Foundation Art and Design Students from The Manchester College have brought the Art School’s ethos of research to the heart of our iconic Wolfson Reading Room. Each student has developed a personal body of work which has initially been inspired by one of the books from Central Library. The boards exhibited are an insight into […]
A documentary photography project spanning 7 years (2016-2023). Photographers Michael Baker & Phil Portus explore ‘present day’ Wilmslow Road, Rusholme, and challenge perceptions of what ‘Curry Mile’ now represents, as opposed to nostalgia & past recollections. The ethnic make-up of Rusholme has changed significantly over recent years. Barber shops, shisha bars & dessert parlours have […]
This is the first “Paper Piano Presents” event to mark the exhibition in the Henry Watson Music Library. As part of the opening night visitors will have the opportunity to listen to Paper Piano’s back catalogue including rare tracks from The Oreoh!s, The Declining Winter and SPIRIT:level. There will be the chance to purchase limited […]
Paper Piano – A Retrospective For the last 10 years, Paper Piano have been creating music related artwork and packaging. More recently they have focused on hand-made books; this combination of music and books makes them the ideal label to exhibit at The Henry Watson Music Library. Paper Piano have worked with many illustrious musicians […]
We are delighted to welcome Paul Hindle to talk to us again. This time Paul's talk will take us through the history and restoration of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal which, like most canals, fell into disuse some years ago. The building of the canal would have been a great achievement in its time, […]
Postcard collecting is still a popular hobby or a means of finding out more about a locality, but it is probably rare, these days, to receive a postcard through the post. Indeed, we could argue that postcard-news would be old news by time we received it, these days. However, many of us might have noticed […]
Join Michael Baker and Phil Portus, the photographers behind this important social documentary project and discover the facts behind their exhibition images from 2016 to 2023. The talk is followed by a Q&A, and exhibition preview and reception. Free - please book in advance Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme […]
Hosted by Tony Curry with special guest Winston Plowes. Tony Curry was raised in Crawley and has lived and worked in Manchester for three decades, running literature-in-the-community projects with a specific leaning towards mental health and wellbeing. His solo spoken word shows include Brit Boy, Complicit Relations, Moving and The Odyssey, performed at Manchester’s Royal […]
PLEASE NOTE: Tickets for this event are on a “pay what you can” basis.They range from £2 – £8 plus the Eventbrite booking fee. All tickets allow the same access to the event. This is a just a pricing system to accommodate for individual financial circumstances. Signed books will be available to purchase after the […]
This new exhibition showcases a range of original publicity material and print adverts created as marketing for the Port of Manchester. This saw a revolution in publicity with modern ideas on typefaces, much more dynamic imagery and bolder use of colour. Manchester Ship Canal Company started using imaginative visual design to sell itself more effectively […]
Celebrate Manchester Day with here with us. Do you love board games? Drop in to have a go at board games old and new. You can play old favourites or learn something new. Help us launch our Board Game Club and even teach us how to play games that are new to us. Challenge yourself […]
Are you looking for something to do this summer which is fun, free and fantastic? We have lots of creative activities happening, and all participants get a free lunch! Suitable for ages 10-16 years. Sessions run on the following dates: Thursday 3 August Tuesday 8 August Thursday 10 August Monday 14 August Wednesday 16 August […]
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.
