Voiced, the UK’s first creative festival for endangered languages, presents an unmissable evening of Queer poetry and performance. Presenting Polari, a hidden language of Queer experience, which will come to life in performance with Jez Dolan. Rosie Garland performs poems from Polari Prize-shortlisted What Girls do in the Dark and her recently published This Is How I Fight, an Observer Poetry […]
Bring a book. Get cosy and read alongside other book fans. Take some time for yourself and escape into a story. Join our Cosy Reading Club at Manchester Central Library, our new silent reading group, offering a relaxed, shared space to read in peace and quiet in the company of others. This is no ordinary […]
Celebrate the languages and cultures of Manchester’s local communities. Enjoy live performances, and try your hand at traditional crafts. Suitable for all ages, everyone is welcome. ] Part of Super Duper Family Festival. Discover the full programme at https://www.visitmanchester.com/super-duper-family-festival/ Free - just drop in. Please consider making a donation to support our cultural programme if […]
Join us for a symposium celebrating 40 years of LipService Theatre with retrospective footage, silly props and cake. LipService was part of the Manchester Fringe Forum, a consortium of 1980’s artists, whose work reached all four corners of the globe. We will have a panel of original members and explore why there was such an explosion […]
Calling all budding crafters! Join this relaxed crochet session and get creative with yarn. All materials are provided – just bring yourself! Most suitable for children 10+. Part of Super Duper Family Festival. Discover the full programme at https://www.visitmanchester.com/super-duper-family-festival/ Free – Booking required - Reserve your place here or click on 'Book Now' below Please […]
Join us and the Meet Your Muslim Neighbours team for a special one-day community led event and exhibition about Islamic culture and Muslim people, at Central Library on Saturday 14 February, 11am-4pm. Filled with free activities for all ages, including henna painting, interactive word hunts, Arabic tea and coffee, costume dressing, arts and crafts, and more, there's […]
Join us for a film screening and discussion exploring Manchester's urban history and development from the 1940s to today. Organised in collaboration with The Modernist and the current exhibition at Central Library, Architecture for the people: the works of Manchester City Architect’s Department (1902-2003), this Manchester Urban Film Series screening and discussion will revisit Manchester's urban […]
A free event, suitable for budding listeners of poetry or those keen to try out some of their own poetry. Listen to a selection of Manchester Writers from a 2025 publication Bards across the Pond with USA and UK writers in February If you would like to read a poem, book your seat via the links below […]
Nothing remained unchanged but the clouds by Alan J. Ward is an artist book in the fullest sense: a work conceived, shaped, and authored through artistic practice. Developed through sustained collaboration with the community of Grandpré in the French Ardennes, the book traces stories held within German WWI postcards and transforms them into a living archive […]
Bringing the best from all over! Featuring the best and brightest crime writing talent both locally and from around the country - the big names are all coming to Manchester! Go behind the scenes! Showcasing blockbuster bestsellers, emerging talent and industry insiders, Crime Central will share the real story of what goes on in the […]
Manchester Town Hall closed in 2018 for major restoration to repair and upgrade the building to modern standards. The work includes conservation of many original heritage features. The Heritage Lectures in Central Library shine a light on some of this fascinating work and the next one – on Tuesday 3 February – will focus on […]
Join South Korean queer writer Kim Bong-gon for a talk and Q&A exploring themes of intimacy, invisibility and queer life through contemporary Korean literature. Kim Bong-gon emerged at a moment when previously marginalised voices were reshaping South Korean literature. In 2016, the same year Han Kang’s The Vegetarian and Cho Nam-joo’s Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 […]
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.
