Support independent artists as the Manchester Craft and Design Centre reopens
The Manchester Craft and Design Centre is reopening its doors every Friday and Saturday throughout August - othe perfect opportunity to support some local makers whilst also having a great day out in Manchester.
The Manchester Craft and Design Centre is reopening its doors every Friday and Saturday throughout August.
A Victorian fish and poultry market once-upon-a-time, the Northern Quarter venue is now home to an astounding craft centre filled with studios and shops – showcasing some of the region’s most talented makers.
Not only is everything crafted on site with a personalised and hands-on approach, but you can also meet the makers (at a social distance, of course), hearing about their processes and inspiration when creating each piece.
As the director, Kate Day, rightly put it, “there’s nothing quite like seeing handmade work in the flesh and meeting the talented individuals that have created it” – and this is the perfect opportunity to support some local makers whilst also having a great day out in Manchester.
Amy Wilkinson Jewellery – with its baroque-inspirations, Amy creates contemporary handmade necklaces, rings and earrings by creating intricate patterns and shapes with wire
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Charlotte Verity – these abstract pieces are all inspired by the presence and absence of light, combining precious metals, faceted stones and handmade glass elements in these gorgeous items
Clare Hillerby – Clare’s nostalgic pieces combine peoples’ old ephemera (often maps, stamps and postcards) with handmade elements to create deeply sentimental items
Colette Hazelwood Jewellery – working in a variety of silver, gold and platinum, Colette’s jewellery is perfect for anyone looking for something individual, and her clients can provide the inspiration behind it
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Divinity by Eve Redmond – Eve creates a variety of unique, abstract pieces, whether you’re looking for something dainty or making a statement, and her consumption by jewellery is clear as these items trace many details and events of her life
RA Designer Jewellery – the creator of the iconic ‘marry me ring’, Anne’s speciality is creating stunning engagement and wedding jewellery that is unique to each customer
Tracey Birchwood – combining jewellery with ceramics, this contemporary jewellery collection largely focuses on the natural world as an inspiration for its dainty pieces.
Cragg Jones Ceramics – Nicky and Sue have collaborated to create a collection of Scandinavian-esque pots, mugs, planters and other items that are both functional and lovely to look at
Katherine Lees Ceramics – these porcelain planters, vases and other ornaments are one of a kind, balancing her inspiration from the Victorian ‘cabinets of curiosity’ and love of animals
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Lee Page Hanson Ceramics – from crockery to vases and everything in between, these vibrant ceramic creations are largely inspired by 20th century modernism and geometric patterns
Linzi Ramsden Ceramics – inspired by Linzi’s repetitive folding of her baby’s clothes, her new collection ‘Origami’ contains delicate ceramic ornaments and wall art made from porcelain clay
Gemma Truman Glass – there is no absence of colour in these vibrant glass ornaments and gifts, a lot of which is inspired by Gemma’s love of nature and travel
Helen Tiffany Glass – Helen specialises in kiln formed glass, combining this with recycled and reclaimed materials to make simple yet effective glassware
Michelle Keeling Glass – initially inspired by climbing a glacier in New Zealand, Michelle has used metal leaf to replicate the patterns she experienced within the ice in her glass wall panels, accessories and ornaments
&made – Andrea Lord is creating a versatile range of gifts and home wares with a modern and fun twist, whether that is her adorable cactus pin cushions or bobble-hat tea cosies
Jane Blease – through her intricate and delicate embroidery, Jane is making elegant artwork, lighting and accessories that have a more contemporary feel to them
Laura Fray Bespoke – this selection of handmade bridal wear puts a unique spin on classic dresses, and is the perfect choice for something to wear on your special day
Fibre – by using an acrylic mix pouring technique, Jessica’s artwork perfectly captures the flow and movement of the sea. She also offers handmade embroidered cards and gifts perfect for any occasion
Fir + Wren at Holm – these illustrative designs are simplistic yet don’t fail to draw attention, and many have been translated into cards, cushions and brooches
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Ink Inc – the illustrative duo, Laura and Jess, are creating a range of cards and prints from their incredibly detailed ink illustrations, from quirky characters to more poignant pieces
Kaper – Kate’s paper sculptures are outstanding and incredibly intricate, recreating woodland scenes and birds by hand that are a perfect centrepiece for any occasion
Manchester has been ranked one of the ‘most influential cities’ in Europe
Danny Jones
As per a development that we’d consider so obvious it’s barely worth writing about (even though we are), Manchester has been ranked one of the most influential cities in Europe.
In other news, water is still very much wet.
While there’s plenty of it here in Greater Manchester, given our standard rainy forecasts, when it comes to anything besides the weather, we deliver in spades.
Let’s be honest: we know it, you do too, and apparently so do plenty of other folks – and there’s some concrete statistics to back it up.
Case in point – First Chanel, now Vogue… (Credit: The Manc Group)
You’ll find all manner of surveys, polls and studies diving into how Manchester ranks across various categories, but knowing we boast nods such as ‘the original industrial city’, the place that helped split the atom and the place that the first modern computer was born, we know all about our global impact.
With that in mind, when we saw that Sixt had recently named us as one of the most influential cities in all of Europe, we couldn’t ignore the well-deserved pat on the back.
That’s right, although you might not associate the car rental company with this sort of stuff, as part of their new exclusive ‘Sixt Ride’ offering (think a posh taxi service), they looked into which cities have the most luxuries, tourist attractions and other cultural bonuses to their name.
Per their recent research, Manchester city centre didn’t just break into the top 100 but found itself among the 30 most influential cities in Europe.
You can see the full rankings table down below.
#
City
Country
*Fortune 500 Companies
Fashion weeks
Film Festivals
International Airports
5-Star Hotels
High End/Luxury Shopping areas
Michelin Restaurants
1
Paris
France
10
6
77
2
122
11
134
2
London
United Kingdom
12
3
241
3
182
5
81
3
Milan
Italy
1
4
52
3
29
5
22
4
Rome
Italy
2
0
97
2
65
4
21
5
Stockholm
Sweden
0
3
14
2
12
2
13
6
Madrid
Spain
5
0
38
1
42
2
29
7
Zurich
Switzerland
6
0
10
1
12
4
18
8
Munich
Germany
5
0
10
1
16
4
17
9
Berlin
Germany
1
1
76
1
40
2
21
10
Hamburg
Germany
1
0
16
2
17
3
16
11
Amsterdam
Netherlands
4
0
24
1
29
1
30
12
Copenhagen
Denmark
1
2
12
1
12
2
20
13
Barcelona
Spain
0
0
45
1
47
1
31
14
Lisbon
Portugal
1
0
38
1
49
1
20
15
Athens
Greece
0
0
41
1
52
2
12
16
Vienna
Austria
1
0
24
1
24
3
14
17
Bucharest
Romania
0
0
22
2
12
2
0
18
Warsaw
Poland
0
0
22
2
17
1
3
19
Glasgow
United Kingdom
0
0
17
2
4
2
2
20
Lyon
France
0
0
9
2
7
0
16
21
Prague
Czechia
0
0
16
1
60
1
2
22
Brussels
Belgium
0
0
18
1
14
1
29
23
Oslo
Norway
0
1
8
1
6
1
11
24
Manchester
United Kingdom
0
0
20
1
7
3
2
25
Budapest
Hungary
0
0
16
1
24
1
7
26
Dublin
Ireland
2
0
16
1
11
0
6
27
Naples
Italy
0
0
34
1
5
0
22
28
Porto
Portugal
0
0
8
1
28
0
10
29
Turin
Italy
1
0
21
1
4
0
10
30
Sofia
Bulgaria
0
0
22
1
14
1
0
31
Helsinki
Finland
0
0
5
1
10
1
5
32
Belgrade
Serbia
0
0
32
1
9
0
1
33
Marseille
France
0
0
5
1
4
0
12
34
Birmingham
United Kingdom
0
0
12
1
4
0
6
35
Minsk
Belarus
0
0
11
1
0
0
0
Read it and weep; we Mancs landed 24th on the leaderboard, just behind Norway’s capital, Oslo, and ever so slightly ahead of Budapest in Hungary.
As you can see, to identify the ‘most influential European cities’, they broke down how the 35 most populous cities on the continent and here UK (barring Russia and Ukraine) and what noteworthy cultural touchstones they possess.
For instance, did you hear that our very own Warehouse Project recently found itself breaking into the top half of the best nightclubs on the entire planet?
Going on to analyse everything from the number of Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the city, their connections to film, fashion, fine-dining and more, they found that Paris, London and Milan were the most influential (no surprises there), but we’re glad to be keeping such good company.
After all, in the last couple of years alone, Manchester city centre has welcomed the Metiers D’art fashion show, opened one of the biggest indoor entertainment venues in all of Europe, and still takes eternal credit for giving the world Oasis and, therefore, the Live ’25 reunion. Again, you’re welcome.
What do you make of Sixt’s study, and do you agree with their findings on the whole?
It goes without saying that we’d probably put ourselves higher on the list if anything, but then again, maybe we’re getting too used to being told how brilliant it is to live in this region.
Featured Images — Anthony Parkes (via Geograph)/The Manc Group
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There’s a studio in Manchester with welded jewellery and a build-your-own-necklace charm bar
Daisy Jackson
An independent jewellery studio in Manchester is tapping into the welded jewellery craze, offering customisable permanent bracelets, necklaces and loads more.
Aureli is the brainchild of Georgina Dunn, and as well as these increasingly popular welded pieces, is offering a charm bar where Mancs can build their own charm jewellery.
The studio is tucked away on Chapel Street, a stone’s throw from Manchester city centre.
Inside the space, you’ll find shelves full of different chains, from dainty links to chunkier rope styles, all available in gold, silver, rose gold or even mixed metal – you choose your poison.
These can then be cut to measure and welded to your person, either as a bracelet, an anklet, a ring or a hand chain.
You can add in tiny charms, like letters, birth stones, and symbols, for a piece of jewellery that’s truly unique to you and that will stay with you.
Terrified of commitment and getting a piece of jewellery literally welded to your body? No stress – Georgina can also add on tiny clasps so that you can take your treasure off whenever you like.
And for fans of chunkier, more statement pieces, you can also book a workshop in the Aureli charm bar.
Georgina fitting a welded braceletGeorgina Dunn, owner of AureliYou can have welded anklets tooAureli offers welded jewellery in ManchesterYou can customise your welded jewellery at the studio in ManchesterSome of the chains on offer at AureliThe charm bar at AureliThe beautiful Aureli studio in Manchester
Here, there are hundreds of playful charms to pick from, like enamel-coated colourful fruit, metal cowboy boots, cherubs, hearts, pearls, and LOADS more.
Georgina can then talk you through the process of hand-fixing each charm to your chosen piece of jewellery, whether you’ve gone for a chunky necklace, a bracelet, or a phone charm.
Georgina has a fashion background and says: “I always knew I wanted my own brand, I just didn’t feel like clothing was the right choice.
“I’d always made my own jewellery as a hobby and had a friend who’d seen permanent jewellery in Australia – so decided to bring that concept to Manchester.”
Two years ago, she started trading at The Makers Market around Greater Manchester, while still working full-time as a teacher.
Aureli absolutely took off, and she’s now appeared in Vogue magazine as well as at events for brands like Sephora and BPerfect.
Aureli is located on Chapel Street in Salford and you can find out more HERE.
Daisy Bradbury -
18th August 2020 
