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
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 […]
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; […]
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 […]
Author reading and book signing. With special guest Geneviève L. Walsh. “Whichever way I take I meet myself returning.” A poetic journey from the mills and moors of the industrial north to the meals and mosques of the Byzantine middle-east and back again. I Meet Myself Returning is about finding your feet in our ever-convoluted […]
Step back in time and take a walk down Manchester's high street passing by some of the city's iconic shop windows. From department stores to grocers and from toy shops to fashion boutiques, this exhibition will transport you back to a time when the only way to shop was on the high street. Professor Jon […]
A fantastic multimedia exhibition dedicated to Manchester's most unique artist. Containing the cream of the Frank Sidebottom/Chris Sievey archive, as featured in the new documentary Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story. Expect art, video, audio and bobbins puppets. Fun for the whole family. You know it is, it really is. Photo credit: Dave Arnold Free […]
This exhibition explores the work of three relatively unknown twentieth century German photographers, Hans Saebens, Hans Retzlaff and Erich Retzlaff. Their work during the 1930s and 1940s was produced as part of a widely circulated visual framing of German peasants and their ‘Heimat’ or homeland. Free - please drop in
With over 2 million copies sold worldwide, countless awards and accolades and a major movie adaptation, The Hate U Give has been a complete sensation as author Angie Thomas’ debut novel. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, it told the story of a young girl named Starr who was the only witness to the […]
Celebrate International Women’s Day with Flapjack Press. Join us for an evening of poetry hosted by Rosie Garland (“Literary hero” – The Skinny), with performances from award-winning poets, playwrights and spoken word artists Cathy Crabb, Sarah Miller, Anna Percy, Melanie Rees and Geneviève L. Walsh. Manchester Central Library, St Peter’s Square, Manchester M2 5PD. Doors […]
Join us to celebrate International Women’s Day with an afternoon of free activities for families. Pop in and enjoy a range of craft making, watch films and see some of our amazing archives, created by famous suffragettes. Free - please drop in
Michael Bristow, BBC World Service’s Asia and Pacific editor will talk about his eight-year stay in Beijing and why he decided to write about the country’s modern history. To assist him he asked for the help of his language teacher, who was born just two years after the communist party came to power in 1949. […]
Celebrate World Poetry Day at Central Library! Flapjack Press and Manchester Libraries are proud to present the brilliant Bradford based poet Steve O'Connor (Freed Up / Write Out Loud / Co Editor of Best of Manchester Poets anthologies) who will be launching his new collection 'Extrano' on Thursday 21st March with a special author performance […]
A bold, experimental and genre-spanning evening of new music created as part of a unique cross-European collaboration. This free one-off performance will showcase new music and visuals by Laura Campbell (UK) and Mari Sainio (Finland) who have been mentored by multi-instrumentalist and producer LoneLady. The event will begin with an in-conversation with the three artists where […]
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.
