first, because they move faster; she also notices that the zombie hordes are beginning to show some organisation and communication – which will affect future battles. The infected adults in The Enemy save the character Small Sam for later: they are displaying some behavioural intelligence. ‘B’ in Darren Shan’s Zom-B realises that the infected do not treat their victims in the same way – some are turned into zombies through biting, whilst others are used as food. Noticing these features of the disease proves vital to the characters’ survival.

Features of actual disease outbreaks help us to identify the infectious agent and disease epidemiology. We try to identify the source of the outbreak and the cause. We also need to know the incubation period, transmission, whether all infected individuals show symptoms, disease pathogenesis (the progress of the disease in an individual) and virulence (how serious) – and of course prevention, control and treatment.

So is zombie-ism just another infectious disease? Join Jo, Chloé and Matthew for a workshop exploring the fiction and the science of zombies. It will take a look at scenes from books by Darren Shan, Charlie Higson and Justina Ireland, investigating these imaginary scenarios with scientific models.

The workshop also draws on the spread of zombie-ism to games. From video games to board games, the zombie makes a fearsome opponent against whom players must test their survival skills. Likewise, at Bad Bugs, participants can try a specially-designed card game: will participants make it out alive or succumb to the undead?

This event is part of the 7th annual Gothic Manchester Festival which is themed on 'Gothic Times'. This year the festival will span the whole of October with a whole range of events exploring the Gothic throughout time for you to get involved in.

This workshop is suitable for children and young people aged 11 or above. Tickets are free.

With thanks to Professor Jo Verran and Dr Chloé Germaine Buckley

Forged by four local friends - Ed Wellard, Casey Longden, Mark Brennan and Neil Woodward – The Lock Inn brings a pop-up pub experience to various Withington venues that aren’t always open to the public. This is a way of celebrating the history of the suburb and its mysterious spaces, actively involving the community and featuring plenty of local products too.  

According to Ed Wellard:

“The Lock Inn came about for a number of reasons. We love Withington and its vibrant diverse community and love the Manchester beer scene. We liked idea of bringing the two things together, and bringing a bit of life to the village. We wanted people to have an excuse to get together and have some fun. Everyone's welcome. Good beer, good people, good times. We've been really lucky with the support we've had from people and with getting access to interesting local venues that would otherwise be sitting empty. We have a strict rule of it being beer/cider/gin/pop produced by local independents. It seems to work for people.”

They’ve previously brought a bustling crowd to the former NatWest Bank vaults on Wilmslow Road – an impressive Grade II listed building designed by the architects Mills and Murgatroyd in 1869, though lying empty for a number of years. It was first in 2018 that the group behind The Lock Inn decided to use the space - partnering up with Lizzy, co-owner of Withington’s ‘A Curious Collection’, to put on an event as part of the Withington Christmas Lights switch-on 2018.

This first event proved so popular that The Lock Inn went on to use the building again for an even bigger pop-up occasion in March 2019. This featured local brewers and traders, with Burton Road Brewing Co, Blackjack Beers, Shindigger and Pomona Island Brew Co products (just to name a few) for sale, as well food from Withington’s very own Boho Utopia. Highlighting the initiative to celebrate local creativity wherever possible, this brought a communal feel to an otherwise abandoned building – and even included a DJ.

However, the pop-up potential in the NatWest Bank had to come to an end, considering that the venue sold at auction in the same month – bought for just over £1 million, double the guide price. This perhaps underlines the growing interest in Withington itself; an area attracting communities of all kinds, especially considering its situation between the bustling student heartland of Fallowfield and the leafy suburb of Didsbury.

Withington is layered in a fascinating history– as is obvious in the impressive patchwork of buildings that make up the area: from ample detached Victorian homes to characterful red brick terraces. It also has a number of iconic features including the 17th century Red Lion pub (where the Court Leet used to meet), the Albert Park conservation area which includes the Grade II listed former Withington Town Hall and Withington Library (designed by Henry Price). There’s also Hough End Hall (1596) and a piece of local heritage on Copson Street in the form of The Water Trough (1876) – where horses may well have drank in the days of horse and cart - inscribed with a passage from the Old Testament. The Christie Hospital is also a notable feature in the area, founded in 1892 – though coming to Withington in 1932 - now one of the biggest cancer treatment centres of its kind in the whole of Europe. Withington certainly holds a history of innovation as well as intrigue.

First recorded in 1186, it is thought that the name of the suburb derives from ‘Withy', a possible reference to willow branches. After all, it was a rather rural area occupied by farmsteads for many years, with the Industrial Revolution then seeing a spring of urban growth. Withington became recognised as a place of linkages – a key area in a busy transport network – and also has been a place of other industry too: home to the original Factory Records offices in the 1980s (set up in the home of Alan Erasmus on Palatine Road).

But what about contemporary Withington? It has seen a number of interesting independent and alternative businesses in recent years – with Fuel Café bar on Wilmslow Road being a much-loved music venue and vegetarian eatery many may recognise. There’s also another veggie-friendly café in the form of Boho Utopia and innovative vegan desserts parlour Ice Shack just around the corner. Behind the main road, next to the Post Office, the atmospherically named Wilderness Record Store offers an exciting cultural haven too (and has even seen instore gigs and DJ sets, including a session from Dave Haslam!) and the wider area is an array of small traders including greengrocers, cafes, charity shops and pubs.

Recently HAUNT Manchester went to explore the atmospheric red brick Withington Baths (article here) – an Edwardian (foundation stone dated 11 November 1911) pool building bustling with Art Nouveau features, stories, and the site of exciting renovation; including a plush new co-working space in the historic flat of the former baths’ manager. The swimming pool itself is still in full operation too! It is the local community after all which fought to save this building, forming Love Withington Baths when it came under threat of closure in the early 2010s – and now people can not only swim there, but enjoy a range of gym and leisure facilities.

So it is perhaps little wonder why The Lock Inn enjoys celebrating what is such a diverse district– and a pop-up format allows for innovative uses of space each time. Another venue they have used is the Withington Public Hall Institute (WPHI) on Burton Road (pictured below); a cosy old members club that has been otherwise closed for a while.  This location has a notably different feel to the former NatWest Bank: smaller and more intimate – allowing for The Lock Inn to create two cosy evenings of local drinking in both April and June of this year.

And that’s not all, according to Ed Wellard:

“The 4th and 5th October will be our 3rd (and probably last?) in the WPHI. We're involved with We Are Withington and it's nice that it coincides with their Withington By Night event on the Friday. On Saturday the 5th October (from 4pm) we’ll be back again as part of Indy Man Beer City too. We have some amazing beers lined up as part of that."

We Are Withington certainly deserves recognition after all, an initiative seeking to organise a range of events celebrating the suburb and its vibrant community. It is behind Withington By Night on Friday 4th October (from 5pm onwards) – which will include street traders and local traders opening late with special events (Curious Collection, Solomons, Fuse, Toast, Wilderness and Mockingbirds just to name a few) and The Lock Inn will be returning to the WPHI as part of this. There will be music and live street art too, and hopefully some money raised for the Withington Walls street art project, to add to the mural of Factory Record’s designer Peter Saville by AkseP19 that it organised.

Ed added:

“We're using the little snug AND the main snooker hall (pictured below) now, in the WPHI, having cleaned it up and upholstered the seating. It's a great space, and we’ll have food and music too. We also have a few ideas in pipeline for future events/venues. We'll have to wait and see what sticks.”

Here HAUNT Manchester spoke to Ed to find out more:

Hello Ed. How did The Lock Inn concept come about and who are the team behind it? 

“The Lock Inn know each other from our kids being classmates at the local primary school, St Paul's.

“We play football and then have a pint in The Vic (The Victoria) on a Monday night. It's a great pub. A proper local. We're lucky to have it. The Lock Inn came about from some idle chat on one of those Monday nights; Neil had this idea it'd be fun to make use of the empty bank over the road. This beautiful old building in the middle of the village was empty and crying out to be used for something. Anything.

“Then that idea just came together when Lizzy from Curious Collection put on her Christmas vintage and art market in the bank on the night of the Christmas lights switch on last year.

“Neil was the real instigator. He spoke to Lizzy about us sharing the space, and pulled loads of other people in to help, and it went from there. We built a bar with some timber Mark had from an exhibition he'd done, borrowed some kit and that was that. A funny little pub in the vault of the bank, behind one of those enormous safe doors, which inspired Neil to come up with the Lock Inn name and logo.

“That was a real success and we got a taste for more. A kind of core team of four of me, Casey, Mark and Neil decided to do something more expansive and we did a crazy night in the main banking hall with hundreds and hundreds of people in March.

“We flew by a bit close to the wind that night because we were so overwhelmed by the response and were lucky to have the support of lots of people, not least the owners Step Places and The Vic over the road, but it was great bringing some of Manchester's brilliant craft beer out to the suburbs and great seeing all kinds of people of different ages and backgrounds coming together and enjoying themselves. Pictured below: from left to right -  Ed, Neil, Case, Mark

“We've done two more events since in the WPHI which is kinda the best of both worlds because there's the cosy little wood panelled snug and then the bigger snooker hall too. We've learnt a lot and got better and better and what we're doing and are working with more and more local suppliers to get some really great drinks.”

Why Withington? And what have you learned about the history of the places behind the pop-ups?

“Purely and simply it's because its where we live and we want to foster that sense of pride and community here.

“As you can imagine the bank was a really interesting building especially out the back and downstairs. I'm sure the owners will turn it into something really special.

“Then, the WPHI  is certainly a piece of hidden heritage. I'd gone past it a thousand times wondering what on earth it was until we managed to get hold of the keys, once it had closed down, through Dave Payne who knows the owner. 

“It's amazing being in there and thinking how much has gone on in there. The full back story about how it was gifted to the community way back when by Lord Egerton, and more recently its time as a drinking den and then a snooker club is fascinating. It’s been sad hearing from people who were regulars about its slow demise; ageing clientele passing away, membership getting low etc.

“Cleaning the place out was funny. Loads of interesting curios.  It must've been a big part of lots of people’s lives. I was really struck by how each of the snooker cues that had been left behind had a story. To a greater or lesser extent they would have each been prized possessions, eh? What's happened to their owners? Where are they now?”

 Why a pop-up rather than a permanent site?

“The pop-up element just gives us flexibility and makes it fun and interesting.

“It's a nice project knocking these buildings into shape too. That sense of creating something and making the most of something quickly and economically is certainly attractive to me, at least.”

What has been the biggest challenge so far? And the most rewarding thing? 

“The biggest challenge is probably that we've all got busy lives and families and whilst we're all involved in arts/design/construction/community as our 'day jobs' and share a wealth of experience of being in hospitality and running events and pubs etc, we're all doing the Lock Inn in our spare time. People wouldn't believe the amount of time and energy that goes into putting them on or how much work the venues need before we use them. I’m sure it drives our wives mad.

“We're deadly serious about making each pop up as good as it possibly can be. It can be stressful but mostly it's a lot of fun it's all worth it when they come off. It's like that feeling when you throw a good party.

“More than anything it's lovely being part of something that brings people together to achieve something positive. It's really heartening having people be so helpful. It's not just down to the four of us. The suppliers are great and there’s all the Daves, Tim, Paul, Clocky, Rick and Spence amongst many others. Loads of other people make it happen.”

Any exciting plans for the future? 

“We've got loads of fun ideas for future 'Lock Inns'. Who knows, maybe we'll get a permanent residence if the right venue comes along, but in the meantime we'll keep popping up here and there.”

Stay updated with The Lock Inn on social media - @lockinnwithy on Twitter, and is also on Facebook and Instagram.

By Emily Oldfield

Featured image (top) with thanks to Grant Archer. Photos provided with thanks also to Ed Wellard and The Lock Inn.

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/09/the-lock-inn-an-enchanting-pop-up-pub-bringing-a-buzz-to-withingtons-historic-buildings-b968#comments968 Mon, 30 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/09/manchester-based-author-j-j-wray-unleashes-a-collection-of-gothic-inspired-short-stories-tales-of-the-shadow-world-b967 J.J. Wray’s latest piece of fiction Tales of the Shadow-world is due out on 1 October – following on from two Gothic Romance novels (the first published in 2014) Fletcher: Volume 1 and Fletcher: Volume 2. Gripping Gothic encounters, dramatic landscapes and intense evocation of story are at the heart of Manchester-based writer J.J. Wray’s work. His latest piece of fiction Tales of the Shadow-world  is due out on 1 October (order it here) – following on from two Gothic Romance novels (the first published in 2014) Fletcher: Volume 1 and Fletcher: Volume 2.

Tales of the Shadow-world takes the form of a highly-anticipated collection of six short stories: drawing on fairytales, folklore and cinematic influences, complete with beautiful hand-drawn illustrations from David James Patterson.

And not only has J.J. Wray completed much of his work in Manchester, but he is very much inspired by the layering of culture here – with the painting Hylas and The Nymphs (1896) by John Waterhouse in Manchester Art Gallery, the key inspiration behind one of the tales.  J.J. Wray has worked in and around the city – in art galleries, historic libraries, atmospheric coffee shops and public buildings – bringing this significant collection together.

An experience in itself. J.J. Wray’s work seems permeated with a poetic charm and crafts settings deep in their own wonder – often drawing on Enlightenment history, Germanic culture and J.J. Wray’s own learning, as he studied Philosophy as an Undergraduate at Manchester Metropolitan University. Now studying for an MA at The Manchester Writing School, he has been significantly inspired by his engagement with the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies and has also contributed a number of HAUNT articles including Grimmfest coverage (including a retrospective interview with some of the people behind the short film Sybil) and a historical account of Southern Cemetery. He featured in a RAH! Podcast too. 

In turn, J.J. Wray will be at the HAUNT Manchester Networking Fair and Gathering, part of the Gothic Manchester Festival, on Saturday 19 October (12-4pm) at The Peer Hat. This will also be the opportunity to talk to the author about his work , buy a copy and have it signed. Until then, HAUNT Manchester decided to speak to J.J. Wray to find out more…

Hello J.J. We are very much excited for your new book ‘Tales of the Shadow-world’ – can you tell us a little more about it?

"Hello Emily! Tales of the Shadow-world is a collection of six, illustrated short stories. Three stories are inspired more by folk/fairy-tales, the other three are inspired by Gothic films and short stories. The illustrations are by Dave J Patterson, a great illustrator and graphic designer in Australia. Dave is old friend of mine from school so it was great to work on this project with him."

Image below: J.J. Wray 

Mysterious characters and emotional intensity permeate these stories. Do you see them as ‘Gothic’ yourself? And what was the inspiration behind them?

"I made a conscious effort for every story to be character driven, and by their nature, they needed to have that emotionally intensity. I am a big fan of horror films and gothic tales, which shows in the stories, however my biggest critique is they can lack the character focus, particularly with horror films. Some of these stories could be described as encounters with supernatural beings, but I wanted to maintain the focus on the central character and their fears and desires.

"I would definitely use the word ‘Gothic’ to describe these stories, however some more so than others. There are elements of Folk-horror, and the Female-Gothic, for example. The story Tiszta Lányom is quintessential Gothic, with two Brits travelling into Eastern Europe. While this is clearly born from the heritage of Dracula, the story was more directly inspired by the 1960 Hammer horror film Brides of Dracula (which actually has nothing to do with Dracula – you could call the title “clickbait” of the 60s). Conversely, the story Born of the Sea was inspired by a John William Waterhouse painting, not Gothic, yet I’ve interpreted it through the lens of Gothicism."

You are also the author of Author of two Gothic Romance novels Fletcher: Volume I and Fletcher: Volume II. Why did you decide on the short story format for your latest work? What has been the biggest challenge in doing this – and the most rewarding thing?

"I have always written short stories. I love the format and often return to Poe and Lovecraft tales; but I’ve always loved folk and dark fairy tales as well, so it seemed a natural thing for me to do. The Fletcher novels actually began quite serialised as if they were short stories. The biggest challenge was definitely not repeating myself! I wanted different types of danger, different emotions, and different key relationships where possible. Another big challenge was trying to have a fresh approach to very old ideas. For example, finding what I can bring to the lore of Elves when we already have greats like Erlkönig, La Belle Dame sans Merci, and The Elfin-Knight?

"In terms of the rewards of this project, it’s without doubt seeing the tales come to life in the illustrations. I own a few short story collections with illustrations and they really enhance the magic of the text. Dave crafted my words into images exquisitely, and I can’t wait to see what he does with other story ideas I have." Below: an illustration by David James Patterson: https://djpillustration.com/?fbclid=IwAR29e0c8w53aK34VEAp_e9rQ5di6pEKIDH7blNCAKtC8auj1hliG5ZAtgGY

Can you tell us about some of your cultural inspirations – including your connection to landscape?

"I have always enjoyed writing about landscapes, they really plant the reader into the space; Tolkien was a magician at this in my opinion. Fletcher Volume II took places all over Europe, and here I have continued in that vain. These stories are set in England, Denmark, Hungary, Greece, and Germany, and I’ve tried to capture an essence of those landscapes and the dark majesty within. In some ways the stories set in England (including the Celtic aspects), Hungary, and Germany are odes to the culture and landscapes that I felt deeply for when in those spaces. For me, it’s no coincidence several philosophers writing about the Sublimity of Nature, were German."

These stories feel somehow fused with the past – evoking another era. Was this a conscious choice… and how do they connect with the contemporary?

"All the stories are set in the 1840s, a somewhat idealised early Industrial, Gothic Europe. However, the folk elements of the stories go way beyond that, evoking the Pagan past of Europe where most of the European mythical creatures originate. Of course, one cannot escape Christianity in 19^th century Europe, so that is part of the framework of many character psychologies, yet others are children of the Enlightenment trying to navigate through these older mentalities. Little of this was a conscious choice though, it was all very natural for me as some of my favourite works come from this period. Hammer horror worked with a similar lens of 1880s Victorian England/Europe, and some great horror films evoke the Pagan past in much the same way. How my stories connect with the contemporary world is for the reader to decide."

You are also a passionate sportsperson and long distance runner. Do you think your relationship with pushing yourself physically influences the feel/intensity of your work - or vice-versa?
 

"Possibly. I think it's all about feeling alive and feeling emotion. There is something equally primal in long distance running as there is in Horror stories. Maybe that is what I strive for in both areas. My friend often analogises long distance running to 'running from the predator', stories that are encounters with unknown entities or so-called monsters might stem from that same primal place."

Any future creative plans you would like to share with us?

"We are planning on three volumes of Tales of the Shadow-world. I have already begun the next one, but it’s in its infancy. Currently I am working on a dark Romance novel set in 1822, during slave time Jamaica. It’s quite a complicated story, but a pleasure to dive into themes I haven’t explored in my writing before."

Tales of the Shadow-world will be available online from the 1 October 2019 - order it here.

By Emily Oldfield 

Organised by Manchester’s Business Improvement District (BID), Halloween in the City is a celebration that brings your favourite city centre stores and venues together with creative artists… and plenty of fun! Over the years, the festival has seen everything from giant tentacles bursting from illuminated buildings to spooky dog shows and skeleton parades!

Here we bring you HAUNT’s highlights of Halloween in the City 2019. There is something for everyone, and all are fabulously FREE!

Monster Invasion: Return of the Monsters

From 25-31 October 2019, Manchester will be taken over… by monsters! Look up and see a number of city centre buildings and rooves transformed by giant tentacles and inflatable monster features. A public art trail like no other! Share your monster pictures with #MCRMonsters. More details are available here.

Trick or Treat Trail

Get involved in a Trick or Treat Trail around the city centre, running on the 26 and 27 October. Ideal for all the family, simply pick up a map (there will be distribution points around Exchange Square) and check off the ‘trick or treat’ houses as you explore. Discover characters, collect treats… and hopefully avoid the tricks! Find out more.

Poisonous Maze

St Ann’s Square will be transformed into a monstrous maze on the 26-27 October… dare you enter? Creepy creatures and spooky statues lurk inside – and even a few walking, talking bushes too! An immersive family-friendly experience at the heart of the city. For more information, click here.

Creepy Carnival

An exciting array of street performers will bring a high-energy Halloween feel to New Cathedral Street on 26 and 27 October, complete with sideshow stalls and even a traditional Helter Skelter – open 10am-6pm on both days. This also a great place to see The Strolling Bones: a  wonderful themed parade by Walk the Plank as it makes its way past from Exchange Square to Dr. Mancenstein’s Castle in St Ann’s Square. Discover more here.

CBeebies and CBBC Spooky Screenings

A spooky tent will be set up in Exchange Square – ideal for screenings of your favourite CBeebies and CBBC shows! There will be other family-friendly Halloween features inside too. Take a look this 26-27 October - with more details online.

Julia Donaldson storytelling

Children’s author Julia Donaldson – the writer behind the likes of The Gruffalo and  Room on The Broom – will be involved in some magical storytelling sessions at Manchester Arndale. Meet some of her much-loved characters too! Presented by Manchester’s Z-arts, this is a taster of their exciting World Inside a Book exhibition. Runs from 26-27 October, 10am-6pm. Click here for more information.

The Strolling Bones

A delightfully dark day-parade featuring skeleton puppets, stilt walkers, unicycle performers, a five-piece band and dancers! This packed parade has been developed by the Salford-based outdoor arts experts Walk the Plank and will be led by the glorious Grimm Rita – moving from Exchange Square to St Ann’s Square (1,2&3pm on 26-27 October). Don’t miss this! Find out more.

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/09/celebrate-the-spooky-season-in-manchester-haunts-highlights-of-halloween-in-the-city-2019-b966#comments966 Fri, 27 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/09/if-you-refuse-to-remember-your-past-what-do-you-put-in-its-place-rosie-garland-on-her-work-inspired-by-the-john-rylands-library-the-gothic-and-more-b958 Since November 2018 Rosie Garland has been inaugural writer-in-residence at Manchester’s stunning neo-Gothic building The John Rylands Library. It’s a location that is inspiring her new novel… and she is sharing a sneak preview with the public for the first time very soon. A Manchester-based writer of novels, poetry and essays who doesn’t shy from delving into hidden histories, whilst also lead singer in The March Violets and with her own vampiric alter ego (‘Rosie Lugosi the Vampire Queen’) – it’s the brilliant Rosie Garland. Since November 2018 she has been inaugural writer-in-residence at Manchester’s stunning neo-Gothic building The John Rylands Library – a position that she achieved through asking. It’s a location that is inspiring her new novel… and she is sharing a sneak preview with the public for the first time very soon.

On 17^th October, The John Rylands Library is hosting ‘An Evening with Rosie Garland’. At this event Rosie will read excerpts from the new novel, sign previous novels, and answer questions about how the library has inspired her (read our previous HAUNT Manchester article here). She has been working on the new novel for many months, in her very own atmospheric alcove on the upper gallery of the Historic Reading Room.  So even though she is at the heart of the working building - a place attracting over 250,000 visitors per year - she is also intriguingly hidden away…

It’s perhaps no wonder that Rosie feels an affinity with The John Rylands Library: a building founded by Enriqueta Rylands in memory of her husband John and designed by Basil Champneys, first open to the public on the 1 January 1900 after 10 years of construction. To this day it is a stand-out feature on Deansgate – a Victorian neo-Gothic design incorporating plenty of Cumbrian Sandstone known as ‘shawk’; varying from grey to pink in colour. It also looks deceptively older than it is!

The library doesn’t just make an impression, it is an inspiration. It is home to more than 250,000 volumes and over a million manuscripts: the third largest academic library in the United Kingdom, which became part of The University of Manchester in 1972. It is the following decade – the 1980s – which is the setting for Rosie’s latest work, and it’s also the decade when she came to live in the city.

 No stranger to unlocking layers of history and Manchester’s heritage, Rosie’s role as the first writer-in-residence of the library has helped to shape her manuscript in-progress. Its characters live in Hulme, and work in the library during a decade which also experienced the rise of post-punk, Thatcher’s cuts and extensive strikes.

The 1980s also saw the face of the city changing at a rate perhaps faster than ever before. Buildings were developed and demolished and Manchester looked very different to the city Rosie explored in her previous novel The Night Brother (it even inspired a walking tour, as covered by HAUNT here); which was set in the 19^th century ‘shock city’ of the Industrial Revolution.

A highly-acclaimed creative figure, Rosie is gratefully and affectionately quick to say ‘Manchester adopted me’ – having started out life in the South of England.  Her novels, although not all based in the city, have a strong historical underpinning and yet evocatively engage with the voices of people perhaps not always represented in Historical Fiction: workers, grafters, outcasts, single women, children. Her first novel The Palace of Curiosities delves into the Victorian circus world, whilst Vixen is set in North Devon of the 1340s, just before the Black Death takes hold. Her third novel, The Night Brother, follows the tale of two siblings in 19^th century Manchester.

And now her fourth novel is taking The John Rylands Library as its inspiration. This is anticipated to be an exciting piece of work from a writer who already has been notably busy this year. As well as receiving acclaim for her flash fiction and poetry, she was commissioned to write for the Brontë 200 bicentenary celebration and has been selected by Val McDermid as one of the 10 most compelling LGBTQI+ writers working in the UK.

Here at HAUNT Manchester, we were excited to speak to Rosie about her latest work, the library, ghosts of the past, The Gothic and more. We met her - along with Jessica Smith, Creative Arts Archivist at The John Rylands Library - in the café of the beautiful building itself…

Hello Rosie! Can you tell us a little bit more about the new manuscript and how it has been inspired by The John Rylands Library?

“I’ve been writer-in-residence at the Library since November 2018. I love everything about it. I approached the Library with a proposal to be writer-in-residence. My idea is to create a novel in situ - working in the place I’m writing about. I’ve never done anything like this before, so it’s a challenge. Basically, I asked! (Rosie told us all about this in a previous HAUNT interview here). I am here for a year officially… though we may try and squeeze more out of it!

“I’ve always felt drawn to The Rylands – so I guess it’s no surprise that my new novel is set there. I gave a reading of The Night Brother here previously as part of The Gothic Manchester festival. Since spending more time in it, my story has grown in all kinds of unexpected directions. I find myself imagining tales that the library hasn’t told. In particular, there are stories about ghosts in the library. What are ghosts? What really haunts us as people? Such things fascinate me.

“In addition, I’m interested in landscapes that that don’t quite fit; that seem out of place in some way. The history of the construction of The John Rylands Library is fascinating. For example, Enriqueta Rylands chose to situate this stunningly beautiful building not in a wealthy suburb, but in what was then a rather poor and largely run-down area of the city. The Wood Street Mission was next door. It’s just as out of place now, in the modernistic landscape of Spinningfields. It’s a building that seems to exist almost out of space and time. I’m interested in places like this; Gothic buildings that don’t play by the rules.

“In terms of the novel itself – it is partly set in The John Rylands Library, partly in Hulme, another facinating Manchester landcape - if for different reasons. The Night Brother is also largely set in Hulme - though that is the Hulme of the 1900s.”

Why the decision to move your latest writing away from 19^th century Manchester and to focus on the 1980s?

“The new novel is still historic, but I’m taking on the city’s more recent past. It’s not a big jump back in time, compared to my previous novels. However, it’s enough to feel different to the present. The 1980s was an era of no mobile phones, no internet, and very little in the way of the digital technology we take for granted. There’s an ‘otherness’ that intrigues me: a time which is in the living memory of many people still feels like another world. In some ways it’s as distant as the Victorian era in terms of tech. It resonates with something I read recently, that ‘Come on Eileen’ by Dexy’s Midnight Runners was released closer to the end of WW2 than to today. It got me thinking… what does ‘recent’ mean?

“I’m interested in those unexpected disjunctures and dissonances in time. I’m less interested in the fake 80s nostalgia that seems to be fashionable at the moment. The 1980s wasn’t like a Duran Duran video, all shoulder pads and curly perms. The reality for most people was that it was shabby, poor and chaotic. This new novel is set during Thatcher’s second term: the time of the Miners’ Strike, mass unemployment, police corruption and the aftermath of the Yorkshire Ripper. It was an uneasy time socially and politically.”

How have you found out more about The John Rylands Library itself in the 1980s?

“It’s been brilliant coming here to work. I’ve been able to chat to people who were there at the time. People who worked here past and present have been so helpful. They remember what the library was like. It’s the little details that make it come alive: the squeaky wooden trolleys that carried the books, the aisles of books that stretch into the distance. I’ve done a lot of walking around the library. I listen to the echoes in the cellars, capture the fragrance of the old books. It gives a sense of authenticity. I want to convey an atmosphere that feels authentic, without it getting in the way of the story. In the words of Tom Clancy: tell the damn story!

“After all, I’m not telling the library’s story. I’m telling my story, the story of the characters. The library provides wonderful sensory detail. It is the setting, not the plot.  That’s why I wanted to actually write here. I come in once a week minimum, sometimes two days. The rest of the time I work from home.

“There are so many stories here. Where we are sitting now (the cafe) didn’t used to exist. Back in the 1980s it was large storage building, which was removed in the 1990s. So you could call it a ‘ghost building’. Hulme is full of ‘ghost buildings’ too. There are ghost streets threaded through Hulme. Some older buildings survive (such as Loreto), but I’m struck how quickly you forget what was there only a few decades ago.”

Jess added: “The library has become its own character in the story - that’s a really interesting thing. It certainly is a characterful place. The library was one of the first places in Manchester to have electricity, and from the start was a genuinely public library. It is a place of people’s history.”

Rosie continued: “I don’t think there are nearly enough novels set in Manchester. I’m proud to have been adopted by such a wonderful city. I love every single dirty brick of it.”

Can you tell us more about some of the upcoming great-sounding and Gothic events you are involved with?

“Here at The John Rylands Library on October 17^th, I will be sharing sneak previews from the new novel for the first time! Is the new novel itself Gothic? It would say that it is. It’s about what really haunts us. And poses this question: if you refuse to remember your past, what do you put in its place?”

“I’m also involved in an event as part of the Gothic Manchester Festival 2019: ‘Writing Manchester Gothic: An Audience with Tania Hershman and Rosie Garland’ on the 15^th October. The wonderful Tania Hershman and I will be in-conversation with Dale Townsend (of The Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies). Tania is a fantastic writer and is also writer-in-residence at Southern Cemetery. One of our many connections is that we both approached the venues and asked about the possibility of a residency, rather than applying for an advertised position. At The Gothic Manchester Festival event, we are going to be talking about how Manchester inspires us to write Gothic. Tania feels that she’s coming from a non-Gothic standpoint, so I’ve been showing her that her writing is a lot more Gothic than she thinks!"

“That opens up a wider point about Gothic or Gothic-inspired writing and how it is perceived and received. If you haven’t grown up with idea of the Gothic being a possibility, you can sometimes miss it. All too often it’s been treated as marginal and tasteless. Wordsworth and Coleridge both dismissed Gothic literature as the ‘trash of the circulating library’. The Romans laughed at Alaric and the Goths – and look what happened to them. I don’t have a problem being called Gothic. I’ve been called worse!"

How has time as writer-in-residence at The John Rylands Library been so far?

“I had no idea what to expect. I’ve been blown away by the kindness of the staff. Writing here has been amazing. I’ve found this place so easy to work in. I sit down, shut everything out and get on with it. The ‘magic alcove’ as I call it, helps!

Jess added: “The library has never had a writer-in-residence until now. This means we can really experiment with ideas. Rosie has been amazing and involved in so much. There have been student seminars where she’s talked about The John Rylands Library and what it can offer; there have been walking tours. We took people behind the scenes, finishing in the cellars surrounded by fake candles! It’s been beneficial too trialling as an institution what it would be like to walk people around the building, rather than just having them sitting down. Rosie has also been involved in the Peterloo commemoration events: reading material from a person alive at the time, Jemima Bamford of Middleton – and there is also an exhibition in the library itself."

Rosie continued: “A mutually benefical exchange feels very important to me as writer-in-residence. I want to give something back. I also like to say yes to great opportunities. Why say no?! It’s a brilliant atmosphere here and the staff are just great, everyone is so welcoming. I’ve had so many brilliant conversations. No wonder it’s been inspiring. The archives here are incredible too; not just books but photos, maps, letters, manuscripts. Items in the archives have also jumped out and spoken to me… but you’ll have to wait for the book itself to find out more!”

Until then, get your ticket to hear Rosie read extracts of her work at The John Rylands Library on the 17 October and there is also ‘Writing Manchester Gothic: An Audience with Tania Hershman and Rosie Garland’ to enjoy on the 15 October, part of The Gothic Manchester Festival 2019.

Rosie is also online at http://www.rosiegarland.com/ and there is more information on The John Rylands Library available here.

By Emily Oldfield

Image 1: Rosie Garland by Gwen Riley-Jones

Image 2: The John Rylands Reading Room 1900, provided with thanks to The John Rylands Library

Image 3: Rosie Garland in the cellars of The John Rylands Library, taken by Jessica Smith

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/09/if-you-refuse-to-remember-your-past-what-do-you-put-in-its-place-rosie-garland-on-her-work-inspired-by-the-john-rylands-library-the-gothic-and-more-b958#comments958 Thu, 26 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/09/manchesters-christmas-lights-switch-on-show-to-move-to-new-location-b965 The annual Christmas Lights spectacular will move from Albert Square for the first time as the Town Hall transformation project continues. Following more than two decades of events in the shadow o..
The annual Christmas Lights spectacular will move from Albert Square for the first time as the Town Hall transformation project continues. 

Following more than two decades of events in the shadow of Manchester’s iconic town hall building, the switch-on event will move to Deansgate, near the Cathedral, to celebrate the beginning of the festive season in the city. 

This year’s event will take place on Thursday, 14 November - the week following the Christmas Markets opening (Friday 8 November)

Thousands of people attend the celebration with stars of music, stage and screen providing the entertainment. 

The acts for this year’s event will be announced in the coming weeks. 

Cllr Pat Karney, Manchester’s Christmas spokesperson, said: “Albert Square has been our Christmas lights home for many years but it’s exciting to try a new location while the Town Hall transformation continues. Get this in your diary now. The show is never one to be missed as we welcome Christmas in Manchester – Santa’s favourite city, of course.”

Cllr Luthfur Rahman, Manchester City Council’s executive member for culture and leisure, said: “Deansgate is tried and tested, and the stage show will be the spectacular event we have come to expect from our Christmas lights switch-on. It’s a family show and a great excuse to get everyone together to celebrate the festive season in Manchester.”

Fear Machine seeks to celebrate the best of UK talent in the genre, through an anthology series of hour-long horror films incorporating suspense, mystery and the supernatural. This format may remind some of the cult popularity of horror shows in the ‘70s and ‘80s; a time when cult TV series’ began to attract an enchanted audience. Now the time has come to really dig deep into UK horror talent and its television potentials. Grimmfest Director Simeon Halligan says;

"Horror is more popular than ever, with plenty of Film and TV content coming from North America, but in the Sixties and Seventies, it was the UK who dominated the horror scene with companies like Hammer - we feel it's time British horror was back in the limelight.'

Greenacre Films certainly is excited about such a celebration of horror too. After all, it is an independent production company founded by award-winning producers Nadine Marsh-Edwards and Amanda Jenks, who are currently working with some of the UK's leading writing talent. Vibrant and interesting stories underpin much of their work. They see the collaboration with Grimmfest on ‘Fear Machine’ as a “unique opportunity to explore new ways to comment on the human condition while being entertaining and downright scary”, according to Marsh-Edwards.

Considering that Greenacre films and Grimmfest are seen by many as forward-thinking innovators within the world of film, it’s no wonder Fear Machine is highly-anticipated. With its tagline ‘Authored voices. Distinctive Worlds’, Greenacre Films is already behind the likes of Netflix’s popular Been So Long (fronted by Michaela Coel), whilst  Grimmfest – Manchester’s international festival of horror and cult cinema – returns to the city for its 11^th year this 3-6 October 2019.

Fear Machine marks an exciting collaboration and an exciting opportunity to explore contemporary tales of terror. Stay updated via Grimmfest and Greenacre Films for progress and news.  
 

‘Gothic Times’ is the theme of the 7th annual Gothic Manchester Festival, bringing a packed events programme to the city for October 2019… all the way into early November! Get ready for freaky film screenings, immersive art exhibitions, haunted heritage, unique writing workshops, lectures in some of the city’s landmark buildings and so much more, exploring The Gothic through time – organised by the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies. It will also feature a conference at Manchester Metropolitan University on the subject of ‘Gothic Times’ on the 26 October, as organised by Dr Linnie Blake (and tickets for the whole day are still available for just £10).

But what is The Gothic? And why does it matter to Manchester? Seeking to explore this question is the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies, based at Manchester Metropolitan University – one of the biggest centres of its kind in the world, responsible for organising the festival, along with RAH! (Research in Arts and Humanities at Manchester Met).

The Gothic, although a genre often associated with the culture of the 18th and 19th centuries, still has crucial relevance today. It may have associations with themes including darkness, marginal places, fear and The Uncanny; emerging across art forms such as film, fiction, performance and plenty more. The Gothic remains an area of evolving ideas, as marked by the recent 'Absent Presences' conference organised by MA and PhD students studying the Gothic at Manchester Met- as well as The Gothic being the subject of ongoing academic research, debate and popular culture. It has provided ample inspiration for previous editions of the Gothic Manchester Festival, which has included everything from an enormous GOTHIKA ball, to an evening of horror film scores recreated through classical music at the stunning Stoller Hall. (Artwork above with thanks to Jessye Persse, previously featured in our 'HAUNT’s Highlights of Manchester School of Art Degree Show 2019' article)

The range is especially exciting. 2019 marks the first time the Gothic Manchester Festival will be running for a whole month, rather than a series of days, highlighting the popularity of its innovative approach. Manchester seems to be making its mark as an ever-growing Gothic destination, especially considering the festival follows on from the International Gothic Association (IGA) bringing its conference to Manchester in 2018! The city’s Gothic credentials extend to its impressive architecture, extensive alternative cultures and vibrant communities.

Here HAUNT Manchester have put together even more of the upcoming highlights of the Gothic Manchester Festival 2019 – so book now to avoid disappointment!

‘Manchester Gothic Arts Group Presents: Gothic Times’ and Launch of Gothic Manchester Festival 2019

Be part of the launch of the Gothic Manchester Festival 2019, with an innovative gothic-inspired art exhibition inside one of the city’s much-loved bars! ‘Manchester Gothic Arts Group Presents: Gothic Times’ is at Sandbar, just off Oxford Road, opening on the 1st October (with the launch event from 6-8.30pm) and the exhibition itself runs all the way until the 31st October 2019. This means a whole month to enjoy a range of intriguing artwork responding to the theme of ‘Gothic Times’ – expect plenty of postmodern and postpunk delights. From pieces delving into Gothic-inspired music and culture to artwork drawing on the literature and life of previous centuries, there will be lots to see. Manchester Gothic Arts Group (known as M:GAG and previously covered by HAUNT here) are known for their passionate, powerful work. Entry to the exhibition is free, just book a ticket online to confirm numbers for this exciting festival launch event.

Want to be part of the festival launch? Book your free ticket here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/manchester-gothic-arts-group-presents-gothic-times-exhibition-tickets-65104378950

Ruskin, Manchester and the Gothic

Organised by Dr Rachel Dickinson and Professor Dale Townshend, this is a unique opportunity to find out more about the figure of John Ruskin (1819-1900), his connections to Manchester and the Gothic – delivered in the form of a fascinating talk inside the historic setting of Elizabeth Gaskell’s House! Taking place on Thursday 10th October (6.30-8.30pm), this is set to be an inspiring evening exploring the life of one of England’s most influential Victorians. Ruskin was indeed a man of many talents: a renowned public speaker, author and artist (amongst other things) whose work inspired everything from architecture to establishing the National Trust. This talk will also expand on how Manchester influenced Ruskin… in a year that has also seen the Ruskin in Manchester Festival (read our earlier article here) take place, marking 200 years since his birth. Tickets are free and available online.

Book now: https://www.visitmanchester.com/whats-on/ruskin-manchester-and-the-gothic-p423901

Meet HAUNT Manchester - Networking Fair and Gathering

Immerse yourself in the world of HAUNT Manchester and come meet alternative local artists, businesses, organisations and individuals who are all part of the HAUNT network – the site seeking to celebrate Greater Manchester’s more mysterious side.  And you can join yourself too! This bustling networking fair is free and open to all to come and explore, taking place at the Northern Quarter's hidden haven The Peer Hat on the afternoon of Saturday 19th October (12-4pm). Enjoy alternative culture and want to discover the latest related offerings and opportunities in Manchester? This may well be for you. There will be an array of stalls from existing network members, offering everything from homemade clothes and jewellery to photography and art exhibits. This will include Kiku Corset Boutique, homemade items from Mary’s Jewellery Bakery and Hotchpotchpanda (both also traders who feature at Levenshulme Market), information from The Woodland Trust, books from horror-inspired authors J.J. Wray (also a HAUNT writer who featured on this previous RAH! Podcast here) and Drew Forest, artwork from Jane Samuels, Michelle Shore (one of the Gothic Manchester Festival 2019 featured illustrators) and Brian Gorman, plus information about the likes of Grimmfest and Halloween in the City.

Book your free ticket now: https://www.visitmanchester.com/whats-on/meet-haunt-manchester-networking-fair-and-gathering-p424481

Get Out Film Screening and Introduction

A film screening complete with an introductory talk from the experts – come along to No 70 Oxford Street on Wednesday 9th October (6-9pm) for a unique showing of 2017’s Get Out; a film directed by Jordan Peele and following the story of a young black man Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) meeting the parents of his white girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams) – in what many regard as a powerful, haunting satire exploring racism in the US. As part of this special screening event, Dr Linnie Blake and Dr Sarah Ilott will showcase some of their soon-to-be-published research on Peele’s critically acclaimed film - considering its potential as an example of Gothic Realism and the Female Gothic (with this subject recently explored by Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies experts during a one-day course at HOME). The expert introduction will also foreground the systemic racism that Get Out takes as its subject whilst considering the political and artistic tradition of proactive black resistance in Peele’s work. Tickets for this unique screening are free, though book online to reserve your place.

Book now: https://www.visitmanchester.com/whats-on/get-out-film-screening-and-introduction-p423891

Writing Gothic Fiction: A Workshop for Young Writers

A free Sunday 27th October workshop for young writers who want to explore the spooky and the gothic in their work – led by award-winning Young Adult authors Catherine Johnson and Chris Priestley. It has been organised by organised by Dr Chloé Germaine Buckley (Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies and author of Twenty-First Century Children’s Gothic Fiction: From Wanderer to Nomadic Subject) and will take place at the International Anthony Burgess Foundation (2-4pm). Suitable for young writers of all abilities, this is a Halloween-inspired creative afternoon of exciting reading and writing. Plus an opportunity to create some ‘tales of terror’! For more information on the authors themselves, Catherine Johnson is the writer of several historical novels including Sawbones (2013) and Blade and Bone (2016), whilst Chris Priestley is the writer behind the Tales of Terror ghost stories, the Frankenstein-inspired Mister Creecher and the Maudlin Towers series. We can’t wait! This unique experience is free, with tickets to book a space available online.

Book now: https://www.visitmanchester.com/whats-on/writing-gothic-fiction-a-workshop-for-young-writers-p425041

Ghostly Storytelling Day

Family-friendly ghost stories inside a historic hall in Salford? Sounds like the ideal Halloween-month treat! Come along to Ordsall Hall on Sunday 27th October 2019 (1.30pm – 3.30pm), for a fun daytime event of spooky storytelling and ghoulish poems, presented in partnership with  Manchester Metropolitan University and HAUNT Manchester. Hear tales of wicked witches, freakish phantoms and eerie animals… you might even see some haunted activity yourself! Ordsall Hall is one of the oldest buildings in Greater Manchester after all, a timber-framed house, in its current form dating back to the 14th century! There is even a Ghost Cam fitted – and eerie activity has been reported. Come and find out for yourself in this immersive free afternoon organised by Dr Emma Liggins and Dr Matt Foley. Book your space online.

Book now: https://www.visitmanchester.com/whats-on/ghostly-storytelling-day-p425051

Faking Gothic Furniture

This intriguingly-titled lecture by historian Dr Peter Lindfield from Manchester Metropolitan University will consider the origins of George Shaw’s Gothic forgeries of various furniture – and will take place inside the beautiful Baronial Hall of Chetham’s Library on Tuesday 29th October (5.30pm – 7pm). Who is George Shaw? Born in 1810, George Shaw was a local lad from Uppermill, who developed an early interest in medieval architecture, sculpture and heraldry. Yet he went on to use his insight in a rather devious way! Drawing on his knowledge of medieval designs, he created mock Tudor and Elizabethan furniture for the Duke of Northumberland, the Earls of Bedford and Derby, and also Chetham’s – in effect, supplying them with fakes! Most of this fake furniture was actually based upon one genuine piece of medieval woodwork: the State Bed of Henry VII originally made for the Painted Chamber in the Palace of Westminster. How did he get away with it? And how did he run a business based upon such deceit? Come and find out – plus there will be time after the lecture to inspect some of Shaw’s furniture, held at Chetham’s Library. Tickets are free and bookable online.

Book now: https://www.visitmanchester.com/whats-on/faking-gothic-furniture-p425061

Halloween Paranormal Study: ‘In Search of the Anomalous’

You may have heard the stories that Salford’s Ordsall Hall is haunted… but what does this mean? Spend Halloween night (31st October 11pm-3am) inside the hall itself and take part in a scientific study to investigate paranormal encounters! Students and researchers from Manchester Metropolitan University will be on-hand to help the public explore the hall and investigate the paranormal. What does it mean to see a ghost? What do we see as ‘supernatural’? The event organisers Dr Kenneth Drinkwater and Fabrizio Cocchiarella from Manchester Metropolitan University will also present current work exploring the territory of parapsychology and perceptual experiences. This is a truly unique research project to be part of, giving opportunity for discussion and first-hand encounters with unusual phenomena. Dare you take part? For an unforgettable Halloween evening like no other. Tickets: £10, £5 student and available online.

Book now: https://www.visitmanchester.com/whats-on/halloween-paranormal-study-in-search-of-the-anomalous-at-ordsall-hall-p420751

Gothic Manchester Walking Tour

A guided walk that explores the gritty city and its fascinating charm! There is a Gothic Manchester Walking Tour on Saturday 2 November 2019 at 6 -7:30 pm, led by local guide Anne Beswick (who previously developed a walking tour with author Rosie Garland, considering Rosie’s 19th century Manchester-inspired novel The Night Brother). Starting off outside Manchester Cathedral, the 2nd November tour is an ideal opportunity to explore the underside of the city and see the urban area like you’ve never seen it before. It will incorporate tales of Gothic architecture, gruesome histories, dark literature and so much more. Tickets are available online at just over £11 per person.

Book now: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/gothic-manchester-tickets-70771323935?utm_term=eventurl_text

 Featured image (top) with thanks to Jessye Persse (who previously featured in HAUNT’s Highlights of Manchester School of Art Degree Show 2019)

By Emily Oldfield 

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/09/the-gothic-manchester-festival-returns-for-october-2019-here-are-some-highlights-part-2-b962#comments962 Mon, 23 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/09/a-selection-of-weird-and-wonderful-spoken-word-sessions-around-manchester-b961 Presented by HAUNT Manchester and aAh! Magazine (Manchester Metropolitan University)... a selection of spoken word events to enjoy in and around Manchester! Presented by HAUNT Manchester and aAh! Magazine - with the feature also available here (Manchester Metropolitan University)

A good spoken word event is not only an opportunity to share work with an audience if you are a writer – but it’s also well worth being part of the crowd, for an inspiring and unique experience. Here you can see culture at its most cutting-edge: an opportunity to enjoy poetry, stories, slam-style pieces and performance, when it is still fresh. Plus a chance to meet new people and a range of creatives in a friendly format. Why not give one (or more) a try?

The below is by no means a definitive list, just a selection of some of Greater Manchester’s great cultural offerings! Some events may not have been featured at this time due to changes in venue/dates – and this list will be updated as time goes on. Putting on a regular event or know of one you think should be featured? We’d love to hear from you! Get in touch at haunt@mmu.ac.uk

SPEAK

Jimmy’s, 12 Newton St, Manchester M1 2AN

Don’t just raise your voice, take it to SPEAK. This is an energetic and vibrant spoken word night taking place downstairs at Jimmy’s bar in the Northern Quarter, typically on the third Thursday of every month. Expect a great night out whether you are a poetry fan or not – as this is a high-adrenaline, exciting experience. It’s hosted by partners in rhyme Rosie Fleeshman and Alex Slater, offering poetry, performance and plenty of banter. Get involved, as there are 10 open mic slots every month – available on a first come, first served basis via the email address contactspeakpoetry@gmail.com– as well as special guest poet each time. In the past these guests have included the likes of Dave Viney, ARGH KiD and Rose Condo. SPEAK celebrates the diversity of its audience and performers; whether people have performed before or are new to the field. Expect a good-humoured, vibrant night with plenty of applause! Stay updated on social media.

Photograph – thanks to Shay Rowan

Verbose

Fred’s Ale House, 843 Stockport Rd, Levenshulme, Manchester M19 3PW

Winner of the ‘Best Regular Spoken Word Night’ at the 2018 Saboteur Awards, Verbose takes place in the friendly setting of Fred’s Ale House in Levenshulme – typically on the 4^th Monday of the month. Formerly hosted by the inspiring Zena Barrie and Jo Howard for a number of years, it is now in the capable hands of a word-loving trio: Adam, Ava and Zoe. Expect a warm welcome, whatever your style – with poetry, prose and flash fiction readings incorporated across the (pre-booked) open mic slots, as well as at least one headliner featuring. To read at future editions, simply get in touch at verbosemanchester@gmail.com and keep updated online. Each night usually has a theme for readers to respond to, including the likes of fairytales, food, the body, and working class stories, in the past. On the mic they’ve had various names from across the poetry and spoken word scene including Eleanor Rees, Maz Hedgehog and Cheryl Pearson. Audience members are welcome and entry is free! Even better, Levenshulme is just a short bus journey out of Manchester city centre (the 192 being a good choice), or an even shorter train ride – typically less than 10 minutes from Piccadilly! Special events take place too, and it is well worth getting involved – flash fiction workshopping with acclaimed author Tania Hershman being just one example of previous content.

Punk in Drublic

Poetry, performance and comedy come together to raise money for charity! Founded in 2017 and typically taking place monthly, Punk in Drublic is a friendly, immersive evening taking place in various venues – though Lock 91 just off Deansgate and Dulcimer in Chorlton are common choices. It is usually hosted by the inspiring Rob Steventon. During its much-loved lifetime in Manchester, Punk in Drublic has raised over £2000 for the local Mustard Tree Homelessness charity and has featured the likes of Jamali Maddix, Attila The Stockbroker and Jackie Hagan. It was shortlisted for ‘The Best Regular Spoken Word Night in the UK’ award at 2019’s Saboteur Awards. Stay updated via the Facebook page.

Bad Language

Gullivers, 109 Oldham St, Manchester M4 1LW

Running since 2010, Bad Language is a lively poetry and prose night promising plenty of fun and a warm welcome. It usually runs on the last Wednesday of every month from 7.30 pm onwards upstairs at Gullivers on Oldham Street in the Northern Quarter. Hilarious hosts Fat Roland and Joe Daly turn proceedings into an anarchic evening. Want to take part? There’s an open mic section featuring 10 spaces at every event, with 5 of those spaces reserved for people who have never performed at Bad Language before. So no need to worry about being a Bad Language virgin! There is also typically a headliner for every month, in the past including the likes of Helen Mort and Ian Humphreys. Winner of the UK's Best Regular Spoken Word Night 2015 and 2016 and still going strong, this is a popular night to try out the spotlight.

https://badlanguagemcr.com/

Word Central

Manchester Central Library, St Peter's Square, Manchester M2 5PD

Open mic opportunities in the stunning location of Manchester’s Central Library, just off St Peter’s Square. Word Central is a monthly spoken word session hosted by Tony Curry and taking place early in the evening – usually around 6pm – so an ideal go-to event, and suitable if you don’t want a late night out. Typically taking place on the first week of the month (keep updated online for which day it will fall), it operates in association with Manchester Libraries (and their great Library Live programme) and Flapjack Press – the much-loved Northern-based publisher of spoken word poetry. With reading slots usually at a 3-minute maximum, this allows for an energetic and exciting event, with performers in the past including Thick Richard and Hilary Walker. The Word Central format also travels out into the suburbs; keep your eyes peeled for specials.

https://twitter.com/wordcentralmcr?lang=en

Big Words at Vinyl Fiction

Vinyl Fiction, 103 Manchester Road, Chorlton M21 9GA

Spoken word inside an independent book and music shop– sounds like a winning combination! The vibrant Chorlton-based Vinyl Fiction is the venue for ‘Big Words’, a spoken word open mic taking place typically on the 3^rd Thursday evening of the month. Hosted by Alistair McDowall and David Hartley, this is energetic live literature welcoming a variety of content: poetry, short stories, drama, non-fiction and more. Writers of all abilities are welcome, with slots available via the email bigwordsmcr@gmail.com – or you are welcome to just come along and watch!  Big Words is the opportunity for an enjoyable evening of creativity within an inspired setting – plus beers are available from the neighbouring bar.

https://www.instagram.com/bigwordsmcr/

Poets and Players

A combination of poetry readings and classical music in Manchester, with The Whitworth Art Gallery being the main venue. Founded in 2004 by Linda Chase with Musical Director Chris Davies, the format is typically a free Saturday afternoon event showcasing new and emerging talent alongside experienced writers, complete with musical features. Readers in the past have included the likes of Lorna Goodison, Kei Miller, Rebecca Audra Smith, Michael Symmons Roberts and Martin Kratz. For upcoming events, dates and times, keep updated via the website.

https://poetsandplayers.co/

That’s What She Said

Tribeca, 50 Sackville St, Manchester M1 3WF

A night celebrating female and non-binary creatives and writers in the city. ‘That’s What She Said’ is a fabulous and fierce spoken word extravaganza that returns monthly to Tribeca on Sackville Street from October 2019 onwards, following successful shows at the Edinburgh Fringe and the Royal Albert Hall.  The night explores a number of genres and formats, as well as featuring at least one headliner and an open mic. From poetry and storytelling to slam-style, this is an eclectic mix – and guests in the past have included the likes of Rosie Garland, Helen Darby and Holly Ringland. That’s What She Said is hosted by Jane Bradley of For Books’ Sake.  Previously shortlisted for Best Spoken Word Night in the UK, this year’s format holds even more excitement.

Flim Nite

Gullivers, 109 Oldham St, Manchester M4 1LW

What is a ‘Flim’? Come along and find out! Flim Nite is an evening of retelling popular films through innovative performance… so that means big-screen favourites presented in the form of poetry, comedy, music, spoken word and more. Typically taking place on the first Monday evening of the month at Gullivers on Oldham Street, stay updated via the Facebook and Twitter page to get involved…or just come along and watch. Expect plenty of laughs and lots of creativity. Classics given the ‘Flim’ treatment in the past have included Matilda, Fight Club, Howl’s Moving Castle and even Flash Gordon… it changes every time!

https://www.facebook.com/flimnite/

Speak Easy

The Sip Club, 164A Barton Road, Stretford, Manchester M32 8DP

Live poetry and fiction presented in a living room of literature – the cosy spot that is Stretford Sip Club! Come upstairs in this quaint and characterful venue to discover a spoken word night known for its friendly and supportive nature – typically taking place on the first Wednesday evening of the month (though keep updated via the Facebook page for details). Speak Easy is relaxed and enjoyable for people of all abilities.  First-timers are encouraged, with a range of readings welcome, including poetry, prose and creative nonfiction. Open mic slots are available, with usually two or three per session, lasting up to five minutes each.

Peter Barlow’s Cigarette

This interestingly-named reading series provides a platform for innovative poetry – usually taking place monthly on a Saturday afternoon (though this is changeable). They have used a selection of venues, but Waterstones Deansgate is a popular and atmospheric choice. ‘An afternoon of alternative poetries’, this is an ideal occasion to hear from a range of readers – and Peter Barlow’s Cigarette has also been involved in hosting open mic evening sessions. Stay updated via the Facebook page.

One Mic Stand

Expect poetry slamming, performance and plenty of attitude. One Mic Stand is a high-energy event presented by Contact – the Oxford Road based theatre – and Young Identity, who are some of Manchester’s most cutting-edge young spoken word artists. A poetry slam with added adrenaline, it typically takes the format of 10 poets being given 3 minutes each to impress the audience through their way with words – with opportunity for the winner to get their hands on a top prize. It is hosted in various venues, stay updated via the Contact website for times and details; for example, the next 2019 event takes place at Band on the Wall on 28 November 2019. Events have previously included the likes of Tukaiisloveletter, SLAMbassadors founder Joelle Taylor and many more.

Open Door at Nook

Nook, 111 Heaton Moor Road, Heaton Moor, Stockport, SK4 4HY

An evening of open mic, acoustic and spoken word sessions at cosy Heaton Moor café-bar Nook. Typically taking place every week on a Thursday, this is an opportunity to hear a range of talent as well as get involved yourself -  in a supportive and intimate atmosphere. Free entry, for more information get in touch via nookopendoor@mail.com and there is a Facebook page for updates too.

… And a special event!

BICONIC

The Font Manchester, 7-9 New Wakefield St, Manchester M1 5NP

A charity night of sensational spoken word to mark Bi Visibility Day. Come along on Monday 23 September to The Font Manchester, just by Oxford Road Station, for an evening of readings from Bi and Pan identifying poets and writers (from 7pm onwards)! There will be passionate poetry and spoken word performances, as well as fabulous comperes Drew Lawson and Helen Darby. Entry for the evening is on a Pay As You Feel (PAYF) basis, and all proceeds will be split equally between Biscuit and Biphoria. Added goodies include a unicorn tombola, unicorn dress up, cocktails, mocktails, and DJ Jess Rose on the decks right up until 1am! It’s a packed line-up of performers to fill the night after all, featuring:

Jackie Hagan
Rosie Garland
Kinsman
Maz Hedgehog
Genevieve Walsh
J Lythgoe
Bob Horton
Jane Claire Bradley
Janey Colbourne
Bryony Bates
Midnight Shelley
Andy Pilkington
Bonnie Hancell

In addition, The LGBT Foundation will have a stall at the event, run by Ashleigh Talbot, so you can find out more.

https://www.facebook.com/events/323182448360250/  

 

By Emily Oldfield

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/09/a-selection-of-weird-and-wonderful-spoken-word-sessions-around-manchester-b961#comments961 Fri, 20 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/09/how-a-day-course-at-home-explored-the-female-gothic-with-experts-from-the-manchester-centre-for-gothic-studies-b960 Members of the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies opened up some of the secrets of the Female Gothic and its terrifying manifestations on screen, during a one-day course at HOME Manchester. From madwomen imprisoned in their attics to persecuted wives, unquiet ghosts and final girls who take on and outwit violent men, the Female Gothic on screen offers a variety of strong roles for women. In films as diverse as The Cat and the Canary (1927), Jane Eyre (1943), Dragonwyck (1946), The Haunting (1963), Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), The Woman in Black (2012) and Crimson Peak (2015), the iconography of the Gothic enables an exploration of women’s complex inhabitation of dark patriarchal spaces and transformations from victim to heroine. But what were the key motifs and settings of the Female Gothic and how did they change from the days of silent movies to the contemporary era? In a one-day course at HOME in central Manchester on Saturday 14 September 2019, as part of HOME’s Celebrating Women in Global Cinema programme, members of the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies (Manchester Metropolitan University) opened up some of the secrets of the Female Gothic and its terrifying manifestations on screen.

In her lecture ‘From Novel to Screen’, Dr Emma Liggins, a specialist in nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century Gothic, talked about the origins of the Female Gothic in novels of the 1790s and its development in the Victorian period. Novels such as Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights (1847) and Wilkie Collins’ The Woman in White (1860), reformulated as stage melodramas in the nineteenth century, were adapted for the screen in the 1930s and 1940s. These films linger on the dark interiors of castles, asylums and ancestral mansions which harbour the secrets of the past, including the buried histories of women and the ‘lost mother’. Adaptations of ghost stories on film often focus on the female ghost with a story to tell. As the trailer for The Uninvited (1944) shows, audiences were thrilled by the ‘nameless horror’ to be encountered in the haunted house, ‘the house of terror’ disturbed by the wailings of two lost mothers and their forgotten stories of illegitimacy and jealousy. Emma’s research on haunted house narratives in the twentieth century has revealed that haunted nurseries are key spaces for female ghosts projecting their lost maternity, evident in both The Uninvited and in the later horror film, The Woman in Black.

The second session of the day was run by Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes, Reader in English Literature and Film and who specialises in modern and contemporary Gothic film and fiction. Xavier has been recently working on a British Academy-funded project on the old dark house mysteries of the 1910s and 1920s, a hybrid filmic mode in which many of the tropes of the Female Gothic resurfaced before moving on to the cycle of women films of the 1940s. His lecture ‘Female Gothic: Classical Cinema, 1895–1950’ drew on archival research done in the Library of Congress and the Margaret Herrick Library last year to explain how and why literary motifs from the Female Gothic tradition – like the entrapped wife, the claustrophobic estate or the tyrant husband – reappeared during what was a significant period of transition in American and Britain. Films with increasingly more assertive women, especially where female suspicion was proven right, became popular due to important changes to cinema demographics brought about by two World Wars and which had seen women take up jobs in munition factories and, later, in the clerical sector. As part of the day, Xavier also introduced the film Gaslight (1940), a British classic co-written by Irish-British screenwriter Bridget Boland and starring Diana Wynyard. The research he presented on the day is being partially published in his book Gothic Cinema (Routledge), out next January.

The concluding lecture of the day course was delivered by Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn, Senior Lecturer in Film Studies and American Studies, focussing on the division of female gothic tropes into other subgenres within horror. With an emphasis on the abject nature of the killer, the changing dynamics of gender, domestic spaces and places, and the ‘Final Girl’ in particular, Ní Fhlainn looked at the legacy of the Female Gothic and how it intersects with more contemporary iterations of representing women in Gothic and Horror cinema. What is of particular significance is the victim’s initial suspicion and eventual overt confrontation with the monster, giving her agency to fight back, which finds commercial and critical purchase from the 1970s onwards in Halloween (1978), A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Scream (1996) and Crimson Peak (2015).  The mesh of styles between the earlier film cycles in the Female Gothic was also examined— the horrors found in the home, the secrets with communities, and the spectral return of past sins and transgressions— and how these tropes and ideas still inform contemporary Gothic and Horror Cinema. There was significant positive commentary in the evaluation of the course on how these concepts directly encouraged and altered their perception of these films as informed by feminist readings.

The audience at HOME responded with enthusiasm to the day, especially to a long history of female representation they were not familiar with and whose timeliness they were able to contextualise. Many remarked on the relevance of the topics covered to life today. They also enjoyed the screening of Gaslight and some were even inspired by it to seek out the 1944 American version, as they reported in their evaluation sheets. Some members of the audience were particularly intrigued by the horror film and the slasher, and whether such films, with their violence against women, could be seen as feminist. They raised questions about representations of female madness, women’s confinement to the home and under-currents of domestic violence.

For more information on HOME’s Celebrating Women in Global Cinema programme visit the website and there is more information on the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies online, as well as details about its 7^th Gothic Manchester Festival which returns for the whole month of October 2019.  

Article with thanks to Dr Emma Liggins, Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes and Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn (The Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies, Manchester Metropolitan University)                 

Imagery above from Gaslight (1940), provided with thanks to HOME                            

The Gothic Games Jam is organised by Charlotte Gislam and Jon Garrad. Charlotte Gislam is a PhD student at Manchester Metropolitan University researching the narrative capabilities of artificial intelligence in digital game spaces. Charlotte’s other research interests include; the Gothic, speculative fiction, film, and spatial theory. Jon Garrad is a game developer with the San Jenaro Co-Op, and a PhD student at Manchester Metropolitan University, where he works on character death in role-playing games.

Charlotte Gislam and Jon Garrad said: “The theme of this year’s Gothic Manchester Festival is ‘Gothic Times’, and we want to reflect that in our game jam and how we approach the Gothic. Whether horror comes from the past, future, or from something outside the mortal understanding of time, we hope that our event inspires attendees to think of ingenious applications of time to build into their Gothic game.”

So what actually makes a game Gothic? Chris Baldick’s oft-cited recipe for Gothic identifies ‘a fearful sense of inheritance in time’ as a vital ingredient to the creation of a good Gothic tale. Time can be mangled, stretched, and mutilated to achieve a desired effect of horror and terror. That terror may be located in an individual or society hurtling towards a dubious future (think of cosmic horror, a la Lovecraft) or it could originate from uncovering a horrendous secret from the past (think of Rebecca, Jayne Eyre, or The Mysteries of Udolpho).

The Gothic Games Jam will begin with guests playing games and exploring how time and the Gothic are at work within them. The Gothic games which guests will have an opportunity to play at the event will include:

Dark Deeds

Dark Deeds is a card game in which players take on the role of minions to a powerful, unknown and violent patron. Sound Gothic enough yet? Players must do the bidding of the villainous patron without getting caught by the authorities – rewards are awarded if successful and inevitably, punishment if you fail. Charlotte and Jon describe how this game “builds tension by moving its world and objectives along in real time”.

 The Hollow Woods and The Mystery Mansion

Both The Hollow Woods and The Mystery Mansion are storytelling card games including 20 picture cards which can be arranged in a near infinite series of combinations to tell unique stories each and every time you play. The Hollow Woods packs tells stories of enchanted landscapes, dragons and sinister strangers. Whereas, The Mystery Mansion is set in a mysterious country house rife with strange incidents and suspicious characters. Charlotte and Jon comment on how these games both “weave places and scenes together, building stories out of lush aesthetic cues”.

Gormenghast

Gormenghast is a boardgame exploring the castle of Mervyn Peake’s extraordinary ‘gothic’ novel of the same name. Following the narrative of the novel, each player takes on the role of a kitchen rat hell-bent on accumulating as much power and influence as possible. Charlotte and Jon reflect: “ah, Gormenghast – [this game] models the arbitrary, archaic rituals and intrigues of the eponymous castle.”

Gloom

Described by Jon and Charlotte as “the eccentric, Addams-esque game of tragedies, destinies and unfolding nightmares”. Gloom is a card game, in which the aim of the game is to inflict as much tragedy, sorrow, and general unhappiness upon a doomed family you now control the fate of.

The afternoon of the event will feature the game jam element, where guests will be provided with White Boxes of dice and counters, and take a shot at creating their Gothic game, putting the meeples and cubes of the Eurogame tradition to work on a Gothic theme and drive.

Game jams are concentrated explosions of creativity with one goal: make a game by the end of the allotted time. This game does not need to be great, but the time limit and a meeting of minds will often move the project into unexpected areas which may deliver a fresh perspective. Jams are often used in game development to give creators an area of minimised risk in which they can shake up existing formulas and try out new mechanics and themes. Beyond the industry, they are a reminder that there is value in what you can create as a group, beyond the binary value of good/bad or the produced thing’s value in the marketplace. A successful game jam creates a community which comes together to share information, skills, and ideas all towards the common goal of making something.

Charlotte and Jon reflect: “We hope you will join us in a day of spooky fun, Gothic games, and sharing ideas; leaving not only with the knowledge that YOU were able to make a game but that there is a community out there, keen to support and encourage these creations”.

The Gothic Games Jam will take place on Saturday 19th October from 10am – 5pm in Manchester Metropolitan University’s Business School. Tickets are free and available on Eventbrite here.

Article with thanks to Charlotte Gislam, Jon Garrad and Lucy Simpson

The one-day, free festival is being staged on Saturday 21st September from 11am – 5pm, transforming a car park off Chapeltown Street, in Piccadilly East. The event will raise money for the Mayor’s Homelessness Charity to help end rough sleeping in the city.

Sacha Lord, nightime economy advisor for Manchester and Parklife founder, has supported the not-for-profit event by curating a roster of DJs. Art Battle Manchester are behind the high energy art battles with street food and a makers’ market from GRUB and bars by Track and Squawk brewing. With an afterparty in CAPITAL&CENTRICs Crusader Mill, the festival is set to eclipse last year’s success.

It’s the brainchild of John Macaulay, co-founder of Art Battle Manchester, local street artist Jay Sharples and Tim Heatley, co-founder of social impact developers CAPITAL&CENTRIC.

John Macaulay, founder of Art Battle Manchester, said: "We love giving artists a platform to showcase their remarkable talents and connecting them with the wider community. It's a real buzz when we still see people taking pictures of the artwork from last year. We're confident this year's murals will be even better. It's a testimony to the generosity of the artists that they are helping to raise money for the city's homeless."

Tim Heatley, co-founder of CAPITAL&CENTRIC and Chair of the Mayor’s Homelessness Charity said: “Last year was epic and we auctioned off some awesome artwork, raising thousands of pounds. This year’s going to be bigger and better. It’s going to have a real festival vibe. We’ve got street food and a makers’ market from GRUB and over 50 street artists ready to pit their talents. We’re hoping to raise loads more money this year to help people living on the streets find a home.”

Alongside Aske P19 – whose graffiti portraits of famous faces have become a much-loved feature across the city – The Mancunian Spray boasts a chance to see other world-renowned artists, including Tank Petrol and more. The artwork created on the day will be auctioned off in aid of Andy Burnham’s Homelessness Charity.

Entry is free, and visitors to the family-friendly celebration can expect the best street artists creating live masterpieces; DJs; street food traders and artisan stalls. The event is sponsored by Epsilon, owner of the nearby Aeroworks building, and Aecom Capital and Olympian Homes, the joint venture partners of the new residential development planned at Rammon House on Portugal Street East.

This is the ultimate opportunity to meet the stars of cult and horror cinema (both in front of and behind the camera!) from all over the world, watch their films - and there’s even a chance for autographs and questions with a number of attendees.

Guest highlights include British comedian Johnny Vegas, who will be there on the opening night of Thursday 3rd October as the comedy horror TALES FROM THE LODGE (pictured below) comes to the screen. He will be joined by the film’s writer and director Abigail Blackmore.

Then Friday 4th October sees the much-loved star of THE WALKING DEAD series Pollyanna McIntosh presenting her directorial debut film in the form of DARLIN', whilst the following evening (Saturday 5th October) will feature Lauren Ashley Carter with her new movie ARTIK.

A contemporary reimagining of a David Cronenberg classic is a key feature of Sunday night’s entertainment – as on the 6th October Grimmfest will be hosting a very special presentation of RABID, a highly-anticipated film directed by the Soska Sisters (pictured below). ‘The Twisted Twins’ the Soska’s themselves will be in attendance, presenting the film as well as answering questions. There is certainly plenty of interest in their current work, as they are busy writing THE BLACK WIDOW for the Marvel Universe!

It’s little wonder then that Grimmfest is fast being recognised as ‘Manchester’s International Festival of Fantastic Film’ – and 2019 sees a range of directors coming from across the globe to guest at the festival.

Travelling all the way from Australia is special effects makeup guru turned director Justin Dix, whilst US guests include David Marmor, Frank Sabatella and writing-directing duo the Pierce brothers. Chris Bavota and Lee Paula Springer – another duo – are coming from Canada, as well as Rob Grant, who is a Grimmfest regular.

In addition, Mike Ahern will be travelling from Ireland, whilst from the UK, special guests include Staten Cousins-Roe, Helen Hunt, Owen Teague, Judah Lewis and hopefully Adam Randall too!

This packed line-up highlights the level of excitement around Grimmfest’s 11th edition. After all, this year will see the festival run an impressive six European premieres, 17 UK premieres, two English premieres and 15 Northern premieres… plus every movie is new to Manchester!

So Grimmfest 2019 really is the chance to catch the best of international contemporary horror and cult cinema here in Manchester. It runs from the 3rd – 6th October 2019 at Odeon Manchester Great Northern, and more information and tickets can be found at grimmfest.com

And that is not all!  For a later 2019 event to look forward to, Grimmfest has joined forces with the Gothic Manchester Festival to bring together the ultimate Halloween Movie Double Bill on Friday 1st November: Clive Barker’s CANDYMAN and HELLRAISER, with an introduction from Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes (of the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies at Manchester Metropolitan University). Book now and extend those Halloween celebrations!

Producing a play about such a topic faces the inevitable pitfall – how do you possibly dramatize a story that so many have their own version of? The answer of New Dawn Fades? Engage with history, celebrate an energetic cast and create real public interaction both on and off the stage. Surely that is the direction of forward-thinking theatre? Written by the innovative Brian Gorman, directed by Sean Mason and Giles Bastow, produced by the local All Roads Meet – this is a living piece of artistry made in Manchester which doesn’t just put the community at its core, it has created its own community over time. 

Photographers such as Shay Rowan and Neil Winward have documented developments, broadcasters have given their support across the media and the vastly talented Brian Gorman himself has also created vivid artwork to accompany the show, which also has its own hand-drawn graphic novel (as previously covered on HAUNT here). All adding to the palimpsest that is the Joy Division story, in an enthralling, dynamic way.

 I have watched the show (which started life in 2013) in its various incarnations for a number of years now, and it importantly continues to evolve – steering away from overt sentimentalism of the past by instead unlocking new stories and sides to character each time. Its ongoing story was also secured by public backing, with many getting behind the production to show their interest in this year’s tour – now involving afternoon performances for the very first time. New Dawn Fades builds a narrative all of its own – continuing to create, rather than peddling its own past. It sticks two fingers up at accusations of sentimentalism in its very nature of being. Brilliant.

And considering the 40^th anniversary of the LP from which the play takes its name, 2019’s edition provided an enhanced and seemingly expanded version. This year incorporates the insight of the legendary TJ Davidson as adviser (read more about this in a previous article here) – the former owner of what were the TJ Davidson rehearsal studios on Little Peter Street, where numerous bands from the punk era practiced and Joy Division’s iconic ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ was filmed.  Rather than just being an associated name, Davidson’s input was evident too – intricate and yet impactful details emerging in setting and story. The studio space itself was discussed in light of how the surrounding area was once used to hold the horses used by the yeomanry during The Peterloo Massacre. A reference which seemed all the more apt and profound given that 2019 is also the 200^th anniversary of Peterloo in Manchester.

Sensitivity to history and an innovative way of staging it is indeed a skill of New Dawn Fades. As rather than just documenting the story of a band, the script is interwoven with historic context which hits home the remarkable nature of ‘the shock city’ the Manchester music scene grew from. For the first time ever, writer Brian Gorman made his debut appearance in the play itself, taking on the historic characters of the Roman General Agricola (who ordered the founding of Mamucium, the foundations of what became Manchester) and Dr John Dee, infamous occultist and adviser to Elizabeth I. This appearance was made via pre-recorded video footage, beamed onto a large screen at the back of the stage – a dynamic I feel worked well, highlighting the layers of voices and technologies Manchester has been built upon. The Dancehouse stage certainly supported this, and the play itself has a long-term connection with the venue – a grand and inspiring space on Oxford Road that still retains its own air of intrigue. Very apt, I feel – and atmospherically lit to boot.

But who was in the spotlight? A particular point worth noting about New Dawn Fades is its vibrant and varied cast – with some members of the production involved since its inception over 5 years ago, as well as newer and younger members. Bringing this array of pieces of history and people together seemingly requires a skilled script and mediator – delivered deftly through the character of Tony Wilson, turning the perspective of the play into a kind of version of his Granada Reports. The character of Wilson is played with charming flair by Al Donohoe, driving the energy of the production forwards whilst retaining the swagger, stature and almost feline-flamboyance of ‘Mr Manchester’ himself. On top of this, Donohoe also has to deliver various newsbites of historical fact threaded in about the city – surely no easy task to couple with this deep characterisation, but done very well. It also seeks to make the audience pay more attention to the place around them, to combat overt-nostalgia through actual, ongoing awareness.

Another performance of special note is that from Joe Walsh, who plays Ian Curtis. Having seen Walsh take on the character of Curtis for the first time last year, I was impressed then with the enthusiasm and deft down-to-earthness with which Walsh brought to the character. 2019’s performance however showed a whole new amplified intensity to his approach, emphasizing both how animated Ian Curtis was as a man and friend, but also the turbulence of his angst and exhaustion. Rather than projecting an idealised figure, Walsh worked his delivery - right down to the tension of tone - into expressing an oft-stubborn and complex young man. Themes such as financial difficulty, epilepsy, infidelity and drug-taking were encountered sensitively – with respect for reality – rather than provocatively: an important aspect, I feel.

Creatively examining the complexities as well as intricacies of everyday life as well as history is what this play balances well after all, as underlined by the characterisation of Debbie Curtis – the woman Ian married when he was just 19 and she 18, in 1975. Played by Leah Gray-Scaife, Debbie’s often obscured story – of tenderness, domestic life and the attempts to save a man she loved – are exposed. Gray-Scaife, who also joined the production last year, displays a real intuitiveness to character, communicating a warmth – even in the difficult circumstances the characters face – that heightens the show’s empathetic hit.  

When Walsh and Gray-Scaife come together to deliver the lines of ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ this verges on the edge of predictability perhaps, yet manages to steer clear… as the line ‘Love will tear us apart’ is never spoken. Instead the emotional fragmentation is emphasised by the skilled acting – and this extends to the band members and how they are all highly-charged individuals, as well as part of a big-impact story. An amusingly aggressive Peter Hook (Bill Bradshaw), charmingly sensitive Bernard Sumner (Harry McLafferty) and an entertainingly easy-going Stephen Morris (Mathew Melbourne) are played with empathy and awareness of human lives beyond the myth-making.

And not forgetting, this empathy involves humour. The risk of revisiting ‘The Joy Division Story’ includes the oft-creative tendency to over-dwell on the myth of the tortured artist, to express of accumulation of angst and sorrow. New Dawn Fades certainly doesn’t shy away from emotion... but humour is a key example of this too. Co-director Sean Mason displays remarkable versatility within the play – a character-swapping figure capable of embodying various individuals: including the music journalist Paul Morley, Mick Middles, the eccentric producer Martin Hannett and even a hysterical Prestwich accountant! That he manages this with distinctive consistency to each character is a sure testament to skill and allows for plenty of amusement amongst the audience. Fellow co-director Giles Bastow plays a foul-mouthed and no-nonsense manager Rob Gretton, highlighting the hard times that the band were often up against, without anything being over-played. A gritty gruffness that brings another unique individual to stage.

New Dawn Fades refreshingly does not take itself too seriously – there is room for people to draw on their own stories, it engages playfully with stereotypes of characters without ever attempting to present them as definitive. A diverse tongue-in-cheekness that some might say is ‘very Manchester’. Yet it also upholds essential points of sincerity – and does so remarkably well. A sensitivity to setting is one: details such as TJ Davidson’s rehearsal studios, The Russell Club in Hulme, 77 Barton Street in Macclesfield.

The play also incorporates a feature many would have steered clear from… a recreation of some classic Joy Division tracks, including a rendition of ‘Shadowplay’ as really happened on Granada Television. Given that these are a group of actors rather than professional musicians, this suggests that there is the potential for a plenty to go wrong, too much going on, a badly-botched job. Yet all I can say is that their delivery of the music left me breathless: Walsh working his body and voice into the feel and thunder of the sound, right down to Curtis' frantic, haunting dance style – expressing raw power and crucial vulnerability. The band members brought a blistering energy… and underlined a key element that the whole cast seem to have bang on: body language. Every actor held a powerful, involved physical presence – making the big Dancehouse stage seem remarkably super-charged and intense. This is an achievement.

Involving the aspect of live music highlights how New Dawn Fades is a production willing to take risks: it has a real punkish grit that is particularly fitting. It is a patchwork, a palimpsest, a piece of seething history that does not go quietly. The real joy of this play – a little like the ethos of Joy Division itself – is that it is an array of local people coming together, to graft, to forge something and to connect. History touches from a distance, whilst we as an audience see an inspired future for the talents who have joined to create it. And that is an ongoing, wonderful quality worth celebrating.

By Emily Oldfield

Image 1: by Sean Mason

Image 2: by Neil Winward

Image 3: by Sean Mason

Image 4: by Shay Rowan

Image 5: by Neil Winward

Image 6: by  Sean Mason

Image 7: by Neil Winward

Lancashire’s bowlers wrapped up an innings win inside three days, earning promotion with two games to spare and maintaining their unbeaten record in the competition this season.

Academy product Josh Bohannon starred with the bat, scoring his first Lancashire hundred in making 174, while Richard Gleeson led the bowling attack with a five-wicket haul in the first innings.

The Red Rose are on the verge of claiming the Specsavers County Championship Division Two title, needing just five points from a possible 48 in the remaining two games to be confirmed as Champions.

Lancashire Head Coach, Glen Chapple, said: “While we knew we had the squad that should achieve promotion, the lads had to go out there and put the performances together. It’s pressure at a big Club but the lads have taken it on and we are really happy with how it’s turned out.

“We had some games early on frustrated by the weather, but the cricket we have played has been of a very high standard. The commitment the lads have showed throughout the season has been great and it’s something we will try to build on.

“We have achieved our main aim but we want to go on now and win the division. We have played well so far, so that remains the target, but it’s pleasing to have done it with two games to go.”

Lancashire’s Captain Dane Vilas, who passed 1,000 First-Class runs for the season during Day Three, said: “I couldn’t be prouder of the boys, it has been a fantastic effort. The way we have played over the whole season has been superb. Everybody has stuck their hand up and contributed, that’s what gives me the most pride.

“We knew what our mandate was leading into the season and to do it with two games to go was excellent. It’s really pleasing and now we have to go on and make sure we win it.

We know Division One next season is going to be tough, but we’re concentrating on going up now and being as good as we can be.”

Lancashire’s final home game of the season begins on Monday against at Emirates Old Trafford, before a trip to Leicestershire rounds off the season a week later.

The group of five students – Elisha Kane, Athanasia Sarli, Lucia Stefanovicova, Michal Mocko and Naveen Kirby – have studied HAUNT Manchester in depth: taking in everything from the origins of the network to how it is received in the contemporary. Their study then informed the wide-spanning 89-page report, pulling together perceptions and insight from HAUNT network members as well as making recommendations for HAUNT’s ongoing development. The logo is a key aspect of their ‘brand guidelines’ for the future.

As can be seen, the logo is eye-catching and distinct, with the students identifying the importance of portraying HAUNT’s pride and passion about Gothic culture in the region.  This significantly informed their choices in terms of typeface and colour palette. In turn, the use of black and white as primary shades aims to be depictive of themes such as mystery and sincerity – an essence of traditional Gothic semiotics. The bold design also ensures a modern twist and a direct allusion to the city of Manchester.

Elisha Kane reflects on the work of the group:

“Currently the five of us are completing our Master’s in Creative Advertising at Manchester Metropolitan University which involved us working on a live brief of our choice. This led to us selecting HAUNT for many reasons. For me personally, I was very unaware of the depth Gothic culture has and I was curious of where this project could take us. From completing this project, I can now say I have a newfound appreciation for Gothic and alternative culture and I know the rest of the group would agree with me.

“Designing the logo was a long process for us as we were all bursting with ideas. After many discussions on what was the best way to represent HAUNT, we all agreed we wanted to create a simplistic logo which was eye-catching. From there we must have created over a dozen variations of the H that you see today. However, once we reviewed all our options it was clear this logo was perfect for HAUNT.”

The report further demonstrates the students’ extensive research and insight into the HAUNT Manchester network, including a consideration of Goth subculture, how it is depicted in society and its wider inclusion in UK tourism. Considerable theoretical knowledge is also evident, with the report incorporating aspects such as Perceptual Mapping, Market Segmentation and Media Analysis – all contributing to an enhanced understanding of HAUNT Manchester.

The HAUNT Manchester team want to express their great gratitude to the group of Masters Students for their hard work, perceptive research and consequently eye-catching logo. It will now be used on HAUNT Manchester’s social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

From delving into sandstone caves in Stockport to travelling far beneath Trafford Town Hall, Hayley Flynn – creator of the award-winning Manchester-based site Skyliner – certainly has an adventurous approach to interacting with the places around us and sharing them with others.

See whole new angles of urban areas and edgelands, as Skyliner provides a platform to preserve Greater Manchester heritage by searching for the unspoken stories and hidden histories sealed into these spaces. Having achieved an MA in Place Writing at The Manchester Writing School (Manchester Metropolitan University), Hayley’s approach to cityscapes is refreshing in both its insight and its interrogation. Her website itself, which takes the form of an online magazine with striking colour photographs, has won acclaim such as Best Arts and Culture Blog at The UK Blog Awards and Best City and Neighbourhood Blog at the Manchester Blog Awards.

Not only an esteemed curator and researcher, Hayley is also a tour guide with a difference: delivering guided walks that encourage people to explore and pay more attention to place. Her ‘Modern History of the Northern Quarter’ tour has been particularly popular, pointing out details of this district of the city centre you may have never seen before – from the Thomas Street Pineapple to the ceramic birds on Turner Street. Plus there is plenty of street art to enjoy: from backstreet murals to massive designs! Skyliner has brought the subject of ‘Art in Architecture’ alive in another guided walk and other walks include ‘The Invisible City’, ‘Women of the Arts’ and a brand new development ‘Follow the Buddleia’: taking in the post-war art of William Mitchell, the stories of Alexandra Place, and exploring under-covered areas along the rivers.

In her years working on Skyliner, Hayley has found an abandoned miniature village in Levenshulme, got to grips with the ghosts of Stretford Mall, visited Salford’s St Philip’s crypt and even explored The Albert Hall whilst it was still abandoned, having laid so for over 40 years: leading to a beautiful photo essay with local photographer Andrew Brooks. Hayley has collaborated with Andrew on a number of occasions, and his stunning photography was the feature of a previous HAUNT Manchester article here.

The Skyliner site provides a type of archive for Hayley’s exploratory work, a process she has described as ‘alternative’ and ‘honest tourism’. Not only does it document cities and edgelands from a place-writing perspective, but also encourages people to consider contemporary issues in the area, such as gentrification and the loss of public space. Hayley does not shy away from asking questions of urban areas such as – why are certain features of place noticed but not others? How should heritage locations be handled, and who ultimately is responsible for them? It is perhaps no wonder that she was appointed as the UK’s first ever ‘City Curator’ for The National Trust. Pictured below: inside The Albert Hall before renovation, photograph by Andrew Brooks

Hayley has cracked some more questions too in her work on Skyliner.  For example, she has debunked many of the myths surrounding The Guardian Exchange nuclear bunker beneath Manchester centre, and attempted to find out who created the mysterious murals of Spring Gardens. No stranger to delving into potentially murky territory, other fascinating examples of Skyliner coverage in Greater Manchester includes exploring the culverted medieval bridges beneath Rochdale, investigating the umbrella-lined alleyway of Boardman’s Entry just off Manchester’s King Street and looking at the abandoned Police cells of Bootle Street. 

Here at HAUNT Manchester we decided to speak to Hayley herself to find out more…

Hello Hayley. May I ask, why the name The Skyliner?

“There’s no great depth behind the name, just years of exploring cities and wearing eyeliner led me to settle on a sort of pun about both my gender and interests. I guess I should have made the content more about the female experience of a city with that name in mind, but I began by unearthing stories of forgotten or unloved buildings so it was always more about the people associated with those places over the years, never self-referential.”

Your work, both written and in terms of your walking tours, often encounters the under-celebrated and hidden aspects of place. Why do you these places continue exist in such populated areas and why is it important to discuss them?

“In retrospect most of my work seems focussed on the city but a lot of my first explorations of place were the likes of Hulme Hippodrome, the nuclear bunker in Old Trafford, and air raid shelters in the sandstone caves around Stockport. Most of these spectacular locations are on the peripheries. That said, many of the empty buildings with a story to tell are in the city centre. They’ve come about in a variety of ways. Changes in culture and demand like the decline of the music hall, and then an inertia in terms of the city’s growth in the following decades.

“Until the mid-‘80s there were still only a maximum of 1,000 city centre residents, people came here to work and they left again at night time. I guess part of that daily evacuation meant that people didn’t see any need to save or convert these places, now our night time economy does a lot for these places. Look at how long the Albert Hall had been abandoned until Trof stepped in. Now we’re on the race to become a world class city and fewer of these places will continue to exist. When I first started documenting these places in 2011 there weren’t many other online platforms that shared such detailed research, or finding out these histories wasn’t always very accessible unless you were a researcher. I wanted to fill that gap between researcher and interested citizen, and more than anything I wanted people to start to look at the city in a new light and to think critically about their histories, their design and what these places meant to the future of the city.” Pictured below: Dodge Hill by Andrew Brooks

What prompted your approach to urban space in this way – and why did you choose to focus on the North, particularly Manchester?

“Since starting Skyliner the articles have taken a back seat to my tours, and perhaps to my Instagram account too which is the quick hit for people to come and find out interesting facts without having to commit to a long-form piece of writing. The way in which I approach urban spaces with my tours is to interrogate it with my audience, some of my tours are just good fun but the backbone of what I do is what I’ve been calling ‘honest tourism’ and have lately found out has something of a movement worldwide as the ‘anti-tour’.

“I see my tours, and my written work, as a chance to tell people about the city in all of its ugly glory. I don’t want to shy away from the fact there’s so much litter so instead, once in a while, I run my tours for free in exchange for guests litter picking as we go (this has been overwhelmingly popular so far, a real surprise for me). I don’t want to point out a mural depicting a homeless person and fear that talking about our issues with homelessness and addiction would be off-putting and not adhere to some sort of unwritten rule that we must only talk about the positives. I point out flaws but I do so in a way that people want to problem solve and engage with the city. In terms of why Manchester - it was the place I knew best, although Liverpool is the city where, as a child, I learned to trawl through library archives and study its architecture and I’d love to focus some of my research there.”

People often describe certain, often neglected, areas of the city as ‘haunted by the ghosts of the past etc’. Why do you think we continue to have an uneasy relationship with the pasts of place – and is this something we should be scared of or learn from? Or neither?

“I think, however macabre a place is thought to be, it’s all based around a romanticism of sorts - we do have a habit of fetishizing abandoned places and imagining horrors of the past and these empty places can really feel full of a heavy sort of energy.

“I’ve been interested in this especially since looking into my own past and finding out the hospital where I was born and the college I went to have both become these haunted old buildings - I did feel like a ghost to see my own past erasing itself in that way. I was born in Billinge, it was abandoned some years ago but they couldn’t immediately demolish it as it was then occupied by a colony of bats. I found photographs of the empty wards, pink textured wallpaper with floral borders, and it all seemed so tragic, there didn’t feel another word or emotion for it. All the babies who started life there just 30 years ago now had nowhere to pin their story to on the map as it was eventually demolished and is now a modern housing estate. My college still stands but the walls have caved in, and it's documented online in dramatic shots set up to look like a horror film. And it is a kind of horror, a horror that the places that made you have ceased to exist.  I’ve written about something I call 'grief of place' before, saying goodbye to villages and towns from childhood for the last time, and I really feel its the same as grieving for a person.

“In a more day-to-day sense these places that are left to decay are really just symbols of our hopes dashed - I think of all the promise of new futures both the hospital and the college brimmed over with...but those promises are in the cities now, not in the satellite towns where most of us grew up.”

We have just discussed the concept of being scared – and another prospect which people often refer to fearfully is the changing face of the city and its development (often demonised). Do you think the changing face of the city is something to fear?

“Well, I feel like this takes me back to those places I’ve lost. I don’t have a problem with development and progress but it needs to be smart and considered and still sympathetic to the city’s heritage in some capacity. I don’t think anything new going up in the city at the moment is in line with any of that (except for over the River in Salford perhaps). If we continue on, imagining for a moment that we’re not constrained by the climate crisis, then I do see a future of mega-cities, and though this isn’t exactly something I embrace, when I think of the towns I once knew left floundering in the shallows whilst the surrounding cities prosper, then maybe it’s a future for those places once again. I don’t know. That might be too ‘Bladerunner’ of me, I’m sure there are more achievable ways to save these places in the short term, but I am experiencing a guilt lately of being so involved with Manchester that it’s greater than the sum of its parts - those parts being Greater Manchester.”

Are there any locations in Greater Manchester that you feel particularly drawn to? Why do you think this is?

“I’ve got a project in mind where I write about every stop on the Metrolink lines, a sort of tram-based writer in residence. There’s places along the route that I’ve already written multiple odes to - Pomona being the one area that I’m perhaps most aligned with. An urban wasteland full of blackberries, and the tri-point of Manchester, Trafford and Salford. It feels magical to me, like there’s rips in the fabric of time. I find myself drawn to Collyhurst more and more these days, and those parts of the region that are within walking distance of the city but are so segregated by abrupt ends in the landscape - unpassable roads like Great Ancoats Street that act like moats around a fortress.”

How can having an increased geographical awareness of place transform our engagement with it for the better?

“If you take notice of a place, even if it’s only to observe its flaws, then you can’t help but feel invested in it somehow and want to make a positive change or see it taken care of.  I also think it’s a really cathartic exercise when you’re out exploring a new place, and to take positive experiences from the city in that sense can have the same effect. Fundamentally I think knowledge of a place, on whatever level, leads you to care more and that can only benefit the future of those places.”

Visit The Skyliner to find out more.

By Emily Oldfield

Photography

Image 1 (of Hayley Flynn) by Bartek Basista

Images 2 and 3 by Andrew Brooks

Image 4 from The Skyliner website

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/09/opening-up-greater-manchester-like-youve-never-seen-it-before-meet-skyliners-hayley-flynn-b953#comments953 Thu, 12 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/09/theatre-review-the-jumper-factory-at-home-manchester-b951 On walking into the theatre, six young men are already sitting there on a stripped-back stage. They stare blankly, even coldly, into the assembling audience... On walking into the theatre, six young men are already sitting there on a stripped-back stage. They stare blankly, even coldly, into the assembling audience. In that moment, I am suddenly struck by a feeling of discomfort, a kind of isolation, of being ‘monitored’. It hit home the human impact of prison life from the onset, as one of the characters in The Jumper Factory later comes to reflect, the claustrophobia is almost constant. 23 hours a day in a cell is a long time…

The Jumper Factory is a play written by Luke Barnes (HAUNT Manchester previously interviewed him here), bringing the stories of people behind bars into blatant realisation. It plays at Manchester’s HOME until the 14 September 2019 – and is presented by Young Vic. We went along to find out more...

This is crucially a play just as much about participation, as it is about provoking-thought… and there’s a story behind it. The Jumper Factory was initially conceived just under two years ago, when Young Vic Taking Part– along with Luke Barnes and Director Justin Audibert – developed the play inside one of the biggest prisons in Europe: London’s HMP Wandsworth. Through a series of workshops, eight prisoners shared their experiences and informed a narrative, going onto perform it to other prisoners. The positive reception was triumphant. But how would it be received on the ‘outside’?

The Jumper Factory is an opportunity to engage with the perspective of prisoners for yourself – and perhaps it will question some of your prejudices too. We read newspaper reports of people being sentenced, sent to prison… but where do their stories go after that? The Jumper Factory fizzes with layer after layer of sensitively unlocked accounts, pent up emotion and makes the crucial point –the risk of removing the voices of people when they go to prison, is that it makes their rehabilitation even more difficult.

Sensitive and perceptive writing by Barnes seeks to make us not just evaluate our views on rehabilitation, but to consider how we can engage with it. Indeed, increasing numbers of facilities in Manchester are allowing this to be the case, creative interactions between prisoners and the public – such as The Clink Café. It made me look at the importance of such facilities with renewed energy, upheld the importance of artistic engagement. In this light, HOME too seemed like a particularly fitting location for the play to take place - with a theatre programme often recognised for its forward-thinking, socially-engaging approach.

The Jumper Factory itself is full of energy too, despite the difficult subject matter – a powerful punch of realisation, rather than pulling the audience under. This is certainly enhanced by a dynamic cast: a company of young men aged 18-25 with little or no professional acting experience and whose lives have been affected by the criminal justice system in some way, innovatively directed by Josh Parr. Together, on a simple stage with just a single line of chairs, they declare that they are indeed only representations – they are the closest we are able to get to the people ‘inside’. This really emphasised the extent of distance between people in our prison system and society.

And yet their stories are human, humorous, capable of connection. The Jumper Factory moves with a fast-paced narrative, in which the cast come together to tell the story of an unnamed man and his experience ‘inside’. This swapping of identities cleverly expresses how many people in society seem to judge people in prison as ‘all the same’, remove their individuality from the onset. The Jumper Factory fights against that, following the account of a prisoner who tells his family he is working in a ‘Jumper Factory’ – because he feels shame about the reality of his situation. Indeed, there are some people in prison who are much more bitter, angry, dangerous – referred to by the cast as “those people”. But many prisoners do feel remorse too. Shame, sorrow and regret are key emotions explored within the play.

There are more emotive surprises too. I certainly didn’t expect to hear the phrase ‘I love you’ to be uttered so much – and this certainly isn’t a criticism. What can be felt on watching the play, is its urgent expression of the very human want which many share: the want to be loved, remembered. To assume all prisoners are beyond that, is to alienate them. As one character reflects on isolation: ‘I feel like a spaceman on Mars’, another talks about family, how his hope lies in ‘them not forgetting me’.  This intensity of feeling emerges through various sequences; some offering a light-hearted look at what the prisoners miss and look forward to, others consisting of heavier encounters with and visits from family.

Exchanges accumulate, dialogue builds, there are conversations in other languages. All this adds to a sense of entrapment, emphasised by atmospheric lighting and apt, beat-heavy music. What the audience are led to wonder is: how does a person cope with this? And not just how do they cope… but what positivity can they create out of it?

Through The Jumper Factory we learn of prisoners’ attempts – a little like knitting a jumper itself – to create comfort; another very human aspect. The importance of ‘ritual’ – that resonates. There are accounts of re-engaging with education, reading, going to the gym… punctuated with reminders of how easily it can be taken away. A particularly memorable moment involves all the bodies on stage channelled into a cumulative cry of anger. Anger is after all, another deeply human quality.

Yes, the strength of this play persists in its heartfelt, human aspect. Part of me wanted to see a greater exploration of the possibilities for human connection whilst in prison, friendships, teaching – but perhaps that is just more a case of my curiosity. The Jumper Factory is working within a very intense time period after all – an appropriately intense 45 minutes – and given that, the focus remains on articulating the tension between prisoners ‘inside’ and their fears and hopes for the world ‘outside’. It also works to highlight how relationships with time become warped and shift within prison. The cast on stage give an excellent combined effort too, their chemistry evident as they finish each other’s sentences, urge each other on.

Hope is the stand-out quality, though. For The Jumper Factory and the processes behind it have not only given a voice to those within the prison system – as can be heard through in-built recordings from prisoners at HMP Wandsworth who were originally involved – but also has given and continues to give opportunity. Opening doors rather than just discussing them. And that is an ongoing point for engagement, and inspiration, for us all.  

The Jumper Factory, written by Luke Barnes, directed by Josh Parr and presented by Young Vic, shows at HOME until the 14 September.

By Emily Oldfield

Photography: © Leon Puplett