Library Live

Retro Silent Disco
2019-11-08 20:00 - 23:59 UTC
Hurrah. The next Retro Silent Disco is on Friday 8th November. The day the Christmas Markets open in Manchester! Spend the early evening soaking up the festive atmosphere in Albert Square, then dance the night away in the fabulous Central Library.
Don’t worry, we won’t be overdoing the Christmas songs that early in November. We’re planning to party with the best retro hits from the 60’s to the 90s!
8pm till midnight. Over 18’s only. Bar open all evening.

Reading faces and hands: The science of speechreading and sign language
2019-11-09 11:00 - 14:30 | Archives+ Ground Floor
Join us for a free event exploring how language is more than just what we hear. Seeing the face of someone talking helps us understand what they are saying. Signed languages, such as British Sign Language (BSL), use hand and body movements to ‘say’ anything that can be expressed in spoken language. Take part in fun activities to discover how seeing the person is important in communication.
Free – register here

M123 meet-up
2019-11-11 10:00 - 12:00 | Media Lounge
Are you a resident in the city centre? If you have a M1, M2 or M3 postcode, come along to our new monthly meet-up in the Media Lounge. Be the envy of your friends by creating bags using mixed media. Pop along and meet your neighbours, chatting is encouraged and little ones can come along too!
Free-please drop-in

Made In Manchester: In Conversation with Malcolm Garrett
2019-11-11 17:30 - 18:30 | Seminar Suite, Floor Two
As a graphic designer, Malcolm Garrett’s work for bands such as Buzzcocks and Duran Duran established him as one of the most influential figures of the 80s. He was one of the first graphic designers to recognise the potential of digital media and he has been at the forefront of exploring its frontiers ever since. In 2000, he was the first Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) in the field of interactive media.

Janine Booth Book Launch: The Big J vs The Big C
2019-11-12 18:30 - 20:00 | Meeting Room 1
The Big J vs The Big C: Issues, Experiences and Poems in the Battle Against Breast Cancer
With special guest poet Laura Taylor.
Poet, author and activist Janine Booth was part of the ranting poetry movement of the ‘80s,
performing as ‘The Big J’. In late 2016, she discovered a strange indentation in her right breast and
was subsequently diagnosed with breast cancer. In this collection of candid journal extracts, poetry,
meticulous research and substantive politics, Janine details her journey from detection and
diagnosis, through surgery, to ‘getting over it’.
“This book is a must for all health care workers – doctors, nurses, students, caterers, cleaners, porters
– the team needed by patients facing The Big C.” – Dr Coral Jones, GP & Chair Hackney South and Shoreditch Labour Party
“I picked up this book expecting to be educated, entertained and amused. I put it down having ticked
all of those boxes. The NHS is quite literally the best thing there is in the entire world. We must never
stop fighting for it.” – Kate Smurthwaite, comedian & activist
“Full of clarity, worry, humour, explanations about how capitalism hampers medical practice and
love, praise and commitment to the NHS. It demystifies and humanises the cancer experience and
inspires and entertains the reader.” – Morning Star
Janine Booth is a Marxist, trade unionist, Labour Party member, socialist-feminist, supporter of
Workers’ Liberty, autistic, bi, author, poet, disaffected middle-aged woman. She works on London
Underground and is active in the RMT trade union, having previously represented its London
Transport members on the union’s National Executive. Janine is Chair of the union’s Disabled
Members’ Advisory Committee and a member of the TUC Disabled Workers’ Committee. She writes
and delivers trade union training, particularly on equalities issues, and speaks widely on socialist
politics, history, disabled people’s rights, autism and neurodiversity.
Published by Flapjack Press
www.flapjackpress.co.uk
Shortlisted Best Northern Publisher, Northern Soul Awards
“Publishes the most cutting-edge poetic performers.” – Writing Manchester

Best of Manchester Animation Festival
2019-11-13 10:00 - 12:30 | Performance Space
Celebrate 5 years of UK’s biggest animation festival as they showcase the winners of past years editions in two specially curated screenings. Introduced by the festival team, these two shows give you the chance to see something different!
10-11am – Programme 1 (cert. 18);
11.30am-12.30pm – Programme 2 (cert. 15)
Free – please drop in

Tom Moore & Archie Moss
2019-11-13 18:30 - 20:00 | Performance Space
Accordion/Viola/Electronics duo debuting brand new material from their upcoming album to be released in 2020.
Widely regarded as two of the best players, innovators and performers in traditional folk amongst a precociously gifted generation, their finely-crafted arrangements wield a rare potency. Now, having toured with with some of the biggest and brightest acts in the British folk scene, they reconvene to perform as a duo.
Whilst intrinsically borrowing from English and other European Traditional Dance music, sonically Moore and Moss have their heads firmly in the present, understanding the values of contemporary music and art making.The distinct pulse, energy and group-intuition of trad-music haunts their playing as they continue to push the creative boundaries for English instrumental music, listening and responding to the world around them as much as their musical ancestors.
Doors: 6pm; Performance start: 6:30pm

Capturing the Crescents
2019-11-16 13:00 - 14:00 | Performance Space
A Photographic Journey through Hulme in the 1980’s – 90’s, and how I survived and thrived by Richard Davis
A talk and book signing by photographer Richard Davis….
‘I arrived in Hulme in 1988, having left behind Birmingham so I could study Photography at Manchester Polytechnic. For the next five years Hulme was Home and I loved every single second of it. Talk about Right Place, Right Time, – Manchester, or should I say Madchester, felt like the centre of the universe and Hulme even more so. There wasn’t really a plan to document my time there via Photography, it just sort of naturally happened and years on, I’m so glad I did…….this is my story.’
Free – please drop in

Story Selector
2019-11-16 13:00 - 15:00 | Jewish Museum Pop-up Space
Children’s storyteller Robin Simpson will be performing the exciting, curious and fascinating stories behind objects in Manchester Jewish Museum’s story selector machine. Come along and help him decide the direction the stories go and see the objects behind the stories.
Suitable for families
Free – please drop in

2084 - An Immersive Experience
2019-11-22 08:00 - 2019-12-14 17:00
SORRY, DUE TO HIGH DEMAND ALL PERFORMANCES HAVE NOW SOLD OUT
AN IMMERSIVE PERFORMANCE INSPIRED BY ORWELL’S CLASSIC
The Ministry of Truth is recruiting…
​Enter the dramatic world of Manchester Central Library after hours and embark on an immersive journey inspired by George Orwell’s dystopian novel.
This new immersive theatre production takes the audience inside a totalitarian state that monitors every act, word and thought of its citizens. In our era of social media and digital corporations – when everyone is tracked, analysed and influenced – Orwell’s compelling vision has never been more pertinent. 2084 puts the audience at the heart of this iconic story and explores how fragile are the freedoms that we take for granted.
Welcome to the Party.
REVIEWS OF PREVIOUS 2084 PERFORMANCES
​”With major dystopian vibes and a brilliant new story, explore Manchester’s Central Library in a way never before experienced.” Whatsonstage
​”The company has fused the imposing physicality of Manchester’s Central Library with the appalling horror of George Orwell’s dystopian nightmare to create a thrilling piece of theatrical entertainment.” GM Reviewer
“Disturbing and engrossing” Number 9 Reviews

Roving Robots Coding Workshop
2019-11-23 14:00 - 16:00 | Media Lounge
Do you want to learn how to code? Come along to our new series of coding workshops for all. Families, adults, grandparents, in fact anyone aged 8 years and above is welcome to join us in learning how to code these cute and friendly robots.
Free – please drop-in

Listening Lunch
2019-11-25 12:30 - 13:30 | Performance Space
Grab a sandwich and head to the Performance Space for a relaxing lunchtime listening to clips from Central Library’s sound archives.
Unlocking Our Sound Heritage is a new audio preservation project supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Tapes the project has recently digitised include classical music, radio drama, life stories, folk music, celebrity interviews and Irish jigs – we’ve got it all! And as part of the Explore Your Archives campaign we’ve put together an hour-long playlist showing off the best bits of the sound archives.
Come for five minutes or the whole hour – all welcome. The Unlocking Our Sound Heritage team will be on hand to introduce you to the project and explain how you can get involved.
Drop-in – no booking required

Explore your Archive Week
2019-11-25 15:00 - 2019-11-29 16:00
Visit Central Library and help us to create our own cabinet of wonder. In these sessions we will showcase material which you may not normally have the chance to see. Help us search for hidden gems from our collections to add to our wonderful new treasure.
Free – please drop in

Prostheses in Antiquity: Everything You Never Knew You Wanted to Know
2019-11-27 18:00 - 19:00 | Performance Space
A variety of different types of prostheses were used by the Greeks and Romans to replace various missing body parts. In this talk, we shall consider the following questions: How common – or uncommon – were prostheses in classical antiquity? Who made them? How and why did they make them? Who used them? How and why did they use them? And how were they – and their prostheses – viewed by other members of ancient society as a result?
The Manchester Classical Association presents Dr Jane Draycott (University of Glasgow), expert on disease, disabilties and prosthetics in the ancient world. Dr Draycott will give an illustrated presentation followed by discussion with the Manchester Classical Association Chair, Dr April Pudsey of Manchester Metropolitan University.
All talks in this series are free and open to the public. Please join us for light refreshments from 5.30pm, and take the opportunity to speak with members of the Manchester Classical Association, and find out more about our work promoting Classics and Ancient History around the region. https://www.manchesterca.org.uk/
This talk will be jointly hosted with the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies.
Refreshments from 5.30pm. Dr Draycott’s talk begins at 6pm and will be followed by discussion, and an informal Q&A with the audience

Junior Jam: Noisy Toys
2019-11-30 10:00 - 12:00 | Children’s Library
Junior Jam – our jam-packed music sessions for 4-8 year olds!
With an exciting theme each month – from Space Travel to Loop the Loop – help your little ones develop their musical skills in a fun, friendly and accessible way.
Sessions are free and take place at the Children’s Library at Manchester Central Library. Places are limited (20 children per session) so sign up in advance to secure your spot.
Two 50-minute sessions will take place at 10am and 11am.
All instruments are provided.

Val McDermid & Denise Mina
2019-11-30 19:00 - 20:30 | Performance Space
Manchester Literature Festival presents…
Queens of Tartan Noir, Val McDermid and Denise Mina, join us to discuss their brilliant new novels. In How the Dead Speak, Val brings Dr Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan together again when the remains of a killer, who’s supposedly alive and in prison, are found on a construction site. In Conviction, Denise weaves together the break-up of Anna McDonald’s marriage and a true crime podcast, to force Anna to confront her hidden past.
Val is the highly acclaimed writer of over 40 books including The Wire in the Blood and Denise won the Gordon Burn Prize for The Long Drop. Presented in partnership with the Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester.
For tickets call the MLF box office on 0843 208 0500 or use the link below

UK Disability History Month
2019-12-03 11:00 - 13:30 | Performance Space
Join us for musical performances from disabled Manchester artists as we celebrate UK Disability History Month and International Day of Disabled People 2019. Confirmed artists: the fantastic Spotlighters band, brilliant singer/songwriter Dennis Queen, and the very talented Bee Vocal Manchester Mental Health Choir, plus a disability history talk “Disabled people against apartheid” by disability history expert Bernard Leach. Refreshments and crafts too.
This event is designed in partnership with GM Coalition of Disabled People.
Free drop-in, all welcome.

Sensory Story Time
2019-12-07 10:00 - 10:30 | Performance Space
A new monthly sensory storytime, suitable for children with sensory or autistic spectrum needs. The sessions will consist of a story and 3-4 songs, and will aim to be as visual as possible. Age group 4-7 years (flexible depending upon the individual needs of the child).
All bookings can be made by phone on 234 1990. Places are free but must be booked as restricted to ten places. A social story will be emailed to the child when the booking is confirmed.

Instrumental Change
2019-12-11 10:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
This pop-up exhibition reflects on the materials used in the development and transformation of medical practice. Featuring objects from the Museum of Medicine and Health’s fascinating collection, it raises important questions about material functions, sustainability and innovation in contemporary medical practices.
Free – please drop in

Christmas Extravaganza
2019-12-14 10:00 - 16:30
Get your festive season underway with our annual family extravaganza. Listen to a fantastic line-up of local choirs and bands and enjoy a mince pie with us. Create your own Christmas crafts. Enjoy a special festive ‘Story-time with Dad’. There will be performances and activities galore and Father Christmas will be here!
Free – please drop in

Scrooged – Christmas Film
2019-12-17 18:00 - 20:00 | Performance Space
Join us for the Grimmfest annual Christmas movie gathering. This year’s choice is an eighties classic, which pays off-kilter homage to tradition – Richard Donner’s cult classic, Scrooged. It sees Dickens’ tale of miserliness and redemption relocated to 80s New York, and Ebeneezer Scrooge magnificently re-imagined in the form of Bill Murray’s hard-nosed TV executive, Frank Cross.
With a suitably scabrous and cynical screenplay by notorious Saturday Night Live and National Lampoon scribe, Michael Donoghue and Dickens buff, Mitch Glazer, who would later go on to adapt Great Expectations for Alfonso Cuaron, and boasting an all-star cast of cult luminaries, including Robert Mitchum, Carol Kane, Karen Allen, Bobcat Goldthwaite, Michael J. Pollard, John Glover, and New York Dolls frontman David Johansen, it’s a brash and black-hearted take on a heart-warming tale.
Pick up a free mince pie on arrival, and make sure you check out the Grimmfest stall, for discounted stocking fillers including DVDs, movie posters and t-shirts – fantastic gifts for the horror movie fan in your life!
Doors open: 5.30pm
Certificate PG

Addison Act 100: Exhibition Launch
2019-12-19 14:00 - 15:00 | Archives+ Ground Floor
In 1919 the ‘Addison Act’ was passed by Parliament. This Housing Act helped local authorities to build social housing after World War One and guided policy for the country’s housing sector for most of the 20th century. Join us for the launch of this exhibition exploring its impact on Manchester.
Free – please drop in

Christmas Games Night with Angel Delight!
2019-12-19 20:00 - 22:30 | Performance Space
The tinseltastic drag queen Angel Delight returns to Central Library for a fabulously festive party!
Including…

Family Fortunes
Play Your Cards Right
Name that Tune Bingo
Christmas cabaret and singalong

…and many more Christmas party games!
Tickets are limited. Bar open all evening. 18+

Some of the quizzes will be through your smartphone. Just one member from each team needs to download the speedquizzing app to their phone.
It only takes a couple of minutes, so can be done on the night of the quiz.

Greek Gods: Animate it
2020-01-03 14:00 - 16:00 | Media Lounge
Join us for animated fun! Discover stories, myths and characters inspired by the Ancient Greeks. Make an animated scene to tell the stories to your friends, in your own distinct way!
Suitable for families
Free – please drop in

Manchester's Lost District
2020-01-06 08:00 - 2020-02-29 17:00 | Archives+ Ground Floor
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

An Evening with Tom Kerridge
2020-01-10 19:00 - 21:00
Start the new year in great shape and join us for an evening with Michelin-starred chef, bestselling author and BBC presenter Tom Kerridge as we celebrate the launch of his latest cookbook LOSE WEIGHT AND GET FIT. Tom will be chatting to Emily Heward (Food, drink and events editor at Manchester Evening News and City Life Manchester) about his life and career and how he managed to get fit and loose weight without compromising in the kitchen. Tom will also be talking about the recent opening of his new restaurant THE BULL AND BEAR in the Stock Exchange Hotel.
Doors 18.30 for a 19.00 start. Tom and Emily will be talking for approx 50 minutes before an audience Q&A and book signing.
About the book:
Following on from the No.1 bestseller Lose Weight for Good, top chef Tom Kerridge shows you how to shed the pounds and kick-start a more active lifestyle with ALL of the maximum-taste, lower-calorie recipes from his upcoming BBC2 TV series.
Having lost more than 12 stone in the last five years, Tom knows from experience how important it is to motivate yourself to start dieting and exercising – and to stay on track.
‘When I first set out to lose weight, I concentrated mainly on what I was eating,’ he says. ‘But now I know that it’s to do with fitness as well: the two working together is the winning formula for getting maximum results and maintaining those results long term. And the number one rule when it comes to eating well on a diet is to keep food interesting! Every recipe in this book not only sustains you through the day, but provides fantastic tastes and textures with each mouthful.’
With light bites and veggie feasts, meal-prep to see you through the week and tasty sweet treats, Tom has got it covered. The focus is on BOLD FLAVOURS and BIG PORTION SIZES, so you’ll never go hungry and you’ll always feel satisfied. Recipes include Quick black dhal; Steak tacos with burnt corn salsa; Charred mackerel and potato salad; Lamb bhuna; blueberry meringue sundaes and many more.
At the back of the book, you’ll find a fantastic bonus chapter with a workout that will help you get started with a healthier lifestyle, no matter where you’re at now. It’s all about taking control of your life in a positive way, so get ready to EAT better, DO more and LOSE WEIGHT with Tom Kerridge!
About the author:
Tom Kerridge worked as a chef in restaurants across Britain before deciding to set out on his own and take over a rundown pub in the quiet Buckinghamshire town of Marlow. He opened The Hand & Flowers with his wife Beth in 2005, and it went on to become the first (and only) pub in the world to acquire two Michelin stars. In 2014 he opened a second pub in Marlow, The Coach, which was followed by The Butcher’s Tap. Most recently, he and his core team launched Kerridge’s Bar & Grill, which is housed in Corinthia London. His previous books include the bestselling Proper Pub Food, Tom Kerridge’s Best Ever Dishes, Tom’s Table, Tom Kerridge’s Dopamine Diet, Lose Weight for Good and Tom Kerridge’s Fresh Start.

Cabinet of Wonders
2020-01-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Performance Space
Discover wondrous objects from the depth of the library. Be the first to find hidden clues from our new trail and help us complete our new weird and wonderful Cabinet of Wonders. You can also join us for a film screening.
Suitable for families
Free – please drop in

Manchester Muslim Poets Bonanza
2020-01-21 18:30 - 20:00
An evening like no other – with Elmo Ali, Hafsah Aneela Bashir, Kamal Kaan, Mahboobeh Rajabi, celebrating poetry and showcasing the works of local poets of Pakistani, Bengali, Iranian and Somali backgrounds.
Introduced by Danny Middleton and moderated by Francesca Bradley.

Remembering Biafra: Public History for Community Empowerment
2020-01-25 10:00 - 18:30 | Performance Space
January 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the Nigeria-Biafra war (1967-1970). The Nigerian civil war invites profound questions on issues like the legacies of British colonialism, the challenges of peaceful ethnic coexistence, mass starvation and humanitarianism, and the influence of foreign powers on African politics. This event brings together academics, film-makers and local communities to explore the contested history and legacies of this controversial and poorly understood page in 20th century history.
Free- please drop in

Sunday Funday: Chinese New Year
2020-01-26 12:00 - 16:00
Join us for a celebration of Chinese arts, crafts and culture on one of our exclusive Sunday openings. We are celebrating the Year of the Rat with musicians, artists and activities for all the family. Soak up the atmosphere with traditional Chinese music, art and dance. Take part in an afternoon packed full of Chinese traditions with the Confucius Institute of Manchester University. Join free drop-in workshops, where you can learn about the Chinese tea ceremony. Be sure to arrive early to see the fantastic lion dance performances from Manchester Chi Mo Martial Art Centre outside the library just before we open at 12pm.
Free drop in event – please donate what you can afford on the day or make an online donation here
Donations received will help to support future cultural events like Sunday Fundays!
