Local author Eddie Taiwo has spent years exploring every corner, nook and cranny of the city centre to track down the city's most stunning mosaics and murals.
Manchester’s bourgeoning street art scene has been captured and packed into the pages of a brand new book which has officially hit shelves this month.
Local author Eddie Taiwo has explored every corner, nook and cranny of the city centre to track down the city’s most stunning mosaics and murals; building out a bumper catalogue of more than 200 photos titled Manchester Street Art: Graffiti, Murals & Mosaics.
A mixture of new and old, the book contains sketches you can still find plastered across the city centre’s brickwork today, as well as pieces which have long since been scrubbed away.
Images range from the artistic to the political – with snaps of rainbow-dunked skate ramps sharing page space with furiously-scrawled statements painted during the dead of night away from prying eyes.
One example of the latter is the ‘the north is not a petri dish’ graffiti – which appeared on the Piccadilly Gardens Wall in the wake of tier restrictions in October 2020 (before being preserved by Manchester City Council).
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The famous Piccadilly Gardens Wall graffiti features in a new street art book by Ed Taiwo / Image: Wikimedia Commons
Manchester Street Art: Graffiti, Murals & Mosaics is described as casting “a spotlight into rare and unseen photos of hidden works of art for art lovers, artists, historians and students to appreciate and admire.”
Ed explained: “I created this book as a way of giving representation to artists who may not be able to have their works displayed in prominent art galleries, which can at times be a closed and exclusive community.
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“The street itself is a gallery and I hope this book helps readers to acknowledge that some of the UK’s best street artists are from or reside here.”
Ed’s book features street art painted right the way across the Northern Quarter / Image: Ed Taiwo
He added: “During the height of the COVID pandemic the adage ‘if these walls could talk’ took on an almost literal meaning as messages of hope were painted along buildings , rods and underpasses to let us know that we’re all in this together.”
“Art and design is about seeing the beauty in everything and all you need to do so is to have an open mind.”
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Manchester Street Art: Graffiti, Murals & Mosaicsis available to buy online at Amazon here.
Jack Whitehall adds extra dates to UK tour – and tickets are only £25
Daisy Jackson
Jack Whitehall has added new tour dates to his huge UK tour, and is selling tickets for just £25.
The award-winning comedian, actor and writer has said that the Settle Down Tour will be his most ‘personal’ to date.
He’ll be performing two massive shows here in Manchester, taking over the AO Arena for two nights in June.
Upon announcing, Jack Whitehall said: “This is my most personal show yet, with plenty of material about the big changes that have happened in my life. It’s about my struggle to settle down gracefully.
“I’ve got a long-term partner, a ridiculous dog and am now hurtling towards middle aged without a clue. It’s about a foppish man-child’s cack handed attempt at adulting!”
After his first announcement for the tour attracted huge attention, Whitehall has announced extra dates for his ‘Settle Down’ tour.
And for a limited time only, the tickets are selling for just £25 each so act fast and grab yourself a bargain here.
Jack Whitehall’s full tour dates
Saturday 27 May: Swansea, Swansea Arena Sunday 28 May: Norwich, Theatre Royal Wednesday 31 May: Northampton, Royal and Derngate Tuesday 13 June: Brighton, Brighton Centre Wednesday 14 June: Brighton, Brighton Centre Thursday 15 June: Brighton, Brighton Centre Friday 16 June: Bournemouth, BIC Saturday 17 June: Leeds, First Direct Arena Sunday 18 June: Leeds, First Direct Arena Monday 19 June: Glasgow, Hydro Tuesday 20 June: Sheffield, Utilita Arena Wednesday 21 June: Manchester, AO Arena Thursday 22 June: Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena Friday 23 June: Newcastle, Utilita Arena Saturday 24 June: Manchester, AO Arena Sunday 25 June: Liverpool, M & S Bank Arena Tuesday 4 July: Cardiff, International Arena Wednesday 5 July: Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena Friday 7 July: Birmingham, Utilita Arena Saturday 8 July: Birmingham, Utilita Arena Sunday 9 July: Cardiff, International Arena Monday 10 July: Cardiff, International Arena Friday 14 July: London, The O2 Saturday 15 July: London, The O2 Sunday 16 July: London, The O2
Featured image: Publicity picture
Art & Culture
Manchester Pride Festival announces stage splits for 2023 lineup
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Pride Festival has just announced its day-by-day lineup of artists and events for 2023.
In case you missed it, the UK’s leading LGBTQ+ charity event revealed its highly-anticipated 2023 lineup back in March, and it’s set to be the iconic Festival’s most inclusive roster of local and international queer talent to date.
Undoubtedly back with a bang this summer, and co-created in collaboration with Manchester’s diverse queer communities, Festival organisers say this year’s lineup champions “representation, inclusivity, and community celebration” over the four-day extravaganza.
The legendary Gay Village Party is back, and will light up with performances across three stages – The Village Stage, MancUnity Stage – which is in partnership with Gaydio – and the Alan Turing Stage.
Drag sensation Pabllo Vittar is headlining this year’s Gay Village Party, as is singer-songwriter and Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner Danny Beard, and a mystery headliner still yet to be announced.
Aside from those headline performances, the four-day August bank holiday weekend Festival also includes a whole host of other special events including Queer Asian Takeover headlined by Gok Wan, Trans Filth & Joy headlined by drag artist BIMINI, Black Pride MCR headlined by Raven Mandella, and the Queer Women’s Takeover headlined by Monki.
Here’s a quick run-down of the official Manchester Pride Festival stage splits for 2023.
Manchester Pride Festival is back for 2023 this August bank holiday weekend / Credit: Manchester Pride
Friday 25 August
Village Stage – Headlined by BIMINI, with additional performances from Tito Bone, Midgitte Bardot, Cyro, The BollyWitch, An0maly, Finley Odin, Darnell, Denon, Xzan, and DJ Jess Rose.
MancUnity Stage, in partnership with Gaydio – You can expect an evening of “dancing, partying, showing off and feeling good” with Fat Pride, featuring The Niallist, Ivy Profemme, The Fat Britney, Joe Spencer, Miss Lei-Lei, Sam Buttery, and Joanna Cuddle.
Alan Turing Stage – hosted by Donna Trump, with La Discothèque Orchestra, Queeriosity Cabaret, Pecs Drag Kings, The Enby Show featuring Cyro, Flick, and Carrot.
Saturday 26 August
Village Stage – Headlined by Pabllo Vittar, with additional performances from Jodie Harsh, Black Peppa, Monopoly Phonic, Tom Aspaul, Violet Blonde, and Jsky – and a special multi-platinum selling headliner soon to be announced.
MancUnity Stage presents Black Pride MCR, all brought together by Darren Pritchard with headliner Raven Mandella, as well as Swagga, Kele Le Roc, DJ Stacy Bee, DJ NKay, DJ KL, Queens in Kicks, Goodie Magnum, and Dymond.
Alan Turing Stage welcomes the Queer Asian Takeover hosted by Lucky Roy Singh, with headliner DJ Gok Wan, alongside Gracie T, Reeta Loi, The Bitten Peach, Bollyqueer, House of Spice, Club Zindagi and more.
The UK’s leading LGBTQ+ charity event announced its diverse lineup earlier this year / Credit: Manchester Pride
Sunday 27 August
Village Stage – Headlined by Danny Beard and Friends, alongside Jake Shears, Natasha Bedingfield, Lisa Scott-Lee, Cheddar Gorgeous, Barb, Kelly Llorenna (N-Trance), Jonbers Blonde, Bailey J Mills, Lady Bushra, Banksie, The BollyWitch, Lill, and Ginny Lemon’s Dog Show.
MancUnity Stage presents the Queer Women’s Takeover with Monki, Kim Lana, Blasha and Allatt (Meat Free + Frixxxion), Mix-Stress and Friends, SWAGGA featuring DJ Stacy Bee, Queens in Kicks, Freequency3, Club Clam, What She Said, Vanilla, and Fat Camp.
Alan Turing Stage – Cutie-POC Cabaret hosted by Rikki Beadle-Blair, Angie Brown, The Cocoa-Butter Club, NoirTones, and Ghetto Fabulous, as well as Your Manchester hosted by Belinda Scandal.
Monday 28 August
Village Stage – Closing the festival with the Misty Chance and Friends, and Disabled Queer Joy Cabaret.
MancUnity Stage – THE RUNWAY by Banksie, and Firehouse with Dakota Schiffer.
Alan Turing Stage ends the event with Disney Classics performed by The Untold Orchestra.
Day-by-day stage splits for the 2023 Festival have been announced today / Credit: Manchester Pride
Closing the four-day Festival is the Candlelit Vigil with George House Trust, which is a moment of reflection in Sackville Gardens.
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As the home of Alan Turing, The National Transgender Memorial, and the Beacon of Hope, the gardens are set to be transformed into a sea of flickering candles to remember and honour those lost to, and stand in solidarity with, those who are living with HIV.
It also provides the space to reflect on and remember those who have been persecuted in the LGBTQ+ community, both here in the UK and around the world.
The Manc -
29th May 2021 
