The breathtaking replica earth art installation that’s previously drawn crowds in Wigan, Salford, and Rochdale is finding a new home in Oldham this month.
The captivating and internationally-renowned work of art – which most-notably spent some time floating on the waters of both Pennington Flash Nature Reserve and Salford Quays at the back end of 2021, before sadly having to be taken down due to adverse weather conditions – will be exhibited inside the Queen Elizabeth Hall in Oldham town centre from Saturday 26 February as part of the popular Illuminate festival.
Created by renowned artist Luke Jerram, and featuring a specially-made surround sound composition by BAFTA award winning composer, Dan Jones, the earth replica – which is named Gaia – was created from detailed NASA imagery of the earth’s surface.
It provides visitors with the opportunity to the planet we call home on a huge scale, floating in three dimensions.
The artwork aims to create a sense of the ‘Overview Effect’ – which is a common reaction by astronauts who have seen the real thing.
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Jerram – who is known worldwide for his large-scale public artworks – said he has created the work to give visitors “a feeling of awe” for the planet, a “profound understanding of the interconnection of all life”, and a “renewed sense of responsibility” for taking care of the environment.
Oldham Council is confident that Gaia – which means ‘the personification of the Earth’ in Greek mythology – will be a great addition to this year’s Illuminate festival, which is returning for its fifth year and gives people the chance to see the town in a new light.
Visitors planning on heading down to Illuminate 2022 can explore the illuminated townscape from Oldham Library and Gallery Oldham, right through to Parliament Square and on to the Queen Elizabeth Hall to see all the mesmerising illuminated installations and dazzling performances.
The packed programme of events includes ‘Spin Me A Yarn’ from Studio Vertigo in the Gallery Oldham gardens, and the ‘Moon Gazing Hare’ where digital art and puppetry come together to create a wondrous projection on the Old Town Hall façade by leading digital artists Illuminos and Global Grooves.
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You can also see the ‘Nova’ star installation at Oldham Parish Church, and check out Zarah Hussain’s exhibition ‘Light Upon Light’ at Gallery Oldham.
There’ll also be live music, family crafts, and light painting at Oldham Library too.
Illuminate 2022 will kick-off on Saturday 26 February / Credit: Oldham Council
Illuminate 2022 will kick-off on Saturday 26 February with a breathtaking procession of community-made lanterns led by the world-renowned SPARK, accompanied by illuminated giant puppets and performances from some of the UK’s leading light performers.
Speaking ahead of the much-loved festival’s arrival in the city once again, Cllr Arooj Shah – Leader of Oldham Council – said: “It’s great to have Illuminate back in Oldham as it’s one of the most spectacular events in the borough.
“With so many installations and performances to see it is sure to not disappoint.
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“Gaia has been seen around the world so to get it on display in the town centre as part of the festival is a real coup for Oldham.
“I hope Gaia will spark the imagination of those who visit in lots of ways and inspire them to think about the changes we can make to tackle climate change, which is having a huge impact on all of us.”
Visitors planning on heading down to Illuminate 2022 can explore the illuminated townscape / Credit: Oldham Council
Illuminate 2022 is free to attend, and Gaia will be on show inside the Queen Elizabeth Hall from 26 February – 1st March.
Saturday 26February: 6pm – 9pm
Sunday 27 February: 10am – 4pm
Monday 28 February: 10am – 4pm
Tuesday 1 March: 10am – 4pm
You can find out more about what’s on at Illuminate 2022 here.
Featured Image – Oldham Council
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Massive rock, paper, scissors tournament with BIG pizza prizes takes over Trafford Centre this week
Emily Sergeant
A thousand free pizzas will be up for grabs to celebrate one of Greater Manchester’s newest restaurant openings this week.
That’s right – award-winning Neapolitan pizzeria Forbici is officially opening at the Trafford Centre.
From 11am until 12:30pm this Wednesday (5 August), Forbici will be giving away up to 1,000 full-sized pizzas, so visitors to the shopping centre will have the chance to taste what has recently been declared one of the best pizzas in the world without needing to spend a penny.
Following the opening of its first site on Cross Street in the city centre last year, before expanding over to Sheffield, this new 7,000-capacity Trafford Centre space at The Orient will be Forbici’s third restaurant in the UK and the second in Greater Manchester.
Crafted with signature three-generation ‘biga dough’, slow fermented to create a light, airy crust, alongside carefully sourced Italian ingredients, it’s no secret that Forbici offers some of the finest pizza in town.
Forbici is opening at the Trafford Centre this week / Credit: The Manc Group
And staying true to its name, every pizza is cut with scissors before being served.
The celebrations will then continue on Friday (August) as Forbici’s newest restaurant transforms into the home of Europe’s biggest Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament hosted by Manchester’s viral foodie content creator, Zack Hipps.
Across four sessions, you’ll have the chance to test your luck, speed, and strategy in a bid to be crowned champion – with tournaments taking place every hour from 11:30am.
Inspired by the pizzeria’s name, Forbici – which is, of course, the Italian word for ‘scissors’ – competitors will go head-to-head in fast paced knockout battles throughout the afternoon, with prizes up for grabs at every session and the winner of each game getting to take home a year’s supply of Forbici pizza.
There’ll also be a couple of exclusive local-themed pizza specials to celebrate the new opening too, including Forbici’s indulgent Manchester Tart pizza, and the Lancashire Hotpot pizza, which combines Fior di Latte, slow-cooked Lamb Ragù, and cracked black pepper on Forbici’s signature Biga base.
The Manchester special pizzas are also available at Forbici’s city centre restaurant as well, so you can feast wherever you find yourself.
Toni Dennan at Forbici said: “We’re incredibly excited to bring our innovative pizza craft to the Trafford Centre. To celebrate, we’re giving away 1,000 pizzas, inviting guests to experience Forbici on us.”
“Forbici is all about pushing pizza craft to new heights,” commented Forbici’s Toni Dennan. “Opening at Trafford Centre gives us the opportunity to share our passion for proper pizza with even more people.”
Simon Layton, who is the Centre Director at Trafford Centre, added: “We’re delighted to welcome Forbici to Trafford Centre, offering an innovative pizza concept to shoppers and leisure seekers alike. With a huge giveaway and exciting Rock, Paper Scissors tournament, Forbici’s opening week is not one to be missed and we look forward to welcoming customers down to the centre to celebrate its arrival.”
Forbici Trafford Centre is opening this Wednesday 5 August, and bookings are now live online here.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
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A huge Stanley Chow exhibition featuring inflatable portraits of Manc icons is coming to Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Some of Manchester’s most famous faces are about to get even bigger, with a new Stanley Chow exhibition coming to town this summer.
And rather unusually, the artist’s portraits will be inflatables…
The huge new MCR Made exhibition is set to take over Manchester Arndale from 3 August all the way into the autumn.
Shoppers and locals will be able to admire 13 portraits of Manc icons, which will be up to six metres in length, whether it’s Oasis legends or Suffragettes, football heroes or creative pioneers.
The gigantic inflatable Stanley Chow portraits will be suspended right across the iconic shopping centre for an art trail that celebrates the figures who have shaped the city.
The impossible-to-miss exhibition features famous faces from the worlds of music, sport, science, politics, art and culture.
Along the trail you’ll spot the likes of Liam and Noel Gallagher, Marcus Rashford, Phil Foden, Emmeline Pankhurst, Alan Turing, L.S. Lowry, Lemn Sissay, Caroline Aherne, Aitch, and a host of other trailblazers, all in Stanley’s signature and distinctive style.
MCR Made showcases the work of legendary local artist and illustrator Stanley Chow in an exciting new way, encouraging exploration through photo opportunities and a social media competition.
Stanley Chow said: “The Arndale Centre for me is my Mecca, and I’m sure it is for so many people from Manchester. I’m old enough to remember when it first opened as a shopping centre nearly 50 years ago, and I haven’t stopped coming here since.
Inflatable portraits by Stanley Chow will take over Manchester Arndale this summer
“I’m a proud Mancunian, so I was very flattered and touched to be asked to do this. Art needs to be seen everywhere, and not always necessarily in a gallery. I can’t think of a better place for as many people as possible from all walks of life to be able to see my work presented this way.”
David Allinson, Centre Director at Manchester Arndale, said: “Manchester has always been a city that outperforms and exceeds expectations. Through music, sport, science, politics, creativity and innovation, Manchester’s influence is recognised around the world, and MCR Made celebrates the icons whose talent, ambition and determination helped build that reputation.
“The exhibition feels particularly at home inside Manchester Arndale, itself a Manchester institution that has been woven into the city’s fabric for almost five decades. The shopping centre provides the perfect backdrop for celebrating Manchester, its creativity and the iconic figures behind its global reputation.”
Manchester Arndale will also be giving visitors the chance to own a piece of MCR Made, with 26 limited edition A4 prints signed by Stanley Chow up for grabs. Two prints of each icon have been produced, with winners allocated their artwork at random. To enter, simply follow @manchesterarndale on Instagram and like the competition post.
MCR Made will run at Manchester Arndale from 3 August – 24 October, and is totally free to visit.
Emily Sergeant -
18th February 2022 
