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50 Windows of Creativity is closing out with an online auction next week

There's over 70 individually-designed pieces available from some of Greater Manchester's most beloved artists.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 9th December 2020
50 Windows of Creativity / David Oates

Manchester’s innovative socially-distanced art trail is concluding next week with a festive finale to celebrate its successful run.

50 Windows of Creativity – which transformed Manchester into an art gallery to celebrate the city’s rich creative culture and went on to inspire and entertain thousands of city centre dwellers during lockdown and beyond – is to stream the auction live from the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel on Thursday 17th December.

And on top of that, the trail has also been extended until Sunday 13th December too, giving Christmas shoppers and other visitors to the city the chance to ‘window shop’ the trail to discover their favourite makers and creators ahead of the auction.

Lucky bidders will then get the chance to win beautifully-poignant and memorable pieces of art to gift, self gift, or even donate.

At the auction – which will be hosted by auctioneer and TV personality, Charles Hanson – 72 individually-designed artworks, all created by Greater Manchester artists, will be under the Christmas spotlight, with proceeds from sales going to the talented artists, designers and makers involved in the trail, as well as The Lord Mayor of Manchester Charity Appeal Trust – We Love MCR Charity.

Charles Hanson will also be joined by auctioneer Caroline Hawley from TV’s Flog It! and Bargain Hunt.

50 Windows of Creativity

From spectacular Mancunian mosaics by Mark Kennedy and Mary Goodwin, and fine art from RP Roberts and Dreph, to stunning photography from award-winning Benji Reid, delicate craft from Kaper, and murals, sculptures and more, there is a piece of art for most people and most pockets.

Lots are estimated to go from just £30 up to £10,000.

Viewers will also be able to bid for an original one-off commission from some of the North West’s most famous artists, including the opportunity to have a unique version of the 50 Windows artwork by iconic designer Trevor Johnson, as well as work by spoken word poet Tony Walsh, illustrator Caroline Dowsett, and a bespoke botanical commission from Charlotte Smithson, who will work with the winning bidder to create a custom piece to style a space, or create a site specific sculpture or installation.

With the online auction landing just one week before Christmas, organisers hope that bidders will be inspired to buy something extra special this year to support the city’s creative community, which has sadly been hit so hard by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

And of course, the We Love MCR Charity, which supports Manchester’s disadvantaged communities and individuals.

Bidders can now view the auction catalogue and register to bid in the online auction here.

Lot 36 – Sasha Ray
Lot 13 – Tim Denton

50 Windows of Creativity has been created by Wild in Art, in partnership with Manchester City Council.

The project is supported by event partners Auto Trader and Dandara Living, with other businesses including Hobs Repro, Ocean Outdoor, Jamieson Contracting, TfGM, and Kimpton Clocktower Hotel also stepping forward to support the project.

Speaking on his hosting gig, Charles Hanson – auctioneer and antiques expert on Bargain Hunt, The Antiques Road Trip and Flog It! – said: “I’ve been privileged to see many incredible objects ‘under the hammer’ and the 50 Windows of Creativity artworks will be no exception.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to own an original piece of art and show support for Manchester’s artists, designers and makers, while also helping to raise funds to support the important work of the We Love MCR Charity.”

Ben Reed – Head of Creative Development at Wild in Art – added: “We are delighted that 50 Windows of Creativity has enabled us to shine a light on Manchester’s art and creative community [and] we would like to extend sincere thanks to everyone involved,

“Particularly the artists and makers who have worked so hard to create the displays and the auction pieces.”

Lot 55 – Raptor GL Graffiti
Lot 58 – Justin Eagleton

Councillor Tommy Judge – The Lord Mayor of Manchester and Chair of Trustees of We Love MCR Charity – said: “We are delighted to  be chosen as the benefiting charity for the 50 Windows of Creativity auction.

“We Love MCR Charity supports disadvantaged communities and individuals to be the best they can be and the funds we receive from our partnership with 50 Windows of Creativity will go directly to improving lives here in Manchester.”

Sharon Cameron – Regional Director Of Sales at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel – added: “We are extremely proud to have supported and played a part in this wonderful event and [are] looking forward to the auction being showcased in our beautiful recently-refurbished Ballroom”.

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The 50 Windows of Creativity Auction will take place on Thursday 17th December from 7pm – 11pm, and will be streamed live from the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel.

You can find more information via the Bee In The City website here.

What's On

What we know about Oasis’ Heaton Park reunion shows based on their first comeback gig in Cardiff

Danny Jones Danny Jones All the info we know about Oasis Live '25 reunion night 1 Cardiff

Ok, so there’s no more need to pinch ourselves or double-take every time we check our phone: Oasis aren’t just back together, they’ve now kicked off the reunion and following those incredible Cardiff scenes, we’re already thinking about what this means for their Heaton Park homecoming.

There simply isn’t a brick-and-mortar Manchester venue big enough to hold as many Manc fans as want, need and deserve to see them back on stage after waiting all this time, so it’s only fitting that barely a month on from Parklife, the massive outdoor space will welcome us all back to witness history.

Quite literally millions of people tuned into various livestreams on Friday evening to see Oasis return at the Principality Stadium, so lots of you will have already seen plenty from the colossal concert – including that bald bloke balancing a pint on his head – but there was, understandably, a lot to take in.

So, with that being said, here’s what we hope, we think, we know about Oasis’ highly anticipated Heaton Park shows based solely on the details we gleaned from Cardiff night one.

The timings (roughly)

For starters, one of the most important things fans will be hoping to know is when Oasis got back on stage, as well as the set times of the other ‘Live ’25‘ support acts.

Liam, as per usual, was the mouthier of the two Gallagher brothers and let the cat out of the bag early on X (Twitter), before being clearly told off by management and deleting the details shortly after; still, it was confirmed that the main event for Friday and Saturday night gets underway at 8:15pm.

However, these things are always subject to change, as both Richard Aschroft and Cast were slightly premature on night one in Cardiff, and who knows what other arenas will be like for the rest of the reunion tour?

Credit: Oasis (via Instagram)/Dianne Bourne (screenshot via X)

The Live ’25 setlist – or at least on night one

Another big debate online that has raged ever since the Oasis reunion was confirmed is the subject of what they’re going to play from their extensive catalogue.

Obviously, most people could rattle off most of the all-time favourites and cobbble together a pretty decent ‘greatest hits’ of Oasis setlist, but people have been more concerned with what the opener, closing track, and encore will be.

Having watched all of these moments back multiple times already, we can confirm the first track was the classic intro ‘F***in’ in the Bushes’, as many fans suspected, followed by ‘Hello’ as the first full song, rather fittingly.

As for the last track in the main running order, the crowd got to bounce up and down to ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Star’ before the legendary ‘Champagne Supernova’ beckoned the very end of the first night in Cardiff.

They’ll still be reactive

That being said, this inaugural comeback show was somewhat of a pilot for the rest of the ‘Live ’25 world tour, which now totals more than 40 dates, and any good artist knows that tweaking the setlist from show to show can be key to not only to success, but keeping things fresh for you and the audience.

As a result, we wouldn’t be surprised if you see Oasis mix things up as the nights roll on, especially when playing multiple gigs in the same city as they’re doing pretty much everywhere for this reunion.

That flexibility isn’t just limited to song choice either: Liam did his famous twist on the ‘Wonderwall’ lyrics and told the crowd, “There are many things that I would like to say to you, but I don’t speak Welsh”, and in case you haven’t seen it already, they also took a moment to honour a late Liverpool star.

Gallagher brothers pay touching tribute to Diogo Jota on first night of Oasis reunion tour
There were lots of little details on night one in Cardiff, but this was a very nice touch from Oasis.

A bigger focus on production than ever

The glimpse at the AV presentation seen above is just a small taster too. From the various clips we’ve seen on social media over the last 24 hours or so, Oasis aren’t just back playing music together, but they’ve levelled significantly in terms of production and stage design.

In fairness, so too has the music indusry as a whole – you’d be hard-pressed to found a tech team that could pull of the pre-gig light-show they put on in the days leading up to night one at the Principality – but it was still cool to see the greatest rock band in the world be given a proper big budget backdrop.

For instance, you can see what flashed on the gigantic screens behind them as they walked out in front of more than 70,000 in Cardiff down below.

What a way to make an entrance…

Blues, through and through

Now, if you’ve ever been to see either of the brothers’ solo shows, you’ll know that football and, more specifically, references to Man City, often feature at some point.

Noel, in particular, has maintained a strong City presence in his set, be it the blue colour palette, the MCFC badge, or even a tall cut-out of manager Pep Guardiola half during most High Flying Birds gigs.

Cardiff night one was no different as his LG instructed the crowd to turn around and do the familiar ‘Poznan’ celebration regularly seen up in the stands of the Etihad Stadium.

The bitterness had turned to banter

It was bits of comedy like this that’s been one of the biggest part we’ve missed about Oasis; both Liam and Noel have always been very humorous in their own ways over the years, but they were never funnier than in those old clips you see of them cracking each other up in their younger days.

Despite being estranged for more than a decade and a half and who knows how many years of bad blood overall, they look to have at least put it to one side and what was once a combative back and forth from a distance has circled back around to brotherly banter – or at least we hope it has.

We’re not going to pretend they absolutely adore all of a sudden, but they’re at least trying and recognising each other’s roles.

They actually seem to like each other again

As you can see, those snaps of them smiling during the first reunion photo shoot back together don’t appear to be just for show.

Seeing the two of them walk out holding hands sent the internet into an absolute frenzy of emotion and had people joking that they were finally going to message their own troublesome relative and at least try to mend fences.

But that was just one small moment.

The duo have always admired and respected their respective talents, but for the first time in even longer than the 16-year hiatus itself, it seems like there’s some genuine love there again. See for yourself:

They’re still as massive as they ever were – if not more so

All this is to say that, in short, Oasis’ first comeback show in Cardiff isn’t just the start of the ‘Live ’25 reunion tour that will span the globe, it’s also confirmation of something people began to question in their lengthy absence…

They really are the biggest and, in so many people’s opinions (including our own), the greatest rock band of all time.

From what we can tell, it feels like one of those watershed music moments where you have be there in person to truly see and believe it – not to be part of some exclusive ‘I was there’ comeback, but because we can’t thing of any other reunion that has had this kind of impact.

Roll on the five nights at Heaton Park and strap in, folks, because you will never forget it.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Oasis (via X)/Finnlay K (via Instagram)

What's On

Grassroots music venue The Yard announces new outdoor festival – and it’s got a great name

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

City centre grassroots music venue The Yard has just announced its new outdoor festival, where you can expect lots of impressive local live music.

Independent and grassroots music venue, The Yard, is known for hosting some of the best gigs, creative events and live music in the city, and this festival is no different.

Titled ‘Stranger Ways’ – if you don’t get that reference, then we don’t know what to tell you – anyone attending can expect to hear music that champions Manchester’s indie spirit, with a lot of local talent represented in the lineup.

There’s an appearance from Alex Spencer, who has previously featured in our Manc artists of the month back in May.

Alex Spencer is set to headline day one of Stranger Ways Festival.
Alex Spencer is set to headline day one of Stranger Ways Festival.
The Yard is a brilliant venue known for hosting a variety of live music events.
The Yard is a brilliant venue known for hosting a variety of live music events.
Credit: Supplied

This talent has seen praise from the likes of Lady Gaga and The Coral, even getting his track ‘Nightmares’ featured in EA Sports FC25 (FIFA).

Wigan lads The Lilacs are also fronting the bill, known for their high energy sets and indie tune ‘Vicarage Road’ which they performed live at The Yard for music TV show, Spill The Sound.

They’ve seen massive success this year playing at the Isle of Wight Festival earlier this summer and supporting ‘Every Breath You Take’ penman Sting in Cardiff.

Another of our picks for Manc artists of the month for June, Arkayla. Named after “a terrible Oasis demo” from 1991, the band will be stopping by to sing a couple of their hits, too.

The band are already making waves, quite literally, receiving plays from one of the biggest rock radio stations in the UK, Radio X.

Wigan band The Lilacs are set to headline day two of Stranger Ways Festival.
Wigan band The Lilacs are set to headline day two of Stranger Ways Festival.
Arkayla are one of the headliners for The Yard's new outdoor festival.
Arkayla are one of the headliners for The Yard’s new outdoor festival.
Credit: Supplied

And of course this festival falls during Oasis’ massive reunion tour, so it would be rude not to have a tribute act, or two, performing at this outdoor festival – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Carpets and The Oasis Experience.

Now, as far as tribute bands go, that’s up there with one of the best and quietly clever names we’ve heard since we came across, well… Stranger Ways.

Speaking of Oasis, every ticket purchased for The Yard’s outdoor festival, Stranger Ways, gets entered into a prize draw to win tickets for one of the Burnage boys’ Wembley gigs with an overnight stay.

Erm. Yes. Please.

Read more:

Stranger Ways Festival is taking place at The Yard across 19 and 20 July – To access the full lineup and grab your tickets, you can find everything you need to know HERE.

Anyone who has managed to bag themselves those precious Oasis tickets is in luck too, as if you can show proof on arrival to The Yard, you can guarantee yourself free entry.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images – Publicity Pictures (via Supplied)

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