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.”
Popular Manchester attraction offering FREE entry to anyone who shares a name with these England players
Emily Sergeant
A popular Manchester attraction is offering people the chance to visit for free this summer… but only if they have certain names.
That’s right – Museum of Illusions is giving football fans an extra reason to celebrate every goal this summer, as the city centre attraction is offering free entry to anyone whose first name matches that of a Three Lions player that scores in an England fixture.
So if Harry Kane scores, all Harrys are in. If Jude Bellingham gets on the scoresheet, Judes can claim a free ticket. The same goes for Anthony, Ollie, or any other England player who bags a goal as the tournament foes on, meaning thousands more fans will be able to have their minds blown and let their imaginations run wild this summer.
The offer will run from tomorrow (Thursday 18 June) until 18 July – with the list of eligible names growing every time an England player finds the back of the net.
To claim their free ticket, visitors simply need to show valid photo ID at the admissions desk confirming their first name matches that of a confirmed England goalscorer.
Located on Market Street at the heart of the city centre, Museum of Illusions features more than 50 interactive exhibits designed to challenge perception and trick the senses.
Proving to be hugely popular since opening its doors back in 2024, visitors to Museum of Illusions can explore gravity-defying rooms, optical illusions, immersive installations, and holograms that create unforgettable photo opportunities for families and friends (and football fans) alike.
Free entry to Museum of Illusions in Manchester will be granted until 18 July 2026, and you can find out more info and opening times before you visit here.
Featured Image – Supplied
Art & Culture
Inspiring new 360° immersive David Bowie experience to open in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Music lovers will get a glimpse inside the mind of a creative genius when a new immersive experience opens later this year.
Factory International has this week announced its programme of events for the upcoming autumn-winter season, and by far one of the stand-outs on the list has to be the return of Lightroom for a new 360° experience called David Bowie: You’re Not Alone – which is set to immerse audiences in the iconic performances and creative mind of one of the world’s most visionary and influential artists.
Bringing together a wealth of visual material from a wide range of sources, the experience combines rare performance footage, photography, drawings, lyrics, personal notes, and audio recordings from the late Bowie himself.
You’re Not Alone will showcase some of Bowie’s landmark performances that redefined popular culture, using a mix of iconic, rarely seen, and even never-before-exhibited material.
Selected from thousands of hours of film in the vaults of the David Bowie Archive in New York, you can expect to see everything from Space Oddity and Diamond Dogs, through to Heroes, Black Star, and more.
Each track has been newly reconfigured by multiple Olivier and Tony award-winning sound designer, Gareth Fry, to utilise Lightroom’s specialised spatial audio system.
The 360° experience is set to be both a multimedia spectacle and an intimate self-portrait in one, giving audiences a unique insight into Bowie’s perspective on the subjects that were most important to him, like theatricality, spirituality, songwriting, and the transformative power of creativity.
Thomas Melia -
9th September 2024 
