The Printworks Big Art project is a collaboration between the popular city centre destination and well-known event producers Wild in Art – who famously brought ‘Bee in the City’ to Manchester back in 2018, as well as a number of other prominent art installations – and its looking for local artists to create a permanent “larger-than-life” visual public artwork inside the venue.
“The commissioners are looking for a stunning, visually engaging artwork that will light up the public space,” Printworks explained.
Open to all artists looking to get involved, the commission will need to reflect Manchester’s vibrant and inclusive soul, and will be displayed ceiling-high within Printworks across a 215m² centrally-located feature wall, where over eight million visitors will see it each year.
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Read more: Landmark Manchester venue Printworks to get a £22 million refurbishment
The Printworks Big Art project is in collaboration with popular event producers, Wild In Art / Credit: Printworks
Speaking on the launch of the new competition, Marnie Ahmed – spokesperson for Printworks – said: “Manchester is renowned for its creativity, with people from all walks of life displaying their talents in many forms, [so] we’re delighted to be supporting artists and offering them a once in a lifetime opportunity to have their work permanently displayed at our iconic venue.”
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Ben Reed from Wild in Art added that it’s “a fantastic opportunity for any artist to express their appreciation for Manchester”.
Iconic DJ, musician, record producer, and competition judge Norman Cook – a.k.a Fatboy Slim – said: “Creativity is the beating heart and soul of Manchester and I’ve always enjoyed playing in the city [so] this is an exceptional opportunity for artists and creatives to showcase their work and I’m delighted to be part of it.
“I can’t wait to see the design submissions.”
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Printworks’ new £22 million refurbishment is said to be part of the venue’s trajectory towards international recognition as a “pioneering, round-the-clock entertainment destination”, and work is anticipated to begin very soon.
The venue will remain fully open and trading throughout the refurbishment, with the works said to be structured to “ensure minimum disruption”.
Printworks’ new £22 million refurbishment is said to be “transformational” / Credit: Printworks
Fancy leaving your mark on the venue’s new look then? Entries to the Printworks Big Art competition are now open, with a Stage 1 deadline of 5pm on 14 March 2022, before Stage 2 will see the shortlisted artists’ concepts displayed at Printworks for feedback from the public.
To apply, artists must complete an online submission – which is available on the Printworks website – and email it over to [email protected].
Submissions must include a CV, examples of past work, and a short statement of interest in response to the brief which details the proposed artistic style and general concept overview in no more than 400 words.
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You can find more information via the Printworks website here.
Featured Image – Printworks
Art & Culture
National Portrait Gallery to debut ground-breaking digital exhibition in Salford
Daisy Jackson
The National Portrait Gallery has announced a ground-breaking new experience that’s set to make its debut at MediaCity in Salford.
Some of the world’s most famous paintings will be brought to life in an immersive digital exhibition, called Stories – Brought to Life, that will tell the stories behind iconic portraits.
FRAMELESS Creative has partnered with the National Portrait Gallery on the project, which will be the first major touring art experience by any UK art institution and makes up a long-term partnership called National Portrait Gallery Unframed.
Those who attended the hugely popular and acclaimed Van Gogh Alive experience will already know a little of what to expect – famous paintings reimagined with digital projections, visual effects, and audio technology.
FRAMELESS has been granted access to the National Portrait Gallery’s collection to create Stories – Brought to Life, which will tell the tales of people who have shaped history, from the Tudors to the present day, in an innovative new way.
While the exhibition will premiere here in Greater Manchester next year, there’s a planned national and international tour to follow.
The National Portrait Gallery will be debuting a ground-breaking digital exhibition in Salford / Credit: MediaCity
Rich Storton, general manager at FRAMELESS Creative said: “We are delighted to announce this new long-term partnership with the National Portrait Gallery. We hope that by unleashing the power of digital storytelling we can help the Gallery to bring art to a whole new audience.
“We’re living in a changing world and there is a real need for new experiences that help open up art and culture to new audiences and crucially help ensure that national institutions such as the National Portrait Gallery and their incredible collections continue to be accessible and have cultural significance for the next generation.
“MediaCity is a vibrant cultural hub attracting a hugely diverse audience. This combined with its proximity to major transport links and focus on technology made it an obvious choice for premiering our first experience.”
Rosie Wilson, Director of Programmes, Partnerships and Collections at the National Portrait Gallery said: “The National Portrait Gallery aims to share our unique collection of portraits with as wide an audience as possible and explore the human stories that shape our history and culture.
“This exciting new partnership with FRAMELESS, inspired by our Collection, will enable us to take these stories outside of the Gallery walls and bring them to life in new, innovative ways.”
Caroline Aikman, Director of Marketing, Brand and Place at MediaCity said: “We are honoured that the National Portrait Gallery and FRAMELESS have chosen MediaCity as the first stop on the tour of this unique immersive experience.
“We’ve hosted many arts and culture events, experiences, festivals and exhibitions over the last few years and we can’t wait to welcome visitors to Salford when the experience opens its doors in May next year.”
There’s some FREE festive craft workshops taking place at MediaCity this Christmas
Thomas Melia
A handful Christmas-inspired workshops are happening down at MediaCity, and lots of them are free to take part in.
Starting tomorrow (11 December), anyone who’s looking to get artsy in the run up to the big day can try their hand at three different Christmas activities, and have a go at making and creating items to keep and treasure forever.
There’s a free ‘Bauble Bar’ where you can learn how to make those brilliant hanging ornaments that make your tree gorgeous.
This workshop is suitable for all skill sets, which means you don’t have to be the next Da Vinci to design one of these little trinkets, as a friendly host will be walking round the class to help everyone make a beautiful creation to take home with them.
The second free event is a Christmas card making workshop, where there will be stationery provided for you to create some cute and snazzy designs, so get ready to freestyle your own drawings if you’re confident, or hone your craft by following the range of patterns and templates that will be on-hand for you to trial.
This final crafty class gives visitors the opportunity to create a two-layer wreath that’s sure to become part of your annual festive decor.
The ‘Christmas Wreath Making’ class provides all the materials you could need, but due to the cost of this, this isn’t a free event and tickets are a reasonable £10 instead.
/ Credit: | Ksenia Ya | Jonathan Borba (via Unsplash & Pexels)
All of these fun Christmas activities are happening at innovative event space, Hot House, which is designed to host creative workshops like these festive-themed crafts.
Although the ‘Bauble Bar’ and the ‘Christmas Card Making Workshop’ are both free, booking a ticket to secure your space is still required.
Emily Sergeant -
3rd March 2022 
