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Whitworth Art Gallery

Things to do: Monday 26th September to Sunday 2nd October

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September 26, 2011
Cornerhouse, Gallery of Costume, North Tea Power, Ruby Lounge, The Lowry, Things to do in Manchester, Whitworth Art Gallery
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Monday 26th September to Sunday 2nd October

Saucers: An Exhibition by Aliyah Hussain at North Tea Power

Not content with simply creating an establishment that is a wonderful place to wile away the hours with a good book and some of the finest teas and coffees available in Manchester, the folk at North Tea Power like to host exhibitions too. Saucers is the third in a series curated by Robert Bailey, and features screen-printed works that are based on imaginary designs for flying machines and satellites.

Drive at the Cornerhouse

Having received a ton of buzz during festival season, Nicolas Winding Refn’s heist movie Drive has recently been released to some great reviews. The plot may seem familiar, but it’s the execution that matters, and a fine supporting cast backs up another strong performance from Ryan Gosling. One of the must see films of 2011.

Monday 26th September to Saturday 1st October

Didsbury Arts Festival at various venues

Year in and year out, this city is blessed with any number of ambitious festivals, put together by people who clearly love their work. Having kicked off on Saturday, there’s still another six days to enjoy this cultural takeover of Didsbury, with bands to watch, film screenings to attend, poetry readings, open mic nights, and any number of workshops, exhibitions, and book launches.

Wednesday 28th September to Saturday 1st October

Yves Saint Laurent: Designer In Focus at the Gallery of Costume

For all you fashion types, there’s something of a treat at the Gallery of Costume, which is currently exhibiting a collection of 14 of Yves Saint Laurent’s most iconic outfits. One of the most influential figures in the history of the industry, this is a rare opportunity to see some of his best work up close and in person.

Wednesday 28th September

Male Bonding at the Ruby Lounge

Despite not knowing too much about them, we opted to catch Male Bonding at this year’s Primavera. They turned out to be one of the highlights of the festival. The band already have two great albums under their belt, and they sound even better live. Support comes from The History of Apple Pie and Weird Era.

Thursday 29th September to Saturday 1st October

All The Way Home at the Lowry

A family drama of the kitchen sink variety, All The Way Home tells the story of one evening in Salford, as warring siblings are brought together by impending loss. Examining the meaning of family, and the extent to which disparate individuals can ever truly be united by something as simple and as complicated as shared blood, All The Way Home has all the makings of a theatrical tour de force. Here’s hoping it delivers.

Friday 30th September

Film Noir Movie Night at the Whitworth Art Gallery

What better prelude to a night on the town than Fritz Lang’s M? Well okay, “just about anything” is probably the answer. Still, it’s an absolute classic, and if you don’t mind spending your evening in the company of a serial killer and the city that is frantically pursuing him, you’ll be in for a treat.

Things to do: Monday 19th September to Sunday 25th September

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September 19, 2011
Castle, Dulcimer, Elektrik, Manchester Art Gallery, Night & Day, Roadhouse, Ruby Lounge, The Met, Things to do in Manchester, Tib Street, Underachievers Please Try Harder, Whitworth Art Gallery

Apologies for our absence last week. We were living it up in Berlin, which made it a lot more difficult to keep our ears to the ground (and our eyes on Twitter) as far as Manchester events were concerned. We’re back just in time for freshers week, but don’t worry: if fancy-dress-themed debauchery isn’t your cup of tea, there’s still plenty to do.

Tuesday 20th September

Fear Of Men and The Louche FC at the Castle

Two buzz bands for the price of less than one? An absolute bargain, and it helps that both Fear Of Men and The Louche FC are well worth your time. Another positive: the Castle’s backroom makes for a great little venue. Not to be missed.

Wednesday 21st September

The Great Gatsby at The Met

Bury may be a little further out than you would usually venture, but the Metrolink makes travel easy enough, and an opportunity to see The Great Gatsby – an absolutely superlative novel, elements of which certainly lend themselves to the theatre – is not one to pass up.

Thursday 22nd September

Slow Club at the Ruby Lounge

Sheffield’s finest, Slow Club have carved out a niche for themselves as a cutesy indie pop with actual chops. With new album Paradise released last week, now’s as good a time as any to see them.

Friday 23rd September

Underachievers Please Try Harder at the Roadhouse

The long-awaited return of one of our favourite club nights. After a brief stint at Gullivers, Underachievers will now be starring at the Roadhouse, which could well be a marriage made in heaven. After Let’s Buy Happiness and Evans The Death (both worth getting down early for) have provided the music, make sure you’ve got your dancing shoes on for a tour through the very best indie rock.

Saturday 24th September

Ford Madox Brown: Pre-Raphaelite Pioneer at Manchester Art Gallery

Given that Manchester’s most recent tribute to 19th century painter Ford Madox Brown was the naming of a Wetherspoon’s after him, a new retrospective is somewhat overdue. Spanning the length of his career, this exhibition considers the influence Brown had on the artists who followed him.

Sunday 25th September

American Street Fun Fair at Tib Street

To commemorate 10 years of Northern Quarter bar and restaurant Simple…, Tib Street will be transformed into a haven of rides and cheerleaders and cotton candy and any number of other American-themed trappings. Should be a colourful day’s entertainment…

Manchester Print Fair at the Night & Day

…and whilst you’re in the area, the Manchester Print Fair is being launched at the Night & Day. Celebrating the best of local art and design, you’ll be able to pick up prints, posters, and all manner of publications. Worth dropping by and checking out what’s on offer: there’s plenty of great zines and the like being produced in this city, many of which will be available here.

Bad Shoes Art Festival at Dulcimer and Elektrik

Rounding off a busy Sunday, don’t forget to save enough time to head out to Chorlton for the Bad Shoes Art Festival, a collaboration between Bad Language Manchester and Shoestring Magazine. With music and artists at Dulcimer and literature and crafts at Elektrik, there should be a diverse mix of culture on offer.

Things to do: Monday 29th August to Sunday 4th September

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August 29, 2011
An Outlet, Cornerhouse, Deaf Institute, Islington Mill, Roadhouse, Ruby Lounge, Things to do in Manchester, Whitworth Art Gallery

Monday 29th August

The Centre Cannot Hold: ZIne Launch Party at the Deaf Institute

Several talented individuals have worked hard to ensure that Manchester is a hotbed of zine-based activity, with a number of wonderful titles available. This particular event launches The Centre Cannot Hold, a collection of some of this year’s best writing from the city’s pop critics.

Tuesday 30th August to Thursday 1st September

Last Year In Marienbad at the Cornerhouse

Playing at the Cornerhouse for a limited period – 50 years after it premiered at the Venice Film Festival, winning the Golden Lion in the process – Last Year in Marienbad is an arthouse cinema classic. A man named X insists to a woman named A that they met one year earlier, and is convinced that she is waiting for him; she begs to differ.

Tuesday 30th August

Comet Gain at the Roadhouse

In Howl of the Lonely Crowd Comet Gain have released one of this year’s best albums, deservedly raising their profile in the process. That support comes from local favourites Help Stamp Out Loneliness and the ABC Club is the sort of added bonus that means we cannot wait for this gig.

Wednesday 31st August

Gordon Gano & The Ryans at the Ruby Lounge

Gordon Gano hasn’t exactly been prolific since the Violent Femmes came to an end, but his legacy with said band marks him out as one of the most important figures of the post-punk landscape. Support comes from Manchester power pop outfit the Sun Electric Band.

Friday 2nd September

Poets Get Mashed at An Outlet

A poetry-centric open mic night where anyone is welcome to read out their own work and a poem written by somebody else. An important part of Manchester’s thriving poetry scene, this is an opportunity to see as-yet unheralded writers in their natural environment.

Iceage at Islington Mill

Danish punks evoking the spirit of ’76, Iceage make the sort of rawkus noise that is always best observed in a live venue: expect literal blood, sweat, and tears. Support comes from Eagulls, whose brand of post-hardcore is also generating a fair amount of buzz.

Sunday 4th September

Dark Matters at Whitworth Art Gallery

An exploration of the impact new inventions have had on visual culture, the Dark Matters exhibition opens at the Whitworth on Sunday. New commissions focusing on darkness and shadows, populated by spirits, spectres, and phantoms, will be displayed alongside works by Francis Bacon and JMW Turner.

Hey! After Hours at Whitworth Art Gallery

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August 20, 2011
Artangel, Hey! Manchester, Jason Singh, Liz Green, Prism Quartet, Whitworth Art Gallery
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If you’re anything like us, you’re always on the lookout for events that are in some way outside of the ordinary. Which is why, as soon as it was announced, Hey! After Hours was something we were looking forward to. Designed as a response to Projections: Works from The Artangel Collection, Hey! Manchester and Whitworth Art Gallery clearly put a lot of thought into the composition of the night’s proceedings. The result was an illuminating evening, very much of the “once in a lifetime” ilk.

Upon arrival, the Royal Northern College of Music’s Prism Quartet were spread throughout the building, with each individual performing seemingly disparate pieces that, once you reach certain points, come together to form a highly impressive whole. As far as classical music is concerned, it is always the string section that sets our pulses racing, and the Phillip Glass pieces Prism Quartet perform are particularly impressive examples of the art form. Sometimes taut and dramatic, sometimes quiet and restrained, the players provide the perfect backdrop for the evening.

As far as the Artangel pieces are concerned, Atom Egoyan’s Steenbeckett immediately stands out. 2000 feet of film is spread around a darkened room, constantly in motion, and the sound it makes is somewhere between rainfall and the quiet nighttime hum of a refrigerator; the overall effect is mesmerising. The technology-obsessed drawings and paitings of Tony Oursler capture our attention, and Catherine Yass’s High Wires – through which the artist explored the practically dystopian 20th century phenomenon of thirty-storey blocks of flats being envisaged as the future of housing provision – is also striking, with four large screens being used to depict high wire walker Didier Pasquette’s ultimately failed journey between two wind-beaten towers. It’s definitely worth making a special journey to the Whitworth to check out this exhibit.

In the midst of this setting, the ambient soundscapes of Jason Singh are quietly haunting, the sort of music that inhabits your headspace if you give it half a chance. It takes you over, takes you out of the room, and evokes moments or memories rescued from forgotten dreams: soundtrack music of the best possible kind.

Liz Green, pictured above, starts her set with just her bluesy holler and handclaps, although this introduction is something of a misnomer, as once she picks up her guitar it’s the folk influence that shines through most brightly. She seems comfortable playing in front of a room filled with fans and soon-to-be-devotees, cracking a Tom Waits-themed joke and introducing one song as “Homer’s Odyssey from the perspective of Penelope.” Her music suits the environment down to the ground, and it is quickly clear that her debut album – due out this November – is one to look forward to. If Green is able to live up to all her promise, it’ll be one to cherish, too.

We came away thoroughly satisfied with everything we’d seen, and that sensation hasn’t worn off yet. If only all art and entertainment were this affecting.

Things to do: Monday 15th August to Sunday 21st August

By
August 15, 2011
An Outlet, Castlefield Arena, Cube Gallery, Deaf Institute, Hey! Manchester, Marble Brewery, Museum of Science and Industry, Piccadilly Gardens, Port Street Beer House, St Ann's Square, Things to do in Manchester, Whitworth Art Gallery
2 Comments

Whilst we’re probably not the only ones hoping for a quieter, more uneventful seven days, that doesn’t mean we won’t want to be out and about. This week’s highlights include a diverse range of free events, exhibitions, and film screenings, and Port Street Beer House celebrating the work of Manchester’s own Marble Brewery.

Monday 15th August to Sunday 21st August

Ernest Rutherford: Father of Nuclear Physics at the Museum of Science and Industry

Manchester has a long and storied history of being at the forefront of scientific and technological revolutions. This free entry exhibition celebrates Ernest Rutherford, whose work established the nuclear structure of the atom and the nature of radioactive decay, earning him global recognition in the process.

Monday 15th August to Saturday 20th August

Leo Fitzmaurice: Post Match at the Cube Gallery

With the football season now well and truly underway, this free entry exhibition is particularly timely. Over the course of ten years, Fitzmaurice has crafted around 800 miniature football kits using only discarded cigarette packets; the result is a vibrant, thought-provoking journey through the histories of two industries with particularly tarnished images.

Tuesday 16th August to Sunday 21st August

Manchester Week at Port Street Beer House

Port Street’s Manchester Week was planned in advance of last week, but given the events which unfolded, the timing of it couldn’t be much better. It’s largely being held as a tribute to Colin Stronge, the brewery production manager at the superlative Marble Brewery, with several other fantastic local brewers also represented.

Wednesday 17th August

Eyebrow Cinema at An Outlet

The free entry world and independent film club is screening Precious on Wednesday, and if you haven’t seen it yet, it’s well worth checking out; it’s not quite as strong as some critics made it out to be, but it’s still a compelling piece of cinema.

Friday 20th August to Sunday 22nd August

Platform 4 Festival at Piccadilly Gardens, St Ann’s Square, and Castlefield Arena

A free event that spans across the city, incorporating aerial and circus shows, music, dance, and street theatre, Platform 4 Festival sounds both ambitious and unique. The acrobatics of the Spanish Atempo Circus at Castlefield Arena should be a particular highlight.

Friday 20th August

Hey! After Hours at Whitworth Art Gallery

Conceived as a response to current Whitworth Art Gallery exhibition Projections: Works From The Artangel Collection, Hey! After Hours promises an evening of highly cultured music, including the Prism Quartet performing Philip Glass, and a set from Liz Green ahead of the long-awaited release of her debut album.

Saturday 21st August to Sunday 22nd August

A Game of Consequence at Piccadilly Gardens

The Contact Young Actors Company bring an old-fasjoined medicine show to Piccadilly Gardens free of charge; however, as the name of the performance suggests, every choice has its consequence. It’s directed by Cheryl Martin, who has already made a number of lauded contributions to the Manchester theatre scene.

Saturday 21st August

Chad VanGaalen at the Deaf Institute

Diaper Island is one of the finest albums released this year, a definite leap forward from a guy who has been making great music under the radar for what seems like forever. The fact that support comes from New Hips (three-quarters of the sadly missed Deaf to Van Gogh’s Ear) is the sort of added bonus that means this is one we’re very much looking forward to.

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