One can argue that nostalgia is the strongest emotion, a pure mixture of wistfulness and melancholy. Adrian Bradshaw, an English photographer, brings that sense of yearning into full focus in this exhibition presented by the Confucius Institute at The University of Manchester. Featuring a blend of candid and posed photographs which explore China in the […]
The news has the power to make or break elections, to change the course of history or to alter our perspective on the city and country we live in. We expect the news to speak truth to power, but can it ever really be objective? Is your news the same as everyone else’s? How do […]
The exhibition tells the story of the Together Trust’s 150-year history in Manchester and the north west. It charts the development of this disability charity from its origins as a 12-bed homeless boys’ refuge in Manchester city centre, to an organisation championing and caring for thousands of people in the region today. The exhibition features […]
Welcome to the wonderful world of local artist Lorraine Rudyard. Lorraine creates three-dimensional sculptures using recycled materials and vintage finds. Her work is colourful, humorous, warm and engaging, and reflects her Northern upbringing. Free - just drop in - to help keep our activities free in the future please consider making a donation, either online […]
This June marks the 70th year anniversary that Queen Elizabeth II has been on the throne. To celebrate this, we host an exhibition to celebrate her life so far, and her links to Manchester. This fascinating photographic and video exhibition celebrates the Queen’s life. Included are several photographs of visits the Queen has made to […]
The Polish Heritage Days is an annual festival organised and run under the patronage of the Polish Embassy in London. The idea behind Polish Heritage Days is to promote and celebrate Polish culture, heritage of past generations, and Polish contribution to the cultural, economic, and social life of the United Kingdom. Together with the Consulate […]
Heritage Schools (part of Heritage England), Archives+ and artist Lorraine Rudyard, have created an exhibition working with 12 year-5 classes from Manchester schools. The schools have created figures for scenes to go in front of local listed buildings. The children learned about the history of Central Library and then visited the venue to create their […]
Foundation Art and Design Students from The Manchester College have brought the Art School’s ethos of research to the iconic circular reading room with a series of stunning works. Each exhibited board is an insight in to personal research and subject matter, produced in traditional messy art school rooms where students become inspired and have […]
A Breast Cancer Awareness Exhibition Tour Patient advocacy group METUPUK, is hosting a pop-up exhibition throughout the venue to highlight the need to improve care and research around secondary (metastatic) breast cancer. The exhibition aims to highlight the seriousness of Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) the biggest killer of women under the age of 50 here […]
The LGBT+ Centre (previously known as The Gay Centre) is located on Sidney Street, off Oxford Road and is the longest continuously running LGBT+ Community Centre in the UK. ‘Documenting Demolition’ is a photographic exhibition of the Centre’s final months before the groups moved out and the building was demolished to make way for a […]
From dedicated performance spaces to stairwells, screens, nooks and domes, Central Library might directly inspire your next event or intervention. Contact us to arrange a tour.
