Library Live

See My Dunya: Double-Take Event
2019-02-16 11:00 - 17:00 UTC | Performance Space
A chance to meet the artists behind the exhibition and explore their world…A day of workshops, a Q&A and more to celebrate the continuation of See My Dunya: See My World, an exhibition spotlighting the Somali community in Manchester. Through photography, film, music and sculpture; See My Dunya brings to focus the rarely celebrated faces, the un-heard stories and dreams that make up the Somali-British experience.
Want to know more about See My Dunya?
Follow @seemydunya on Instagram
Follow @seemydunya on Twitter
Free – booking recommended

Sixteen
2019-02-16 08:00 - 2019-04-15 17:00 | Wolfson Reading Room
What’s it like to be sixteen years old now? In this exhibition, leading contemporary photographers join forces to present multimedia project, Sixteen, exploring the dreams, hopes and fears of sixteen-year olds across the UK. Photographer Craig Easton conceived this ambitious project following his engagement with sixteen-year olds at the time of the Scottish Referendum. It was the first, and as yet only, time that these young people were given the vote in the UK. Building on the success of that work he invited 16 of the UK’s foremost documentary portrait photographers to collaborate with young people across the country to make a visual vox pop on what it means to be sixteen now.
Free – please drop in
Supported by a National Lottery grant from Arts Council England

Drag Queen Bingo
2019-02-15 20:00 - 22:30 | Performance Space
SORRY, THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT
Welcome to our first Drag Queen Bingo Night at Central Library.
We are proud to present the fabulous Angel Delight for a practically perfect evening of comedy, fun and frolics. Angel will be your gorgeous host for the evening, that will also feature Mary Poppins as you’ve never seen her before…
We’ll also be having the odd game of bingo, but not as you know it!
BIG Bingo Prizes to be won on the night.
Doors open at 7.30pm. Bar will be open all evening.
This event is part of our LGBTQ History Month Celebrations. For the full programme of events go to https://manclibraries.blog

Chinese New Year Celebration
2019-02-10 12:00 - 16:00
Come and welcome in the Year of the Pig at Central Library!
Beginning with a Lion Dance at the front of the Library to let the new year in, there will be music and dance performances, and a demonstration of the Chinese Tea Ceremony. Plus we have lots of crafts and activities for you to try, all of them free!
Free – just drop in

WORD CENTRAL - Open Mic Night
2019-02-07 18:00 - 20:00 | Central Library – 2nd Floor Meeting Room, St Peter's Square, Manchester
WORD CENTRAL
a semaphore-exploding mind-flow
open mic poetry & spoken word hosted by Tony Curry
With special guest poet Ciarán Hodgers
Ciarán is a multi-award-winning spoken word poet from Drogheda, currently touring his debut collection Cosmocartography. He is the Sean Dunne National Young Writer 2010, an International Pangaea Poetry Slam Champion 2015 and the Word War 3 Slam Champion.
You can book your open mic spot for February via mail@flapjackpress.co.uk
NB Open mic slots are 3 minutes maximum and allocated on a ‘first come first served’ basis
If the open mic slots are already filled you will be offered a space on the reserve list

2084 - An Immersive Orwell Experience
2019-02-05 17:00 - 2019-02-14 18:30
It is the age of total surveillance.
Everything you say or do is scrutinised and recorded. Even your innermost thoughts are probed. You cannot be too careful; there are enemies everywhere.
This unique immersive performance will plunge you into an authoritarian world where you will learn to identify traitors and expose their thought crimes.
This event is for 18+ only.
Welcome to the Future.
Audience reviews from the company’s 2018 production of Frankenstein:
“It was amazing. I felt as if I was in a completely different world.”
“I was fully immersed in the story and deeply moved.”
“A unique experience in a remarkable space. I would not change a thing.”
Tickets are £15 (£12 concessions)

Holocaust Memorial Day 2019
2019-01-27 12:00 - 16:00
On this day of reflection we will be screening the UK Premier of the film, Who Will Write Our History, which tells the story of historian Emanuel Ringelblum who defied his captors to ensure the Oyneg Shabes archive would survive the war. Performances by young people throughout the afternoon and family activity sessions based around this year’s theme, ‘Torn from Home’.
Film screenings start at 12.30pm and 2.15pm
Free – please drop in

It’s the Wrong Way to Tickle Mary
2019-01-24 18:00 - 20:00 | Performance Space
Mad Theatre Company and the Delaney (Community) Theatre Group invite you on a funny and poignant journey through the north west’s rich cultural history to the time of the suffragettes and the First World War.
This event at Manchester Central Library will feature selected scenes from Moston-based MaD Theatre Company’s original play, It’s the wrong way to tickle Mary, which sold-out in autumn 2018 at the Lowry Theatre, Salford, Rochdale Literature and Ideas Festival and the Met Theatre, Bury.
MaD writer/directors Rob Lees and Jill Hughes will then join cast members to discuss their experience of creating and staging the play in an audience-led Q & A session.
This event comes ahead of a final full performance of It’s the Wrong Way to Tickle Mary at Salford Arts Theatre on Thursday 7 February 2019:
http://www.salfordartstheatre.com/
It’s the Wrong Way to Tickle Mary is part of an Arts and Humanities Research Council and John Fell Fund-funded partnership involving the University of Oxford, MaD Theatre Company, Charlotte Delaney, the Guinness Partnership, Salford Women’s Aid and the Working Class Movement Library.

Making and Breaking Digital Music
2019-01-23 18:00 - 20:00 | Performance Space
Making and sharing music is easier than ever thanks to digital technology. But can you make money?
Join us and hear from a panel of musicians and music technology experts:
Afrodeutsche: the British born Ghanain/Russian/German composer, producer and DJ based in Manchester. Her productions cross a wide range of styles including classical solo piano, techno, house and electro. Through sound, Afrodeutsche journeys deep into the world of Film, Documentary Film and Theatre composition.
Simon Lyon from Ableton, the company behind of Live, Push & Link, unique software and hardware for music creation and performance.
Adrian Greensides from Spirit Studios, home to many bands from the North West, many of which became household names; 808 State, The Smiths, Simply Red and the Happy Mondays. After nurturing the next generation of music, as well as recognising an increase in demand for professionally trained sound engineers, Spirit Studios soon turned its hand to teaching and became the first audio engineering and music production school in the UK.
Hosted by Martyn Walsh from Manchester’s very own Inspiral Carpets and the Creative Industries Guru in Residence at the BIPC!
Free but booking required

What did Anne Lister do in 1832?
2019-01-19 15:30 - 17:00 | Performance Space
Anne Lister of Shibden Hall, Halifax (1791-1840) was a landowner, scholar and diarist. Her 4-million word journals, partly written in her private code, recorded her lesbian affairs with other women. BBC1’s drama series, Gentleman Jack (spring 2019), opens in 1832. Jill Liddington asks: how could Anne Lister do all she did in 1832?

Saturday Take Over
2019-01-19 12:00 - 16:00
It’s a children’s take over today! Manchester school children have chosen a Victorian and Time Travelling theme for the activities and content for our popular January family spectacular. Pop in and join us for free family fun. We’re sure you’re going to love it!
Free – please drop in

Manchester’s Tramways on Film
2019-01-16 18:00 - 20:00 | Performance Space
THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT
Reflecting on the 70th anniversary of the closure of Manchester’s original tramway network in January 1949, the North West Film Archive opens up its collection of footage of tramways from around the region from the 1890s to the 1950s. Curated and presented by a member of the archive’s staff this show will be a must for all transport lovers.

Josie and the Pussycats - Film Screening
2019-01-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Performance Space
For the first RAD Screenings event of 2019 they’ll be helping you get over the January blues by turning the volume up and bringing their fave cinematic, feline themed rock band to the big screen: Josie and the Pussycats!
This cult classic opens on a totally fictional world where, for years the record industry has inserted subliminal messages into music so that they can turn teenagers into brain dead zombies who do nothing but buy, buy, buy; but whenever the musician or band finds out the truth, the record company silences them to keep the truth from coming out. When the One Direction of the time, DuJour discovers this, their manager, Wyatt Frame, under his evil, corrupt boss, Fiona, has the plane they are flying in crashed and him looking for a new band to use for their evil schemes. Enter Josie, Melody, and Valerie, from Josie and the Pussycats, a small band who wants to make it to the big time. When they are discovered by Wyatt, they give in and become big rock stars. But will they find out that they are just pawns for the record industry or will fame take them over?
Doors 17:30 / Film starts 18:00

See My Dunya
2019-01-15 08:00 - 2019-03-23 17:00 | Lower Ground Floor Exhibition Space
Through photography, film, music and sculpture; See My Dunya: See My World brings to focus the seldom seen faces, the un-heard stories and dreams that make up the Somali-British experience.
An invitation into the Somali-Mancunian experiences, it hosts the images, testimonies, sounds and swag of the many individuals that make up this seldomly centred yet hyper-visible community; inviting the viewer to discover and share in the marvellously mundane.
The exhibition features photography by Sharmaarke Ali Adan, film by SSCOPE, music by HMD and 3D sculptural installation by Somali Architecture.
See My Dunya is an experiment, a local and grass roots initiative conceived in conjunction with Big People Music as way of carving out a space in dialogue with the Somali community in Manchester.
This exhibition will Launch in HOME as part of: Push Festival 2019
Want to know more about See My Dunya?

Follow @seemydunya on Instagram
Follow @seemydunya on Twitter

Free – please drop in

The Life and Career of Charles Hallé: Bicentenary Exhibition
2019-01-08 08:00 - 2019-05-31 17:00 | Wolfson Reading Room
This collaborative exhibition celebrates one of Manchester’s great adopted sons on his 200th birthday. The archives of The Henry Watson Music Library in Central Library, The Hallé Concerts Society, The Royal Northern College of Music and Forsyth Brothers Limited, have been thoroughly explored and displayed in order to tell the story of Hallé’s life and legacy. The exhibition has been curated by well-known local music critic and Hallé biographer, Dr. Robert Beale.
Free – please drop in

Word Central with Rose Condo
2019-01-03 18:00 - 20:00
Welcome to the first Word Central Open Mic and Spoken Word Night of 2019!
Hosted by Tony Curry with special guest poet Rose Condo.

January’s special guest Rose Condo is a Canadian spoken word artist and educator currently residing in the North of England. A multiple slam champion, she has been performing her work extensively at spoken word nights and festivals throughout the UK and Canada since 2013, including performances for Amnesty International, Apples & Snakes, Hammer & Tongue and guest slots supporting Hollie McNish and Shane Koyczan. She has been the host and organiser of the monthly spoken word event Queenie’s Coffee House Night since 2015.
Rose has written and toured two spoken word shows, The Geography Of Me and How To Starve An Artist – the latter voted runner-up for Best UK Spoken Word Show at the Saboteur Awards 2017.
Her work is unapologetically feminist, oftentimes wry, occasionally raw, but always honest and compassionate.
Word Central’s host Tony Curry is a poet and playwright for stage and radio. His solo shows include Brit Boy, Complicit Relations, Moving and most recently The Odyssey, which he performed at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre. He has two collections of poetry published by Flapjack Press, The Noble Savage [“A window into yesterday … historical and poetic. I love it!” – Mike Garry] and Tall Tales for Tall Men Who Fall Well Short [“This is our poetry, these are our poems.” – Tony Walsh].
Open mic spots for January will be available to book from 14th December via mail@flapjackpress.co.uk.
N.B. Open mic slots are 3 minutes maximum.
Word Central is a Manchester Library and Information Service and Flapjack Press co-production.

Family Christmas Film
2018-12-20 14:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
Join us for the afternoon with a good old Christmas film and family crafts. Take some time to relax before the Christmas holiday.
Suitable for all ages
Free – please drop in

Christmas Extravaganza
2018-12-15 10:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
Get your festive season underway with our annual family extravaganza. Listen to a fantastic line-up of local choirs and bands, create your own Christmas crafts and enjoy a mince pie with us. Performances and activities galore, and Father Christmas will be here!
Free – please drop in

Emmeline Pankhurst Statue Celebration Event
2018-12-14 13:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
A celebration of the unveiling of the statue of Emmeline Pankhurst. This event in Central Library will showcase the amazing archives we have which illustrate the effort made to win the vote for women. Make a handcrafted rosette with your own suffragette message of hope and equality 100 years on! Let’s celebrate together, December 14th 1918, which is 100 years since women over 30 were able to vote in this country.
This event includes:
“BORN A REBEL”, free film screenings at 2pm and 3pm (See Eventbrite link below to book)
Showing women’s lives from the suffragettes to the miner’s strikes, and much more, Born a Rebel is a celebration of women in protest across the North of England since the start of women’s suffrage 100 years ago. Visit Eventbrite for booking details and watch the trailer here.
Free event – please drop in (booking for screenings recommended above)

Krampus - Film Screening
2018-12-12 18:20 - 20:00 | Performance Space
Join Grimmfest for their annual Christmas horror movie gathering! When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers.
Over 15 years only (no under 15’s admitted)

Manchester Indie Film Makers Group
2018-12-12 18:00 - 20:00
The Manchester Independent Film Makers Group are looking for new members.
The group is a collective of creatives who use film and media to produce original productions, which are both thought provoking and offer a fresh view of how film and live interaction is brought together.
Based at Central Library in Manchester the group is run by volunteers and aimed at anyone interested in screen acting, scripting and film makers of all abilities. The group offers a varied program of events throughout the year and meet every 2nd & 4th Wednesday evening of the month.
If you have any questions or constructive ideas or just want to find out more about how you can get involved with their new season of events, please email Nigel Anderson at: manchesterindiefmg@gmail.com

Christmas Silent Disco
2018-12-07 20:00 - 2018-12-08 00:00 | Performance Space
The ever popular Retro Silent Disco returns for a Christmas Special at Central Library!
Join DJ John Ryan for a night of 70’s, 80’s and 90’s pop classics, with a sprinkling of festive hits throughout.
Bar open all night. Christmas jumpers and party gear recommended!

Enhanced Humans?
2018-12-07 11:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
‘Enhanced Humans?’ is a collaborative pop-up exhibition created by the University of Manchester exploring medical innovation, health and human adaptability. Bringing collections from the Museum of Medicine and Health to the city centre, this exhibition explores objects ranging from prosthetics to alternative therapies.
Join us for an engaging and thought provoking experience for all ages.
Free – Please drop in

Word Central - featuring Laura Taylor
2018-12-06 18:00 - 20:00
Word Central Open Mic Night – hosted by Tony Curry.
Our guest poet in December is Laura Taylor, whose latest collection Fault Lines was published this summer by Flapjack Press. Laura was born into a working-class family in the North of England and has challenged arbitrary forms of authority all her life. Now in her prime, she understands fully the potency of kindness in a world intent on creating division.
“I’d like my teenage daughter to read these poems because, as women, we shouldn’t have to wait for middle age to claim the right to be ourselves.” – Alice Nutter, ex-Chumbawamba, screenwriter & playwright
“Personal, political, social and relational. Her strength and consistency as a poet is raising sometimes difficult but often comic issues to our attention.” – Prof. Mike Thomas, Vice-Chancellor University of Central Lancashire
“One of the country’s finest poets, both on the page and on the stage.” – Attila the Stockbroker, poet & musician

Ben Thornley & Gary Neville signing Tackled
2018-12-06 16:00 - 17:00
Come and meet Ben Thornley and Gary Neville who will be signing copies of Tackled at Manchester Central Library on Thursday 6th December from 4pm.
Who was the standout player when the Class of ’92 won the FA Youth Cup? David Beckham? Paul Scholes? Ryan Giggs? Think again. Ben Thornley: The Class of ’92 Star Who Never Got to Graduate is the compelling autobiography of a teenager who had the world at his feet, only for one tackle to shatter his knee – and his dreams of playing for Manchester United. A supremely gifted winger with pace to burn, he played in every round of that Youth Cup run and finished as top scorer. It wasn’t long before Alex Ferguson, keen to unleash this prodigious talent, gave him his first-team debut – but just six weeks later came the moment that would change the path of Ben’s career, and life, forever. This tale is not only told from Ben’s perspective but also with exclusive insights from those who witnessed him in action first hand. They include family and school friends, as well as Beckham, Giggs, Scholes, Gary Neville and many more. This is the Class of ’92 as you’ve never heard it before – from a player who was a class apart.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ben Thornley wrote Tackled with the collaboration of journalist Dan Poole. Dan is now the chief sub-editor of Monocle magazine. He started his career at The Independent and then worked in Sydney for three years, writing for FHM, Empire and Rolling Stone. He has also contributed to Manchester United fanzine, United We Stand. This is his first book.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
This is a ticketed event. Purchase price includes one copy of Tackled.
The signing will commence from 4pm at Manchester Central Library, St Peter’s Square, Manchester, M2 5PD
Anyone arriving to the venue before 3.30pm will be asked to return at or after 3.30pm
Due to the anticipated high turn out, please be prepared to queue
Refreshments will not be available at the event but facilities are available at nearby outlets
The exact time at which the event ends will be determined by the promoters on the day
To avoid disappointment, we advise you not to arrive any later than the signing start time
Your ticket entitles you to one book and one place in the queue to have your book signed by Ben Thornley and Gary Neville
You will receive your copy of the book at the event
A member of staff will be on hand to take a picture for you. Selfie style pictures may not be possible on this occasion. Please ensure that your phone/camera is fully charged on the day and has enough storage
There will not be an official photographer present at the event
Only Tackled will be signed. No other merchandise will be signed
Unfortunately dedications within the book may not be possible
Anyone under the age of 14 years must be accompanied by an adult. Any accompanying adults will not require a ticket. Due to time and space limitations only one child can only be accompanied by one parent
Please note the event may be filmed, as an attendee you consent to footage of you being used for promotional purposes
Tickets cannot be resold or transferred and shall not be purchased or obtained from or through any person, commercial agent, company or otherwise than directly by the applicant from Ticketmaster UK Ltd. Any tickets advertised for sale will be void
Management have the right to refuse entry or remove anyone who does not comply with these rules or who fails to follow reasonable instructions on the day

C.R. McBerny - Exhibition
2018-12-05 08:00 - 2019-02-28 17:00 | First Floor Display Cases
R. McBerny is a collaborative exhibition organised by Andrew Hunt and Veit Laurent Kurz that explores how contemporary painting, performance and writing might produce overtly emotional and demonstrative forms of discourse between communities of artists and writers in Berlin, New York and Manchester.
Free – please drop in

Manchester Disability History Rocks!
2018-12-03 12:00 - 16:30 | Performance Space
A showcase of music and creativity by disabled artists from Manchester to celebrate International Day of Disabled People and kick off UK Disability History Month. Including performances by Manchester’s very own Bee Vocal (Manchester Mental Health) Choir and famed disability singer/songwriter Johnny Crescendo. Featuring a mix of Living History interactive characters, comedy, musical performances, plus an exhibition and talk by GM Coalition of Disabled People demonstrating how music was used as a catalyst for change in the disability rights movement. This is a show worthy of Manchester’s activist and artistic roots. Look out also for the Town Hall purple light up, in honour of IDDP.
BSL interpreters will be available throughout the performances
Free – please drop in

Manchester Disability Rocks Workshop
2018-12-03 10:00 - 14:00 | Henry Watson Music Library
Billy and Andy run fun and accessible music activities for people of all ages who have special needs and disabilities. They build their own unique musical instruments that break down the barrier to music making and by using music based activities they can help anyone, regardless of ability, take part in creating music they can be proud of. Come along on to the Henry Watson Music Library on the First Floor of Central Library.
Free, drop in music workshop as part of UK Disability History Month

Writing About Palestine Now: Celebrating the 2018 Palestinian Book Awards
2018-11-29 14:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
The Palestine Book Awards began in 2012 to honour every year the best new books in English about any aspect of Palestine. This award brings Palestinian literature, research and poetry to audiences across continents, and gives a platform for writers to be more widely known and appreciated.
Activist-writer Haifa Zangana and international journalist Victoria Brittain are celebrating the 2018 Palestine Book Awards hosted by MEMO for the first time in Manchester.
In conversation with PalREAD Postdoctoral Researcher Ruth Abou Rached, Haifa and Victoria offer a dynamic panel discussion about Palestinian writing as well as who is writing about Palestine and Palestinians in 2018.
As a conversation panel that invites audience interaction, this event is a unique opportunity to reflect on – and debate – what writing about Palestine means now, locally and globally.

Gerry Potter: Manchester Isn’t the Greatest City in the World: The Rise and Rise of The Bourgeois Zeitgeist
2018-11-28 18:30 - 20:00
Gerry Potter presents: Manchester Isn’t the Greatest City in the World: The Rise and Rise of The Bourgeois Zeitgeist. With special guest Dave Viney
Part love letter to his adopted home city of Manchester, part critique of the arts and governing bodies (both specific and societal), Gerry’s eighth collection of autobiographical, domestic/fantastic theatre-verse is a socio-political, hard-hittin’ ‘n’ thought-provokin’ collection of poetry, prose and plays.
Adhering to working-class and socialist principles, this polemic discourse on the The Bourgeois Zeitgeist challenges perceptions, misrepresentations and acceptance, and acts as a rallying call for those seeking to confront privilege and injustice.
Features 90 poems, 2 plays, a 20,000 word treatise on ‘The Bourgeois Zeitgeist’ and an 8,000 word ‘Outroduction’.
Contains adult themes throughout / LGBTQ+.
“It really is incredibly easy to get an audience to applaud anything these days, TED Talks and The X Factor have seen to that, you kinda just have to tell them something Positivia-inspired dripping in Inspirationalism and they’ll unanimously roar. There seems to be a major-city patriotic jingoism manifesting too, not just here in Manchester, everywhere; it now appears all cities are the greatest cities in the world. While this may be more than enough for some folk, I’m afraid it’s nowhere near enough for me.” – from ‘The Bourgeois Zeitgeist’
Definitely no Inspirationalism and absolutely no Positivia!
Monday 8th September 2018, on the News… The Bureau of Investigative Journalism has recorded 449 deaths due to homelessness in Britain – in one year. How many mentally and physically ill, how many right now facing homelessness, how many dead since last recorded, how many more will die?
Reason, if reason was ever needed, why no place in our greed ‘n’ perilous land can call itself the greatest city in the world.
And also on the News… A clip of Theresa May at the previous week’s Tory Party Conference, standing in front of a big blue backdrop, emboldened with white lettering proclaiming OPPORTUNITY!
This book is dedicated to every one of the above and all who suffer under Conservative Austerity.
Gerry Potter is a poet, playwright, director, actor, and both creator and destroyer of the infamous gingham diva, Chloe Poems. His published works are included in both the poetry and philosophy collections at Harvard University, and the portrait documentary My Name is Gerry Potter premiered at Homotopia in 2015. An Everyman Youth Theatre alumnus, National Museums Liverpool lists him amongst the city’s leading LGBTQ+ icons.
