Sunday Funday - Festival of Libraries Celebration
2023-06-11 12:00 - 16:00 UTC | Performance Space
Join us for an afternoon of fun with the family as we celebrate the Festival of Libraries, showcasing what Central Library has to offer and including our amazing crafts and face painting offers, amongst many other treats.
Free – drop in – please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in the venue or online

MIRO - Performance
2023-06-11 14:30 - 15:30 | Henry Watson Music Library
Manchester International Roots Orchestra return, to perform on our Sunday Funday as part of the Festival of Libraries, bringing together musicians, instruments and musical traditions from all parts of the globe, to perform both original and traditional pieces, MIRO is always brilliant and offers a chance to experience something unique.
There will also be a brief talk on the Global Folk Instruments Heritage Project, a collaboration between MIRO, the Henry Watson Music Library and the Royal Northern College Of Music. This project explores and examines musical cultures and instruments from different times and locations and will yield documentaries, performances, educational sessions, written pieces and more over the coming years.
Free – just drop in – please consider making a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme if you can, either online or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

Windrush 75: A Celebration
2023-06-19 17:30 - 19:00 | Performance Space
In collaboration with The Jamaica Society and UNISON Manchester Inspire Black Members Forum, Manchester Libraries invite you to join us for a special book reading followed by speakers about their Windrush experiences. Deniz ‘Skip’ Önaç will be reading from his book, The Colour of My Heart: A True Story of Hope, Perseverance and Love.
This is a true story about the profound transformational effect the island and culture of Jamaica had on Deniz, a young, impulsive, white, Englishman, born in the late 1940s in rural Derbyshire. In his own words, Deniz tells the story of how his plans to live, love and learn in London in the early 1970s are suddenly and irrevocably changed.
“An inspirational read. You won’t stop turning the pages!”
“A very heartwarming story that leaves the reader wanting more.”
Q&As with Deniz will follow his reading where audience members can find out more about his time in Jamaica. Deniz will be available for book signing at the end of the evening.
Following the Q&A session, invited speakers Jennifer Rouse-Burgundy, Chair, Leeward Islands Peoples Association and Leslie Bell will talk about their experiences of Windrush.
Light refreshments will be served. Don’t miss out!
Free – no booking required

Make Music Day
2023-06-21 10:00 - 19:30 | Henry Watson Music Library
The Henry Watson Music Library will again host a small festival as part of this international annual celebration of music. A variety of artists of many different styles will perform short sets (around 20 minutes) throughout the day, leading to a final full performance and presentation by Manchester International Roots Orchestra. It’s always a really good day of enjoying the joys of music!
Free – just drop in – please consider making a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme if you can, either online or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

Discovering Manchester: Wildlife & Nature
2023-07-07 08:00 - 2023-10-06 17:00 | First Floor Display Cases
Wildlife is always just a walk away wherever you are in Manchester and the beautiful countryside that surrounds it. This exhibition showcases the creative talents and passions of our Central Library staff members. We hope to inspire you to explore and enjoy the many areas of Manchester’s natural beauty, and to discover and appreciate hidden gems in and around Manchester, whilst considering the impact of conservation and rewilding efforts in the local area.
Free – drop in
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Make Mine Manga: Exploring the Marvellous World of Manga
2023-07-10 08:00 - 2023-08-18 17:00 | Ground Floor
A free exhibition for anyone curious about manga as well as the avid fan. Explore the origins of Manga in Japan, the creative techniques behind the art and discover the wonder of Manga-Anime. The exhibition features artwork from incredible creators from Japan and discover today’s generation of award-winning British talents making manga in their own way as part of a truly global comic language. The exhibition has been specially created by Paul Gravett; the curator of comic exhibitions across the UK including the British Museum and the Barbican Centre and the author of numerous books about comics and their creators, including ‘Manga: 60 Years Of Japanese Comics’.
Free – please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Manchester College Students: Responses
2023-07-10 08:00 - 2023-09-09 17:00 | Wolfson Reading Room
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 personal research and subject matter, produced in traditional messy art school rooms where students become inspired and have tested the possibilities of ideas, research and practical production. These fresh, innovative Art School Creatives will continue their practices in: painting, drawing, film, photography, textile design, animation and site-specific work; progressing on to degree courses in the city and beyond. This exhibition will coincide with MIF (Manchester International Festival) and continues till 2 September.
To see more exciting innovative work and research, follow the Instagram link: #foundationartanddesigntmc
If you would like information about the Foundation Diploma course, please contact: Fiona Donald fdonald@tmc.ac.uk
Free – just drop in
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Curry Mile – A Changing Neighbourhood
2023-07-10 08:00 - 2023-09-30 17:00 | First Floor Exhibition Hall
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 sprung up, the traditional restaurants are less dominant, Manchester City FC have relocated, and the pubs have all closed. The result poses the question as to whether the term ‘Curry Mile’ is now a misnomer.
To accompany this exhibition, we are hosting a talk with the photographers on Thursday 20 July at 6pm, which can be booked on eventbrite
Free exhibition – just drop in
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Paper Piano Presents: Opening Night
2023-07-13 08:00 - 17:00 | Henry Watson Music Library
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 art works by DJ Goalpost as well as picking up one of his free badges. Mark Hoyle (Dub Sex, Dumb, SPIRIT:level) will also be making an appearance to read some of his poems published by Paper Piano Press.
Free – please drop in
Please support our Library Live Programme, if you can, by donatng via the cash or contactless donation points in the venue or online

Paper Piano Exhibition
2023-07-13 09:00 - 2023-10-13 09:00 | Henry Watson Music Library
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 and bands. Included in the exhibition will be releases that have featured local talent including Mark Hoyle, SPIRIT:level, and Gideon Conn. Near neighbours The Declining Winter also make an appearance as do Motohiro Nakashima and Birds Humming the Beat, both from Japan.
The exhibition will be split into two halves. The first half will focus on Paper Piano music and books, but will also reference one-off works such as “The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists” collage, currently displayed at the Working Class Movement Library, Salford. Highlights include SPIRIT:level’s concrete plinth and The Oreoh!s Pompom EP, two CD’s wrapped up in wool that can’t be played until a pompom is made. The second half is dedicated to the multidisciplinary artist, DJ Goalpost. His work is even more varied and playful and almost impossible to categorize. Things to look out for here include a CD hand sewn into the shorts from a Stockport County football kit and “Don’t Give Up On Us” by David Soulpost, DJ Goalpost’s alter-ego.
Throughout the time the exhibition is taking place there will be a series of events featuring Paper Piano artists and also the opportunity to buy some limited edition artworks.
Free – drop in
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal, History and Preservation
2023-07-19 10:30 - 17:00 | Performance Space
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, involved a huge workforce and probably required some ingenious engineering solutions along the way. Any restoration must have been equally difficult and required considerable funds and many manhours. Join us on this Wednesday morning to hear the full story.

Urmston, Flixton and Davyhulme: A Postcard Heritage
2023-07-19 13:00 - 17:00 | Performance Space
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 postcards amongst house clearances, and they are just as likely to say ‘see you tomorrow’ as ‘wish you were here’. Some of us might remember when postcard postage was less than letter postage. Speaker, Michael Billington, seems to have a hoard postcards, so join us on this Wednesday afterrnon to hear all about them.

'Curry Mile - A Changing Neighbourhood' Event
2023-07-20 18:00 - 19:45
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 at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Word Central
2023-07-25 18:00 - 19:45 | Performance Space
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 Exchange Theatre. His play, The Teddy Bear, was staged at Manchester’s Contact Theatre. His has three poetry collections published by Flapjack Press, The Noble Savage, Tall Tales for Tall Men Who Fall Well Short and We Kid Ourselves.
Winston Plowes lives in Calderdale aboard his floating home, which doubles as lodgings for lost and wayward words. He teaches creative writing, has been Poet in Residence for the Rochdale Canal Festival and The Hebden Bridge Arts Festival, and worked in collaboration with The Arvon Foundation, Glastonbury Festival, UCLAN, Manchester Museum and the BBC. He is also the inventor of the world’s first (and possibly last) Random Poetry Generating Bicycle, the ‘Spoke-n-Word’. His published poetry collections include Misery Begins at Home [Rubberybubberyboy Parchment], Micro Chap-book Extras [Origami Press] and Telephones, Love Hearts & Jellyfish [Electric Press].
Free Entry, everyone welcome.
Book your open mic slot from noon on Tues 11th July via mail@flapjackpress.co.uk
NB Open mic slots are 3 minutes per performer – it is essential that you stay within this timeframe
Performance slots are allocated on a ‘first come first served’ basis from the stated booking time.If they are already filled you will be offered a place on the reserve list

Crime Central
2023-07-27 18:00 - 19:30 | Performance Space
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 event.

Marketing the Manchester Ship Canal 1919-1939
2023-07-29 08:00 - 2024-01-15 17:00 | Archives+ Ground Floor
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 internationally and encourage industrial growth around the docks.
The exhibition highlights the work of a fascinating array of commercial artists engaged by the Ship Canal Company. Some of the most innovative in their design work were born locally and trained at the Manchester School of Art. Highlights include the ‘ship prow’ painting created by Paxton Chadwick, the futurist designs and humorous sketches of Bert Wilson and the quirky illustrations of John Dronsfield. It also considers the influence of the company’s publicity chief Kenneth Brady who brought new ideas in design and messaging following his appointment to MSCC in 1926. Much of material exhibited was discovered 2021 in the extensive archives Ship Canal Company held in Manchester Central Library. It includes original artwork for some of the widely used designs that have never been displayed publicly before.
Exhibition curated by Martin Dodge (Senior Lecturer in the Geography Department, University of Manchester). Much of his research is currently focused on the historical geography of Manchester’s transport and town planning. He is fascinated by the history of the Manchester Ship Canal and understanding how it transformed the city and the wider region.
Supported by Archives+ at Central Library, The University of Manchester and the Manchester Geographical Society.
Free – just drop in
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Manchester Day
2023-07-29 12:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
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 or the family and have some fun. Suitable for families.
Free – drop in
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Holiday Activity Fund Activities
2023-08-03 08:00 - 2023-08-24 17:00 | Performance Space
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
Wednesday 23 August
Thursday 24 August
Free – booking required. Email angela.rawcliffe@manchester.gov.uk to book a place

Craftivism
2023-08-07 14:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
Manchester Histories is excited to be working in partnership with Scary Little Girls and Greenham Women Everywhere to bring three fantastic events to Manchester Histories Hub and the Performance Space in Manchester Central Library from Monday 7 – Tuesday 8 August. Join us as Common Ground explores the stories and significance of Greenham Common protest camps
Drop in or stay for this whole craftivism session to make some radical badges and gelli-plate prints with a local artist.
Chat about the impact of Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp with Greenham women while eating cake as we create a space for the change we want to see in the world!
All materials are provided.
Common Ground is a series of events made possible thanks to support from the National Heritage Lottery Fund as part of a project to map the impact of the Greenham Common Peace Camp on the women who inhabited it and the communities they returned to.
Free – book a place via the Manchester Histories website

Women Against the Bomb - Film Screening
2023-08-07 17:30 - 19:00 | Performance Space
Manchester Histories is excited to be working in partnership with Scary Little Girls and Greenham Women Everywhere to bring three fantastic events to Manchester Histories Hub and the Performance Space in Manchester Central Library from Monday 7 – Tuesday 8 August. Join us as Common Ground explores the stories and significance of Greenham Common protest camps.
Women Against the Bomb is Sonia Gonzalez’s prize-winning look at the impact of the Greenham Women, the first all-female peace camp, reflected through interviews and footage from women who took action and never looked back. Find out more about the Greenham Common Peace Camp as we explore its impact 40 years on.
Common Ground is a series of events made possible thanks to support from the National Heritage Lottery Fund as part of a project to map the impact of the Greenham Common Peace Camp on the women who inhabited it and the communities they returned to.
Free – book a place via the Manchester Histories website

Out of the Darkness: Greenham Voices
2023-08-08 13:00 - 15:00 | Lwr Ground Floor – Manchester Histories Hub
Manchester Histories is excited to be working in partnership with Scary Little Girls and Greenham Women Everywhere to bring three fantastic events to Manchester Histories Hub and the Performance Space in Manchester Central Library from Monday 7 – Tuesday 8 August. Join us as Common Ground explores the stories and significance of Greenham Common protest camps.
Join Rebecca Morden, Artistic Director of the feminist production hub ‘Scary Little Girls’, as she talks about her book and the process leading to it. As a child, Rebecca visited Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp with her mother and was part of making history with 30,000 other women and children at the Embrace the Base action 40 years ago. In 2018 she started interviewing Greenham Women to celebrate their unique role in changing women’s roles nationally and internationally, and she hasn’t stopped since, turning the project into a standalone organisation: Greenham Women Everywhere!
Common Ground is a series of events made possible thanks to support from the National Heritage Lottery Fund as part of a project to map the impact of the Greenham Common Peace Camp on the women who inhabited it and the communities they returned to.
Free – book a place via the Manchester Histories website

Silence is Golden
2023-08-12 00:00 | Henry Watson Music Library
Join us for live music from local artists on Saturday afternoon.
This summer the Henry Watson Music Library plays host to a special guest – Yamaha’s SILENT Piano™.
As part of a new collaboration between Yamaha and selected libraries across the UK, the Henry Watson Music Library hosts a SILENT Piano™ across the summer months. An acoustic piano enhanced with Yamaha’s most advanced silencing technology, we invite you to escape to your own musical universe with the SILENT Piano™ when you visit the library. Enjoy the expressivity, response and feel of an acoustic piano but without disturbing others and without distraction. You might be new to the piano, or perhaps it’s been a while since you played, or maybe you’re an artist looking to unleash your creativity at any opportunity. Whatever your motivations we invite you to visit the Henry Watson Music Library and transport yourself to another sound world with the SILENT Piano™
uk.yamaha.com #YamahaSilenceisGolden
Free – drop in
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

The Lowry Saturday Spectacular Takeover
2023-08-19 12:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
Join The Lowry team at Central Library to get a taste of their newest free family exhibition: Julia and Axel – celebrating 30 Years of Favourite Stories. From arts and crafts to interactive storytelling and engaging workshops, plus a chance to watch one of the stories on the big screen, the whole family can have fun with all their favourite characters!
Free – drop in
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Musical Theatre Workshop
2023-08-24 12:00 - 2023-08-25 16:00 | Performance Space
Join Manchester Libraries for a super summer musical theatre workshop, brought to you in partnership with the Palace Theatre & Manchester Opera House.
Sessions include a 2-hour practical musical theatre and movement session led by industry professionals. You can also explore the beautiful Palace Theatre on a backstage tour and ask any questions you have about working in theatre.
Suitable for ages 10-16 years
Please email angela.rawcliffe@manchester.gov.uk for more information
Palace Theatre © Phil Tragen

Word Central
2023-08-29 18:00 - 19:45 | Performance Space
Open Mic Poetry and Spoken Word
Hosted by Tony Curry
Presented by Flapjack Press & Manchester Libraries
A free event every month at
Manchester Central Library, St Peter’s Square, Manchester M2 5PD
Next event:
Tuesday 29th August, 6.00pm – 7.45pm
(doors open 5.40pm)
with special guest poet Róisín Maguire

Paper Piano Presents: Gideon Conn
2023-08-30 14:00 - 15:00 | Henry Watson Music Library
Another “Paper Piano Presents”, this time with Gideon Conn, the first artist to appear on the label. Known for effortlessly blending acoustic soul, jazz and hip hop, Gideon has a unique performance style that makes people very happy. Thought provoking lyrics glide over catchy melodic hooks with guitar playing different from any you’ve heard before.

‘The people of Britain may not know it yet but Gideon Conn is one of their national treasures.’ Scroobius Pip

Free – just drop in

Back to School Activity
2023-09-02 13:00 - 15:00 | Performance Space
Sharpen your pencils and get your sports kit ready – it’s back to school! Come and decorate your own gym bag and more. Suitable for ages 4–11
Free – just drop in.
Please support our cultural programme by donating at our cash or contactless donation boxes.

Futures for All
2023-09-04 08:00 - 2023-09-29 17:00 | City Library
GMCA: Futures for All is an employability skills programme for young people across Greater Manchester with SEN, that empowers employers to recognise and celebrate the value of a diverse workforce inclusive of young people from the SEND schools and settings.
The exhibition showcases a series of short films co-produced with alumni from SEND schools across Greater Manchester. These films explore a day in the life of each young person working in different jobs across Greater Manchester; from retail, to healthcare, hospitality, to digital.
Young people in SEND settings were shown these inspiring films and took part in creative workshops to visualise their own career aspirations through clay and fabric. This exhibition showcases their work alongside the films that inspired them.
Free – please drop in

Jesse Armstrong: Succession The Complete Scripts.
2023-09-07 18:30 - 20:00 | Performance Space
SOLD OUT
To celebrate the release of The Complete Scripts, we are absolutely thrilled to be welcoming writer and producer Jesse Armstrong to Manchester to talk about his highly acclaimed TV series SUCCESSION. Collected for the first time, the complete scripts of Succession feature unseen extra material and reveal a unique insight into Jesse Armstrong’s writing, creation and development of a TV sensation and a screen-writing masterpiece. Jesse will be in conversation with Terri White.
This event is being held at Manchester Central Library.
Doors: 18.30, event starts: 19.00.
Tickets are £10.00 or free when purchasing any volume of The Complete Scripts. An option to buy all 4 volumes for the discounted price of £60 is also available. You can also purchase copies of Succession: The Complete Scripts on the night and Jesse will be signing copies after the talk – please note, due to time Jesse will only be signing copies of The Complete Scripts. If you would like a signed copy but cannot make the event, please contact us on 0161 274 3331 or manchester@blackwell.co.uk and we can arrange this for you.
About the books:
Everything I’ve done in my life is for my children.
When Logan Roy, the head of one of the world’s largest media and entertainment conglomerates, decides to retire, each of his four grown children follows a personal agenda that doesn’t always sync with those of their siblings — or their father.
Collected here for the first time in four beautiful volumes, the complete scripts of Succession feature unseen extra material, including deleted scenes, alternative dialogue and character directions. They reveal a unique insight into the writing, creation and development of a TV sensation and a screen-writing masterpiece.
“Monstrous, near-Shakespearean perfection.” New Statesman
“The most thrilling and beautifully obscene TV there is.” Guardian
“Extraordinarily entertaining and incisive.” Empire
“One of the most relentlessly paced shows on television.” Rolling Stone
About the author:
Jesse Armstrong is an Academy Award-nominated and BAFTA-winning TV and film writer. In 2016 it was announced HBO had commissioned a 10 part series of his media family drama Succession. The pilot was directed by Adam McKay.
In the UK he co-created, co-executive produced and co-wrote 9 seasons of Channel 4’s BAFTA-winning comedy Peep Show.
He also co-wrote the BAFTA-winning The Thick of It and the Academy Award nominated script for the film In The Loop; the terrorism comedy Four Lions and British Comedy Award-winning comedy drama Fresh Meat.
Jesse was born and educated in Oswestry, Shropshire, and attended Manchester University where he studied American Studies as an undergraduate and American History for his Masters, after which he worked as a researcher for a Member of Parliament.
Working as a solo writer, Jesse wrote The Entire History of You for Black Mirror and the final episode of the first season of HBO’s Veep.
In 2016 Jonathan Cape published his novel set against the background of the Bosnian War, Love Sex and Other Foreign Policy Goals. The New York Times said ‘Armstrong proves to be just as maniacally funny here as he is on the screen.’

Heritage Open Days: Family Event
2023-09-09 13:00 - 16:00
Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at Central Library and Archives+? Join us on this fun, fact-filled library trail as we take you into the depths of our treasured venue. Tours take place on the hour – see links below to book:
1pm tour – book here
2pm tour – book here
3pm tour – book here
Free – please book in advance
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online
