A new art trail is coming to Manchester next month, bringing with it a total of 51 individual sculptures all designed by talented UK artists.
Designed to show thanks to the NHS and all the keyworkers who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, it’s been created in partnership with global public art producers Wild in Art – who were also behind Manchester’s popular 2018 Bee In The City art trail.
Aiming to capture the experiences that have connected us all through what has been one of the most challenging periods in modern peacetime, the free-to-visit exhibition has been curated in partnership with creative ambassador and fashion icon Dame Zandra Rhodes.
Consisting of 51 sculptures, it features work by professional artists and designers from across the UK – including pieces by prominent Manchester-based artists Leimai Lemaow and Nomad Clan.
The trail will also bring to life real-life stories and poems about key workers, narrated by a host of famous voices, and at the end of its UK tour all of the artworks on display will be sold off at auction to raise funds for NHS Charities Together.
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Sharing her Gratitude art trail design to her Instagram page over the weekend, Manchester-based artist LeiMai told of how Wild In Art asked her to create a sculpture to raise money for the NHS that summed up the pandemic:
“I created this tale of two halves and named it “lockdown”, she shared with her followers.
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“On the front of my sculpture I added the words “See you soon” from a charity print I’d released with @law_magazine during the first lockdown, it shows clapping and smiley faces, we were fine weren’t we?
“We had everything worked out, clapping helps right?… the back that you see reflected in the mirror has the words “sorry I’m having tech difficulties”, sad faces, and unsure clapping hands… was the pandemic ever going to end? Another f’ing zoom meeting when I hate video calls and my internet keeps dipping?
“Clapping like idiots but 1% pay rise for NHS… seriously? The spiral symbolises this never-ending whirlwind of feelings and asks the question; will things ever be the same again? it’s now on show in Birmingham and will be coming to Manny soon amongst other cities.”
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And Leimai isn’t the only Manchester artist to be asked to get involved in the project. When the art trail lands in the city next month, there’ll also be a piece on display from internationally-acclaimed, queer street art muralist duo Nomad Clan.
Their design, entitled ‘Digital Conscience’, seeks to explore themes of value systems, digital identity, virtual reality and overstimulation in connection to our shared lived experiences of the past year.
Elsewhere, there’ll be further contributions from artists up and down the country – including Scottish fashion designer Pam Hogg with her sculpture ‘Courage’, British fashion and textile designer Kitty Joseph, Andrew Logan with his design ‘Spiral Stardust – Homage to the Alexander Technique’, and leading ceramic artist Kate Malone with her design ‘Life Force.’
Each artist has drawn their own inspirations from the past year, be that from the selfless, endless dedication of NHS workers or the opportunities we’ve been given to reconnect with nature during this forced period of slowing down.
‘Super Stars’, designed by Birmingham artist Edward Luke Thrush, nods to the keyworkers who braved the pandemic when the rest of us stayed at home, whilst Cardiff-based illustrator Matt Joyce’s design ‘The Joy of Pets’ celebrates the furry (and not so furry) companions that have kept us company throughout the trials and tribulations of Covid-19.
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As well as showcasing sculptures from artists up and down the country, the trail will also bring to the fore real-life stories and poems about key workers.
These have been brought to life by working with a host of famous voices, including Adil Ray, Hugh Bonneville, Sarah Parish, Norman Cook, Christopher Eccleston, Julie Hesmondhalgh, John Thomson, Jamie-Lee O’Donnell, Shobna Gulati and KT Tunstall.
Visitors to the trail will be able to access these stories through the Gratitude App and website, hearing the experience of doctors and nurses, teachers, railways workers, and more.
Speaking on the new art trail,Charlie Langhorne, Managing Director and Co-founder of Wild in Art said: “Gratitude is set to be a beautiful and striking tribute which celebrates the incredible courage and dedication of the UK’s NHS staff and all key workers and supports the vital work of NHS Charities Together.
“We are delighted to be launching our tour at Paradise Birmingham, after months of hard work from artists across the UK, who have dedicated their time and creativity to help us produce an installation which reflects our endless Gratitude for the care and kindness that all key workers have provided.”
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You can visit Gratitude at St Peter’s Square, Manchester from 3 – 12 September 2021 before it moves on to visit Edinburgh and London. To find out more and grab your tickets, click here.
Olivia Dean at Albert Hall – star stuns in every way in Manchester
Abbie Bartlett
24-year-old neo soul singer Olivia Dean was in Manchester last night performing her Mercury prize-nominated album effortlessly with a voice and style made for the stage.
Fans of the star have watched her go from strength to strength over the past year, from being nominated for three Brits, performing at Coachella and now preparing for this year’s Glastonbury festival.
As someone who frequents gigs like they’re going out of fashion, it’s a bold statement but I think this may be one of the best I’ve ever experienced, and Olivia Dean can only be described being a star.
Before we dive into the performance, it’s only fair to take a minute to shoutout what an incredible venue for music the Albert Hall is. The former Methodist hall projects and echos acoustics perfectly and the raised stage and balcony area mean everyone in the building has a good view.
It’s no surprise that given her recent success the show at the Albert Hall was a complete sell-out, appearing on stage in a stunning floor-length silk dress the sea of fans filled the venue with admiring applause.
With a seven-piece band behind her, the star jumped straight into an atmospheric UFO before a cheery ‘How are we Manchester?’ and raising a can of Red Stripe. She quickly follows with Ok Love You Bye – a track that gets the whole crowd singing along and contemplating their past love decisions (maybe that last bit was just me).
The singer seamlessly glided through her set with ease, tambourine in hand, wowing fans with gorgeous melodies and relatable lyrics.
Gracefully sitting at the piano the room fell to silence as we heard Everybody’s Crazy and ICould Be a Florist, I’d predict I wasn’t the only person crying at this point.
As the evening rolled on and the songs kept coming the genuine talent Olivia has, not just as a singer but as a lyricist, had the crowd hooked on her every word. Of course she ends with Dive, the standout track from the album that perfectly depicts how it feels to fall in love.
Olivia Dean 2024 setlist
UFO
Ok Love You Bye
Echo
Danger
Cross My Mind
Be My Own Boyfriend
What Am I Gonna Do on Sundays?
No Man
Messy
Touching Toes
Everybody’s Crazy
I Could Be a Florist
Ladies Room
Reason to Stay
The Hardest Part
Carmen
Saying her goodbyes with a ‘I’ve had such a lovely evening’ and telling the crowd how happy she is to be back home in the UK after recent shows in America.
Experiencing Olivia Dean at Albert Hall felt genuinely special, the star is destined for a life time of deserved fame but her voice was made to be experiences in an intimate venue. The opportunity to enjoy her talent in such a perfect venue was nothing short of a divine evening.
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2024 Manchester Marathon raises £29 million for local economy and over £3.7m for charity
Danny Jones
Just under a fortnight on from the 2024 Manchester Marathon and the numbers are finally, with the annual race generating nearly £30 million for the local economy and raising over £3.7m for charity.
This year’s Adidas Manchester Marathon saw record numbers of runners and spectators as over 30,000 took part in the popular race, up by roughly 6,000 from 2023, and more than 125k turned up to line the streets of Greater Manchester.
As a result, these huge crowds spent upwards of £29.2 million at business around the city centre and around the 10 boroughs last weekend, serving as one of the most significant contributions to the local economy on the annual calendar.
Not only was this an approximately £8m increase on last year’s tally but, most importantly, a sizeable chunk of that went straight into both regional and national charities.
The 2024 adidas Manchester Marathon was a spectacular day for the city and its economy.
Beyond the boost to local vendors, the hospitality sector and retail businesses, over £3.7 million were allocated to charities such as Alzheimer’s Charity, Cancer Research UK, British Heart Foundation and The Christie.
Over £32,000 was also raised for the Trafford Active Fund, with £1 from every paid entry to the Adidas Manchester Marathon and Manchester Half donated directly to the initiative that benefits local sports clubs and organisations through Trafford Council.
Better still, with City of Trees selected as the chosen ‘Green Runner’ charity, the eco-friendly drive saw roughly 7% of participants opt out of receiving either a finisher t-shirt, medal or both.
The money saved in production goes towards maintaining woodlands and wildlife across Greater Manchester.
Together you have raised over £3.7 million for charitable causes, adding even more meaning to those 26.2 miles 💕 Well done and thank you to all those who fundraised and donated! 🌟Tag us in those charity top pictures from last weekend 😍😍#ManchesterMarathonpic.twitter.com/5gsi6NtFzB
This year’s Manchester Marathon also helped produce some of the highest number of passengers on public transport in the city’s history, with a over 175,000 journeys made on Metrolink alone – the highest number of journeys ever recorded on a single day.
This was a 20% increaseon 2023’s race day (145k), spotlighting how the event continues to be more environmentally conscious as years go by.
With the 2025 adidas Manchester Marathon confirmed to be taking place on Sunday, 27 April next year – and over 12,000 places already sold – the city can already look forward to reaping the economic and social benefits of hosting one of Europe’s largest, flattest, friendliest and most-loved marathons.