A exhibition of many previously unseen photographs of the area now covered by the Manchester Arndale. They include the pubs, clubs, chapels and many shops and businesses swept away to build the shopping centre. From the book 'Manchester's Lost District' by Keith Warrender. Free - please drop in
This LGBT History Month Unlocking Our Sound Heritage presents an intimate room of curated archive audio and immersive projections. Manchester's LGBTQ+ community took to both the streets and the dancefloor in response to the AIDS crisis and the introduction of Section 28. The event explores these vital spaces of defiance by pairing key BBC Radio […]
PLEASE NOTE - THIS IS AN ONLINE EXHIBITION This month, artist / photograper Steve Marland was due to show his fascinating exhibition, Urban Archaeology, in the library's first floor display cases. Due to Covid 19 and the venue's temporary closure, this hasn't been possible. However, we are delighted to be able to show a selection […]
PLEASE NOTE - THIS IS AN ONLINE EXHIBITION Art and Design students and staff at The Manchester College take over Manchester Libraries Instagram account in this online exhibition of work produced during lockdown… Manchester: Life Under Lockdown documents students’ creative experiences during lockdown and reveal the importance of everyday things, family, pets, gardens and creativity. […]
PLEASE NOTE - THIS IS AN ONLINE EXHIBITION Central Library was due to show this fascinating exhibition from July. Sadly, due to Covid 19 and the venue's temporary closure, this isn't possible. However, we are delighted to be able to show a selection of images above. Just click on the cursor to the right of […]
An exhibition of works by Manchester based photographer, Robert John Watson. Here's what Robert says about the exhbition: 'In Praise Of Blandness is in no way mundane. I see the silent in the world. It is a coincidence that most of my pictures have very few or no people in them as we are just […]
Windrush Generations Manchester Voices is a digital exhibition, on the ground floor of Central Library in Archives+, that focuses on the personal histories and stories of 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation African Caribbeans in Manchester. Discover personal perspectives on: struggles and achievements art and activism the history and legacy of immigration #BlackHistoryMonth Free - please […]
A new Holocaust Memorial Day exhibition at Manchester Central Library. Here's more information about the exhibition from the organisers. Holocaust Memorial Day 2020 marked the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. In commemoration of this landmark anniversary, we ran an exciting project that organisations and community groups all over the UK took part in. […]
‘Reds’ Andrew Redmond met documentary photographer Karin Albinsson after completing a prison sentence. When ‘Reds’ told Karin of the 1,000 photos he had taken and lost six years ago, this project was born. During the last couple of years, they have met up regularly to retake the photos lost. Reds has spent most of his […]
Spotlighting the impact of the genre on the region’s community with a free exhibition of Hip Hop memorabilia and materials from the 1980s to present day, marking over 40 years of Hip Hop lifestyle and culture in the city. Made up of clothing, photographs, cassettes, records, graffiti sketchbooks, posters, flyers and oral histories documenting the […]
Kemang Wa Lehulere collaborates with 11 Manchester writers and over 100 residents of the city to create a surprising collection of love letters – a new book for Central Library South African artist Kemang Wa Lehulere spent MIF19 in residence in Manchester’s network of libraries – and two years on, we’re now presenting I Love You […]
Behind Closed Doors is a photographic exhibition featuring life within an Intensive Care Unit at the height of the pandemic. The photo’s were taken by Petro Bekker who volunteered to go back and work in the ICU at the start of the pandemic. Petro re-joined her colleagues, where she had been a Senior Sister and […]
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.
