Art & Culture

The neglected Moss Side ginnel that’s been turned into a plant-filled art gallery

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 19th August 2022

An alleyway (or ginnel, whatever you fancy) in Moss Side that was previously a fly-tipping hotspot has been completely transformed by local residents.

A group of locals have painstakingly turned the narrow passage into a green oasis.

And what started with a few potted plants has now grown so much, it’s being turned into an art gallery.

Manchester design studio DR.ME have created beautiful artworks to be hung between all the plant life that has now filled the alleyway between Acomb Street and Crofton Street.

Some of the artwork in the Reflective Passage gallery exhibition in Moss Side. Credit: Supplied

Using lyrics and quotes from Moss Side residents, past and present, the studio has created an exhibition called Reflective Passage.

Chosen quotes are printed on mirrored perspex, designed to ‘literally reflect the work the local community has done to green the alleyway over the past couple of years turning it from a fly tipping hotspot to a green oasis’.

Famous names included in the exhibition include A Guy Called Gerald, R&B group Cleopatra, and Anthony Burgess.

Those who’ve made a massive impact to the lives of Moss Side residents are also included in the gallery, like peace activist Professor Erinma Bell, Emmeline Pankhurst, and Friedrich Engels.

Then there are more unsung local heroes, like former lord mayor Roy Walters, and beloved boxing trainer Phil Martin.

The local residents here have dedicated their time and efforts to ‘green’ their alleyway, which can help to discourage crime like fly-tipping.

Read more: You can rave inside the empty Grade-II listed Victoria Baths in Manchester this autumn

Leafy displays have been created using everything from upturned bookshelves to fly-tipped bathtubs to wooden pallets to a kids ride-on Mini Cooper car.

Similar projects have popped up all over Greater Manchester in recent years – take a look around this colourful ginnel display in Stretford.

The Reflective Passage exhibition will launch at 6pm on Thursday 25 August. You can follow the greening of the alleyway on Instagram here.

Featured image: Supplied

Art & Culture

The Manchester charity that’s championing the community one step at a time

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia Forever Manchester charity work

There’s a Manchester-based charity which is helping uplift and champion communities throughout the city centre and wider Greater Manchester region.

Us Mancs certainly know a thing or two about community, whether it’s our influential music scene, football clubs, our hospitality scene and so on, but Forever Manchester takes this to the next level.

This charity has been consistently funding and supporting community initiatives throughout Greater Manchester by helping people achieve the extraordinary, all while maintaining plenty of local pride.

Forever Manchester was born from a mission to support the people and places that make Greater Manchester magic, and is all about making sure the community is at the forefront of everything they do.

Credit: Forever Manchester

The community-first charity has invested over £65 million into local communities and awarded £517,968 to over 100 different community groups.

This isn’t a new charity either, Forever Manchester has been deep in our city’s culture for quite some time since launching in 1989, most notably commissioning local poet Tony Walsh’s ‘This is the Place’.

The piece was originally published in 2012 before finding a very special place in our hearts back in 2017 when Walsh performed the poem at a vigil for the Manchester Arena attack.

This love letter to Manchester has not only gone on to become a part of the city’s history but also reaffirmed this organisation’s place throughout communities in the region.

Credit: Supplied

Now, the community-minded charity is ready to make a mark in 2025 with a whole host of initiatives, including a Forever Manchester lottery, pub quizzes, comedy nights and disco bingo.

Anyone looking to find out more information about this community-first charity and see some examples of the work it does can visit Forever Manchester’s official website.

Remember, this is a city that looks after its own – that’s the kind of energy we want to see you keeping up all year long.

And, if you have a soft spot for a tote bag or wall art prints, look no further than Forever Manchester’s shop, where every purchase directly contributes to community activities in Greater Manchester HERE.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images – Forever Manchester (supplied)

Art & Culture

A candlelit concert and drone show is visiting Manchester later this year

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia Candlelit concert drone show Manchester events

A drone show that doubles as a candlelit concert is stopping off in Manchester this autumn after visiting countries across the globe.

What’s better than a candlelit concert, I hear you ask? Well, how about a candlelit concert that also doubles as a drone show?

The masterminds at DroneArt Show have figured out a way to combine the two mesmerising experiences into one unforgettable night, and we are definitely not complaining.

You can expect to see visual displays in the sky of swans, parrots and even a ballerina, all of which will be synchronised to some of the greatest classical arrangements.

Candlelit concert drone show Manchester events
The DroneArt Show is visiting Manchester on 19 and 20 September.
manchester shows
You can watch a candlelit concert and a drone show all in one night.
Credit: DroneArtShow

While you sit back and gaze at these majestic illuminations, your ears will be delighted with the wonderful tunes and melodies of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, Vivaldi’s ‘The Four Seasons’ and more.

As you watch this 65-minute-long show, your whole night will be soundtracked by a live string quartet as you’re surrounded by a 20,000 candlelit display and a synchronised team of 500 drones up above.

With this show expected to start at 8pm and run for just over an hour, families attending this event don’t have to worry about their child staying up past their usual bedtime.

And, you might not have to worry about the cost of an extra ticket, because if your little one is three or under, they get access to the candlelit concert and drone show for free.

candlelit concerts manchester
Expect a live string quartet paired with synchronised drones.
drone art show mcr
The DroneArt Show has travelled the world now stopping off in Manchester.
Just a few examples of what the Manchester drone show will look like. (Credit: Supplied)

The organisers are encouraging anyone attending to get there early in order to secure the best seats for the night and sample some of the delicacies that the on-site food vendors have to offer.

Anyone looking to start their music enrichment early can do so too, as the full DroneArt Show programme is readily available to view, as well as all the information you need to know before you go.

The DroneArt Show is coming to Barton Aerodrome in Manchester across two dates: Friday, 19 and 20 September, with doors expected to open at 6pm and a kick-off time of 8pm.

You can grab your tickets HERE.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images – Publicity Pictures (via Supplied)

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