As a nation we love things involving jam. Whether it’s jamming out to our favourite song, jam on toast, and now Stockport’s inaugural Paint Jam.
This huge event covers a 1km walking tour from Merseyway to GRIT Studios on Canal Street, with four different locations hosting their own taste of Stockport culture.
There’ll be a variety of activities taking place across the walk, with breakdancers, food and drink options, and DJs keeping you company as you immerse yourself in everything the Greater Manchester borough has to offer.
Akse P19, Qubek, Hammo, Liam Bonini, Caroline Daly, and Kelzo are some of the artists involved.
All the four spaces will feature street artists, with the Canal Street boasting more than 20 creatives alongside music and refreshments.
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Manchester‘s-own Inspiral Carpets keyboard player, Clint Boon, will be part of the DJs on site providing ambience for the festival, perhaps incorporating sounds of the 90s ‘Madchester’ movement.
Radio 5 Live’s Nihal Arthanayake will also be attending as one of the event’s resident DJs.
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This time last year, Stockport invited Argentinian artists to transform a 70 metre wall into a vibrant art installation called ‘La Boca to La Stocka’, depicting stories from the respective cultures, and more than 1,000 people attended with just less than six days notice.
This year’s event though is set to be on a much larger scale.
A giant street art festival is coming to Stockport with over 50 of the UK’s top artists / Credit: Richard Meftah
“This project is about knitting together, building on, and extending the Creative Quarter linking Canal Street to Hopes Carr,” says John Macaulay, who is the co-founder of GRIT Studios and Art Battle Manchester.
“Last year, 1,400 people attended with only six days’ notice, which was fantastic. We’re aiming to make this year’s Paint Jam bigger, better, and more vibrant, creating a well-defined cultural corridor that bursts with world-class street art.”
Science and Industry Museum’s adults-only ‘after hours’ event returns with a Halloween twist this month
Emily Sergeant
A popular adults-only ‘after hours’ event is returning to Manchester later this month… and there’s some spooky surprises in store.
If you need an excuse to leave the little Mancs at home, or you just fancy releasing your inner child, then one of Manchester’s most visited museums might have just what you’re looking for, as the Science and Industry Museum has announced that its popular After Hours event especially for adults is returning for one night only at the end of the month.
The museum will become your playground once it’s closed for the day as you settle in for a unique evening of live music, giant interactive games, and spooky surprises for Halloween.
Science and Industry Museum’s adults-only ‘after hours’ event returns with a Halloween twist this month / Credit: Science Museum Group
The Museum’s permanent galleries and displays will be open after hours, so you can get hands-on with science in Experiment, meet mighty machines in the Textiles Gallery, and discover Manchester‘s rich legacy of industrial innovations, creativity, and world-changing ideas in Revolution Manchester.
You’ll also get free access to the popular Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos exhibition, which just opened earlier this year, and get to indulge your playful side in Power Up – with more than 150 consoles to choose from in the ultimate gaming extravaganza.
Especially for spooky season, you can look forward to some very special one-off events too, like stellar performances from Manchester drag royalty, Anna Phylactic, a cosmic cabaret with live vocals, and a monster mash-up soundtrack guaranteed to get you into the Halloween spirit.
There’ll also be a chance to meet Albert Slime-stein – a larger-than-life monster popping up the museum as part of Halloween in the City’s iconic Manchester Monsters trail.
And as this is an adults-only event, the museum’s events bar will be open on the night, serving up a wide range of wines, beers, and non-alcoholic drinks to wet your whistle while you’re looking around, with some delicious food to accompany too.
Museum After Hours is happening on Thursday 29 October from 7pm-10pm, with tickets setting you back £12 each or £6 for concessions.
Beloved Manchester artist Stanley Chow slams Conservative Party for using his artwork
Daisy Jackson
Celebrated local artist Stanley Chow has lashed out at the Conservative Party.
The illustrator, who is famed for his cartoon portraits of famous faces, has discovered that the political party have been using his Andy Burnham illustration at their party conference.
Publicly addressing the usage, Stanley said he would be ‘seeking legal advice’.
He shared a photo of his Andy Burnham portrait that has been placed onto a water bottle with the slogan ‘Bottler Burnham’.
The label also says: “0% strength. Bottled under pressure from Badenoch.”
In another photo, Stanley Chow revealed that the Tory party conference has used his Andy Burnham portrait on pots of sweets, too.
This time, they say: “Andy Panders’ people pleaser pick n mix. Free sweets for everyone, it will only cost you higher taxes.”
Stanley wrote: “It seems like @conservatives have been using my artwork without my permission at their conference party…
“Regardless of whatever your political allegiances are, it’s still copyright infringement… I’ll be seeking legal advice.”
Backing him up in the comments are a number of other local artists, including Mancsy, who said: “As well as the copyright infringement, I expect more of political parties than making gags at the expense of the opposition. It’s alarming on multiple levels.”
Someone else wrote: “Imagine calling a prime minister a people pleaser like it’s an insult… when it’s their job.”
Another person said: “How does that even happen?! Layers of people signing off who go, ‘Sure, let’s not worry about copyright’ (people who’ve presumably never step foot in MCR and seen your artwork, like EVERYWHERE). Drag em, babe. Copyright and reputation, surely.”
Thomas Melia -
9th September 2024 
