Inside the abandoned Chorlton leisure centre taken over by a community of squatters
Photographs taken inside the old Chorlton baths show walls covered in artwork and graffiti instructing visitors to pick up their litter and 'protect trans youth'.
An urban explorer has shared pictures inside Chorlton’s derelict swimming pool, giving an exclusive look behind the doors of the long-abandoned leisure centre that was once home to a community of good-natured squatters.
The south Manchester leisure centre shut its doors in 2015 and, squatters aside, has stood empty since – despite a last-ditched attempt by campaigners to keep it open as a not-for-profit.
The first group of occupiers moved in in 2017, and – armed with brushes and a spot of plumbing know-how – quickly got to work draining and refilling the neglected pool and reviving the sauna so that it could be enjoyed once again by the local community.
Sadly, despite the group’s good intentions, bailiffs were hot on their heels, and soon the collective of 28 people, two dogs and several puppies known as ‘We R’ found themselves evicted and sent out onto the streets in minus-4 temperatures.
Image: Kyle Urbex
Image: Kyle Urbex
Image: Kyle Urbex
A council spokesperson said at the time: “Squatters had broken into the former Chorlton Leisure Centre building and the City Council has obtained a court order to take back control of the site to ensure that it can be repurposed in a way that would benefit the wider community. This happened this morning and the building has now been secured.
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“The former leisure centre is currently one of three Chorlton sites subject to a major consultation to encourage local people to have their say about how the sites could be used in a way that would benefit the wider community.”
Over the years that followed, the building would be occupied several times more with its friendly squatters fixing leaks and even making plans to build a swimming pool before ultimately being kicked out for good in 2019.
Image: Kyle Urbex
Image: Kyle Urbex
Image: Kyle Urbex
Now, new images taken by urban explorer Kyle Urbex show how the group’s time here changed the building’s appearance forever.
Photographs taken inside the old Chorlton baths show walls covered in artwork and graffiti instructing visitors to pick up their litter and ‘protect trans youth’, old gymnasium equipment rearranged to look like a sort of childlike den or fortress, and even a worn-in, comfy-looking leather couch still bearing the imprints of its last occupant.
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Elsewhere, Kyle’s pictures give a glimpse into the lifestyle of the squatters – with more graffiti advertising invites to workshops and even a dedicated busker performing area marked outside the gymnasium.
Image: Kyle Urbex
Image: Kyle Urbex
Image: Kyle Urbex
Eerily, it can be seen in the pictures that some of the electricity supply for the old baths is still hooked up with intermittent lighting throughout.
For Kyle, who explores and photographs abandoned buildings across the north west, getting inside and photographing the baths was a real achievement as it has never been done before.
And now, with new plans recently confirmed to transform the derelict leisure centre into affordable housing for the over 55s, it is likely that all this will soon be erased forever.
Five Manchester artists we’ve been listening to this month | February 2026
Danny Jones
Well, hello again – glad to see you’re back here looking for more new music and rising artists from in and around Manchester.
Not to toot our own horn, but we’re confident you won’t be disappointed.
Obviously, everyone is busy wrapped up in BRITs fever, us included; however, we’ve also been having a very good time sitting in the comfort of our headphones and listening to the sound of our hometown.
Let’s get stuck in, shall we?
Greater Manchester music you should check out
1. Roukaya B
First on our list this month, what better place to start than Audio North‘s inaugural Artist of the Month, Roukaya B? Yes, she does happen to be a Manc (a nice bonus), but this new series – which has just debuted over on our dedicated music Instagram page – looks at talent all across the top of the country.
This soulful Salfordian and energetic singer-songwriter had a great musical education, and it shows, as there’s plenty of new school takes on rap and UK hip-hop, as well as plenty of familiar R’n’B flavour from down the years in her style too.
We recently got to chat with her following the release of her latest single, ‘HEAT’, but we love the rhythm behind ‘Out of Sight’ and ‘I Got It’ is still one of our favourites for that beat alone. Hear more from the woman of the moment and Audio North’s first-ever AOTM.
Next up is someone whose work still needs some refining, but we can’t deny that there’s something that keeps us coming back to check on him every few months or so, which means he must be doing something right. His name is Fxsion, and he’s been coming up on the local grime scene for years now.
We’re not going to try and claim we love every lyric, every flow and every track, but there’s definitely something to like in most of the tunes he’s released so far, and you can tell that the production levels and technical skill are improving not just in terms of audio, but the visuals that go along with it all too.
The first song we ever heard from Fxsion was ‘From The Ground’ with Yung Fume, and we still enjoy how he rides the beat, but his music has come quite a way since then, and we’d say two of his best examples at present are more recent releases like ‘Get With The Plan’ and ‘Brightside’.
3. Sâlo
In at number three is someone we’ve already written about this month, but couldn’t possibly pass up the opportunity of hyping for you all once again. We’re talking about Sâlo: also an up-and-coming, genre-bending, Salford-raised solo star who, like Roukaya, we’re expecting big things from in 2026.
Mixing in everything from drum and bass, as well as other electronic-influenced genres, with her classical piano training, jazz, neo-soul and more, to try and put her in just one category would be pointless. Try out ‘So I Stay’, ‘Give Me Time’, or ‘Yearning’, and you’ll get a different vibe every time.
The child of a family who fled her home country for the safety of Britain, we’d urge you not only to listen to her music but also to learn about her incredible backstory. You can read more down below.
From the new kids on the block to those who’ve been at it for ages at this point, K-Klass ran so that a lot of these young artists could walk, and they’re still going all these decades later. These guys first made it big back in the 1990s, and they’re still showing people how a proper re-up is done.
While they might hail from the likes of Chester and Wrexham, they broke through right here in Manchester at the likes of the legendary Haçienda nightclub and have forgotten more about what it takes to make it in the city’s scene than most will ever learn.
Obviously, they’re still best known for mixes like ‘Rhythm Is a Mystery’ and ‘Let Me Show You’, but we’re glad to see that apart from performing live, they’re also enjoying another fresh period of productivity studio-wise. Case in point:
And finally, on our list for February, our last pick of the month is Lei Hope, an alternative R’n’B artist who was born in Zimbabwe, raised in Leeds, and now based in Greater Manchester. Our aesthetic, if there is such a thing, is one he’s taken to like a duck to water
We love stories like this that put us in mind of other previous artists of the month like Nxdia and so many others who’ve blown up after arriving here. In the case of Lei Hope, a friend who also recently performed at city centre venue Low Four Studio put us on to him, and then we began our deep dive.
Starting with ‘Cranium’ and working backwards, there’s a wonderful softness to the youngster’s work so far; he loves a funky guitar and a fair bit of bass, and there’s definitely some indie-pop pulling focus away from some of those more obvious R’n’B traits. We’re big fans of ’21’, and ‘Day Job’ might be his best yet.
That’s it for Feb; we hope you enjoyed what we, or rather, this city’s incredible talents served up.
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It’s also worth noting that everyone on the lineup for this month has roots not only here in 0161 but all over the UK and beyond.
At a time when we need reminding that people of all colours, creeds and genders help contribute to the incredible creative culture we’re known for the world round, maybe more than ever, we’ll never stop being proud of all the different kinds of people that help put the great in Greater Manchester.
Last but not least, if you want to see who made it on our first round-up of the year, you can find a whole other batch of good listening down below.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/StreamGM (supplied)
Feature
Interview | Chatting with the Manchester-based visual artist for the 2026 BRIT Awards
Danny Jones
BRITs Week 2026 is well and truly underway, and with the annual awards ceremony set to finally land in Manchester this week – the debut being just one of at least two years of the event in our part of the country – the city is teeming with art, music, colour and so much energy.
One of those people responsible for all that buzz is locally-based visual artist, Alex Giles. He’s been commissioned by Universal Music to create bespoke artwork to appear across their events during BRITs Week, including their exclusive artist showcase, BRIT Awards after-party and the invitations.
From creating some of the first-ever digital adaptations of his work to preparing himself for seeing a glorious physical re-creation in the form of a VERY big sculpture.
With the partnered War Child charity gigs now well underway across the UK, and people already planning their days before arrival at the arena, we spoke to Alex about what has been nothing short of a whirlwind few months for him.
Straight off the bat, how did the sort of project come around?
So I was working on an installation project in Ibiza for a private client, and you know, there’s no sort of union for artists, so we have to sort of create our own contacts and our own bonds.
I feel very grateful to have a lovely network of people like that, mainly through Instagram. Anyway, I was chatting to someone that I’ve become good pals with, an artist called Matt Dosa, who actually did the artwork in a similar context a couple of years ago.
Essentially, they asked if I could put together a sort of deck of my work and some initial ideas, and then out of the blue, I got the call back saying, “Yeah, we’d love you to jump on board and produce something for us.” It all happened really quickly and unexpectedly.
What a rush that must have been!What’s it like be wrapped up in the BRITs buzz since?
Yeah, but that’s often the way with artistic opportunities: something comes from nowhere. The initial race was to get the design sorted, so that was where all of the focus went to start with – which is a fairly familiar world for me – but this week it’s got even more surreal.
You know, I can immerse myself in a task and think about just that alone, but now it’s got to this stage, I’ve got this continuous low-level kind of… Well, I don’t know whether it’s anxiety, excitement, or just a bit of butterflies, but there’s definitely something going on, haha.
One of the main things I’m really excited about is just seeing my work displayed in so many different ways that I wouldn’t normally do; I’m a two-dimensional artist, I make paintings, so seeing it come to life in 3D, graphic packages and in various digital formats is really exciting.
Yeah, so for those yet to see any of it, what exactly can you tell us about the project and how it’s going to take shape in different forms?
The idea was that Universal Music Group [UMG] wanted to ask an artist to create something that is their visual presence throughout Manchester for the BRITs.
So it needed to be something that was instantly recognisable, something that could be repeated, something with a bit of pattern to it so it can be scaled, but then also something instantly kind of recognisable, and the word that was used a lot at the very beginning was iconic.
It had to be quite clear; there was a lot of back and forth, and I think at first I was maybe complicating things or overthinking things, as you can imagine for something this big, but eventually we started to refine it, and we got something really nice out of it.
Probably the most exciting thing is that there’s going to be a huge eight-foot sculpture of it [the core design] being made to go in the foyer of the Kimpton Hotel. There are flags, there’s loads of printed graphics, you know, little details like beer coasters and menus – it’s just going to be everywhere.
Incredible, and obviously, you’ve lived in Manchester for a long time now, so how special does it feel to play a part in such a big moment for the city?
You know, I’ve been here for 17 years, and it’s a special place that’s deserving of it. I’ve worked in the creative industries for nearly two decades now, and we’re very proud of what we do up here.
I work in the film industry as well, and there’s always a bit of a groan amongst Manchester crew when, you know, a load of people come up from London to do a job instead of hiring Mancunians, but any myths about the North are always dispelled quite quickly.
Yeah, no one can question our work ethic. What is it about Greater Manchester that inspires you?
I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently. Inspiration for me is like through osmosis: it’s a gradual thing, and it sort of steadily shapes who I am and my creative output.
I can’t just pinpoint any one specific thing about Manchester, but it’s a place that has had a profound effect on who I am, what I like, and what I like doing. I’ve enjoyed the fruits of Manchester to the full – probably a little bit too hard at times, hence these dark circles under my eyes!
Ha, glad to hear it. What about that ‘music being universal’ brief – how do you go about being referential in your work, or do you create it for yourself and just hope it connects with others?
That’s a really nice question, actually. So the audience always starts with me; I feel like if I’m producing something that I like, then hopefully others will also like it. It can be tricky at times NOT to try and second-guess what your audience might like. I think a lot of artists do that in all disciplines.
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But yeah, I have to be quite strict now, and make what feels right to me, because if I like it, then I can talk about it and present it with pride. I think with that, it will eventually find its own audience.
Love that – now, I know it’s a hard question, but if you had to sum the visual style of this work in just three words, what would they be?
Oh, come on, haha! Erm… OK, well I’m going start with that word that kicked it all off: iconic. I’m going to put the word ‘fruity’ in the middle – you know it’s bright and juicy – and I’m going to say the word accessible to finish it off.
Iconic, fruity, and accessible – I was never guessing that one, haha. As for the night itself, which famous faces are going to make you double-take?
Well, I know Pulp are up for an award, and so I’m from the era of, you know: being glued to the Brits and, you know, the whole Michael Jackson-Jarvis Cocker saga, etc. I think that’s a pretty iconic moment in British history, so I’d love Pulp to because I think Jarvis has always got something very interesting to say.
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For sure, and how do you think the spectacle of the BRIT Awards has changed over the years?
I think the shape of performance has changed a lot in the last decade. People really put on big shows, don’t they? Like it’s not it’s no longer just, you know, a backdrop with the band name on it, it’s pyrotechnics, dancers, massive visual effects, and so much more.
Last but not least, which of those big performances from that unreal lineup are you most looking forward to seeing?
I think, deservedly, up for an Achievement Award: Mark Ronson. I think that’s going to be great, and I’m looking forward to seeing Wolf Alice, too.
It’s not necessarily the kind of gig that I would go to, to be honest – I love electronic and a lot of older music a lot – but I’ve actually got tickets to see Mogwai on Friday as well, so it’s set up to be a very energetic weekend.
It was a pleasure chatting with Alex, and we definitely caught the extra tailwind of his enthusiasm, as if we weren’t buzzing enough already.
Like the man himself, a few members of our Audio North team will be at the 2026 BRIT Awards themselves, and we can’t wait to see all the glitz and glamour in the flesh.
Stay tuned to our socials over on Instagram, as well as our usual The Manc pages, to make sure you don’t miss a second of the coverage.
Happy BRITs Week, and for those of you going to Co-op Live on the night, soak it all in!
What a busy week we've got – board game festivals, new foodie openings… oh, and The @BRITs comes to our city this weekend for the first time ever too. 🎶🐝🏆
Georgina Pellant -
18th May 2023 
