A month of parties, kitchen takeovers, workshops and a special bar hosted by North Brewing Co.was set to come to Kampus throughout April as part of a special ‘Grub & Friends’ takeover, but now the whole thing has been cancelled leaving organisers fuming.
In a heated statement posted to social media this afternoon, Grub bosses shared a three-page diatribe that said they were ‘heartbroken’ by the venue’s decision to cancel the month-long event series after it had already been made public.
Claiming the decision to pull out of the plans has cost them and their traders around £34,000 in total, the Grub team called the move ‘a gut punch we don’t need’.
Grub also claimed that the news of the cancellation was broken just hours after they had signed their contract with Kampus.
In a statement posted to Instagram, Grub said: “The reason has been confirmed that they have an intended tenant for the space from April to September.
“They offered us future partnerships and they offered us space in their workspace area which wasn’t suitable for any of the events but they didn’t offer any compensation, support or an apology.”
Image: Grub
Image: Grub
The post continued: “The message came from Native Residential who operate Kampus but we assume that this crushing decision was supported by Capital & Centric and Henry Boot Developments.
“We tried to clarify this but Native refused to elaborate beyond ‘key stakeholders’. We await any further communication from anybody at Kampus.”
Grub’s post has also emphasised the knock-on effect on traders and other businesses down to take part, breaking down how the last-minute change would lead to a £34,000 loss of revenue.
According to bosses, around £6,000 has been lost by promoters and workshops in ticketing revenue, food traders have lost around £10,000 in food income, Grub itself has lost around £15,000 in bar income (money that would have gone to support local breweries), and its staff will be paid 460 hours less than expected leaving some struggling to pay their bills in April.
Bosses also added they had already spent around £3,000 on advertising and resources for the event, money which they could not get back.
Image: Grub
Image: Grub
Ending on a positive note, the post then went on to outline how their followers could help those affected – encouraging them to buy tickets for Cultureplex shows and comedy screenings, book on to workshops from affected traders and seek out the food traders at other sites.
They added: “We’re going to do everything in our power to re-organise these events and suppport this bunch of absolute smashers any way we can. These are the people that make Manchester special, we all need to look after them.”
The Manc approached Kampus for a comment and was told by a representative that the venue felt that the event had been announced prematurely and had not yet signed any contracts from its side prior to cancelling.
The spokesperson added that the use of the space had been offered to Grub for free and that the team was looking for ways to offer another event space up free of charge so that the event can be hosted at another date.
Adam Higgins, co-founder of Capital&Centric, said: “We’ve hosted loads of pop-ups and one-off events. For the last three years, as owners of Kampus, we’ve sought out creatives, small businesses, artists and community groups … giving our time and space for free to help them showcase what they do. It’s been amazing but what Kampus needs in 2023 is something slightly different.
“Unfortunately, Grub’s plans were announced prematurely when decisions were still being made about the spring and summer season inside the Bungalow. We understand the disappointment but, in fairness, we reached out and offered alternative spaces to Grub free-of-charge at Kampus.
“A community of independent businesses have now made the neighbourhood their permanent home, with Barkside and Great North Pie having just opened and Madre and Red Light arriving soon. Reflecting this, we need the Bungalow and garden to have sustained attractions throughout the spring and summer to cement Kampus as a place that’s always on … where you’re guaranteed something’s happening no matter when you head down.”
Feature image – Grub
News
‘Dazzling’ Victorian silver sculpture goes on public display in Greater Manchester after fears it was lost
Emily Sergeant
A long-lost masterpiece of Victorian silverwork has been saved and is now on display to the public in Greater Manchester.
Anyone taking a trip over to the National Trust’s historic Dunham Massey property, on the border of Greater Manchester into Cheshire, this summer will get to see the ‘dazzling’ sculpture called Stags in Bradgate Park – which was commissioned by a former owner in a defiant gesture to the society that shunned him.
The dramatic sculpture of two rutting Red Deer stags, commissioned in 1855 by George Harry Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford, was said to be an ‘act of love and rebellion’.
It also serves as a symbol of ‘locking horns’ with the society that ostracised him over his marriage to a woman considered ‘beneath him’.
“This isn’t just silver – it’s a story,” says James Rothwell, who is the National Trust‘s curator for decorative arts.
“A story of a man who fell in love with a woman that society deemed unworthy. When the Earl married Catherine Cox, whose colourful past was said to have included performing in a circus, Victorian high society was scandalised. Even Queen Victoria shunned the couple at the opera and local gentry at the horse races in Cheshire turned their backs on them.”
Modelled by Alfred Brown and crafted by royal goldsmiths Hunt & Roskell, Stags in Bradgate Park is a meticulously-detailed depiction of nature, and was considered a ‘sensation’ in its day.
Showing the rutting deer positioned on a rocky outcrop with gnarled hollow oaks, it graced the pages of the Illustrated London News, was exhibited at the London International Exhibition of 1862, and at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1867 – both of which were events that drew millions of visitors.
A ‘dazzling’ Victorian silver sculpture has gone on public display in Greater Manchester / Credit: Joe Wainwright | James Dobson (via Supplied)
The silver centrepiece was the celebrity art of its time, paraded through streets and admired by the public like no other.
Gradually over the years, some of the Earl of Stamford’s silver collection has been re-acquired for Dunham Massey, and this particular world-renowned sculpture, thought to be lost for decades and feared to have been melted down, has miraculously survived with its ‘dramatic’ central component being all that is left.
“The sculpture is not only a technical marvel, with its lifelike depiction of Bradgate Park’s rugged landscape and wildlife, but also a dramatic human story key to the history of Dunham Massey,” added Emma Campagnaro, who is the Property Curator at Dunham Massey.
“It speaks of nature, of craftsmanship, and of a couple who chose each other over status and what others thought of them.”
The sculpture has now gone on display at Dunham Massey from Thursday 26 June.
Featured Image – James Dobson (via Supplied)
News
Lewis Capaldi announces MASSIVE comeback gig in Manchester this year
Thomas Melia
Everyone’s favourite Scottish ballad-maker, Lewis Capaldi, is heading out on tour across the UK, including a massive Manchester date.
Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi is ready to tug at our heartstrings again right in front of our eyes as he announces a new UK arena tour.
This huge announcement comes right after his surprise set at the UK’s biggest music event of the year, Glastonbury, where he made a heroic return to the Pyramid Stage just two years after being forced to pull out.
Capaldi is known for writing some of the most notable and emotive hits of the late 2010s and early 2020s, including a long list of anthems such as ‘Someone You Loved’, ‘Bruises’ and ‘Before You Go’.
His monster of a hit ‘Someone You Loved’ has surpassed 3.9 billion views and is the UK’s most-streamed song of all time, so it is safe to say that his presence has been well and truly missed.
To many fans’ delight, the singer has stepped back into the spotlight and is ready to sing his heart out live at a variety of arenas across the UK, including Co-op Live right here in Manchester.
Now, in a post on his official Instagram account announcing this upcoming UK and Ireland arena tour, it’s good to see the Scottish powerhouse hasn’t lost his wit and charm as he jokes, “About time I got back to work.”
These shows are set to be in high demand as the singer has also revealed these upcoming dates, “Will be my only shows in the UK, Ireland or Europe this year! Would love to see ya there.”
On the back of his glorious Glasto return, Capaldi has dropped a huge heart-wrencher titled ‘Survive’ which offers more insight into the struggles and challenges the singer has been facing.
There is no confirmation of whether this new single marks the launch of a bigger project or not, but we can’t wait to scream his hits at the top of our lungs, regardless of when he pays Manchester a visit later this year.
Georgina Pellant -
27th February 2023 
