Venues welcome back Manchester with major reopening campaign
The roadmap is proceeding and culture venues right across the city are reopening. #HereForCulture is urging people to rediscover these places after 200 days shutdown.
Arts organisations from across Manchester have joined forces for a major campaign to encourage people to rediscover the city’s culture after almost 200 days of venue closures.
From May 17, more COVID-19 restrictions are being relaxed in England – enabling bars, restaurants, theatres, libraries and cinemas to welcome back guests indoors.
To celebrate the momentous step, local venues have launched a #HereForCulture campaign supported by the UK Government’s Culture Recovery Fund – portraying culture as the beating heart of Manchester; inspiring confidence that venues are safe; and reminding people that a cultural experience can have a transformative effect.
A major poster, radio and digital campaign goes live today – with designs by Manchester’s Instruct Studio featuring emotive imagery and uplifting poetry to highlight the range of cultural experiences on offer in the city.
Chehtam’s School of Music Architecture is among the venues reopening to the public
#HereForCulture will run throughout the summer and into autumn, with multiple arts organisations involved including Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art, Chetham’s Library, Contact, GM Independent Artist Initiative, HOME, Hope Mill Theatre, The Lowry, Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester Camerata, Manchester International Festival, Manchester Libraries, Manchester Museum, Music Venues Trust, National Football Museum, Palace and Opera House Theatres, People’s History Museum, Royal Northern College of Music, Royal Exchange Theatre, Science and Industry Museum, The Stoller Hall, The Whitworth and Z-arts.
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The campaign is supported by Arts Council England, Creative Tourist, Oxford Road Corridor, Manchester City Council, NHS and Network Rail.
The Royal Exchange will welcome back customers after a long period of closure
Dave Moutrey, Director of Culture at Manchester City Council, said: “It’s been a long road to get here, but from today cultural venues across Manchester begin to reopen and they couldn’t be more ready or more excited to welcome back audiences. This new joint campaign is backed by some wonderful organisations and its message is very clear: come visit our venues and embrace what’s on offer.
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“Whether you want to keep the kids busy throughout the holidays, have a shared night out with friends, or just enjoy a day of solo reflection; immersion in culture has been proven to help improve mental health and our arts venues and organisations are returning a brilliant selection of shows, exhibitions and events, with something for everyone.”
Sheona Southern, Managing Director at Marketing Manchester, said: “Last month when we moved to Step Two of the Government’s roadmap, it was a big moment for operators in our retail and hospitality sectors who were given a chance to reopen and welcome people back safely; however, that same opportunity was held back for museums, galleries and theatres, meaning many venues have gone over 200 days without audiences.
“That changes today and it’s fantastic to see so many venues working together to celebrate the value of cultural experiences in Manchester. It’s a fun and inspiring campaign and we’re proud to be hosting some amazing content on visitmanchester.com and promoting our strong cultural offer.”
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More information is available about the campaign online.
Featured Image: #HereForCulture
Art & Culture
The UK’s largest thrift market is returning to Victoria Baths in Manchester
Thomas Melia
Clothes Cycle is heading back to Manchester, turning Victoria Baths into the UK’s largest thrift market and vintage shopping haven.
When it returns to our city, you’ll be able to browse literally thousands of pre-loved pieces, sold by a whole host of independent streetwear and vintage sellers.
Whether you’re after classic denim, fierce festival ‘fits, statement jewellery, or reworked pre-loved fashion, you’ll probably find it here.
Clothes Cycle has been a regular fixture in Manchester’s calendar, popping up here for several years in a row now.
It’s the biggest pop-up sustainable fashion market in the country and brings together everything from sustainability and affordability, to fashion and community.
Alongside rooting through racks of vintage garments, shoppers will be treated to pop-up jewellery and accessory shops, which are even offering nail and tooth gem services by qualified artists.
You can even bring five items to donate to the clothes swap, encouraging even more sustainable shopping.
Bring up to five preloved items and you’ll be able to swap them for tokens (one token per item of clothing) which you can use to shop at the swap rails.
Then anything left over from 4pm will be free for anyone to take home with them.
Manchester is already known for its love of vintage fashion and pre-loved clothing, with plenty of shops dotted around the streets of this city.
The lucky site which gets to host this fashion-focused event is Victoria Baths, which is just outside of the city centre.
Clothes Cycle returns to Victoria Baths in Manchester on Sunday 26 April from 11am – 5pm, with tickets starting from just £2 HERE.
The UK’s biggest weekly artisan market with 100+ indie traders is landing in Manchester next weekend
Emily Sergeant
The UK’s biggest weekly artisan market with 100+ indie traders is landing in Manchester from this weekend.
After a hugely successful first six months for the historic market hall, welcoming more than 50,000 visitors through its doors since opening for the first time in 100 years last summer, Campfield Market is set to expand as part of its partnership with GRUB and St John’s to create the biggest weekly artisan market in the UK.
Launching next weekend for the first time, Campfield Market at St John’s will extend beyond the iconic Campfield building and out onto Grape Street, transforming the area into a one-kilometre loop of market stalls, street food, and independent retail.
Each week, visitors can expect more than 100 independent traders to line the hall and streets, spanning street food, local produce, artisan goods, and makers, alongside an expanded food and drink lineup.
The UK’s biggest weekly artisan market with 100+ indie traders is landing in Manchester next weekend / Credit: Supplied
Just some of the indie traders you can expect to see at the weekly market include Oi Polloi, Sticky Fingers, Suzume, Rack, Joe & Co, Divine Dumplings, Salvis, Mouse Kingdom, and many more.
The expansion marks a major milestone not just for Campfield Market, but for the wider St John’s neighbourhood.
It’s hoped that the new weekly market will bring increased footfall, new opportunities for independent businesses, and just become a regular destination to the city centre.
“This is more than just a market expansion, it’s a reimagining of what a city centre market can be,” organisers declared.
Speaking ahead of next weekend’s launch, Jason Bailey, who is the founder of GRUB, added: “It is absolutely fantastic to see the market go from strength to strength, we’re so lucky to have the best of the best when it comes to traders in this magnificent setting and that Manchester has embraced it.
“This summer, we expect St John’s to become a huge hotspot for day trippers and locals alike.”
The Manc -
17th May 2021 
