A brand new art trail is arriving in Manchester city centre next week and it’s set to shine a light on the incredible work of local artists and makers.
50 Windows of Creativity is a new art trail celebrating Manchester’s rich creative culture which will see a huge array of spectacular mosaics, installations, fine art, photography, craft, murals and more pop up in windows, venues, businesses and spaces right across the city centre.
Created by the team behind the award-winning Bee in the City event, 50 Windows of Creativity will aim to transform Manchester into an innovative art gallery and take visitors on a colourful, inspiring and COVID-safe journey around the city centre.
The trail – which is supported by Manchester City Council and event partners Auto Trader and Dandara Living – will seek to raise money for the artists involved, and also the Lord Mayor of Manchester’s Charity Appeal Trust – the We Love MCR Charity.
Visitors to the trail will be able to explore the city via the 50 Windows of Creativity app and a specially-designed interactive trail map.
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Each of the 50 Windows of Creativity displays can be found in windows and spaces around Manchester city centre and can be enjoyed within necessary social distancing regulations, so all visitors are encouraged to maintain a safe distance, wear a face covering when appropriate, and be respectful to other trail visitors.
The trail is opening next Monday 26th October and will run through to Saturday 5th December 2020.
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So, what’s in store then?
What can visitors expect ahead of next week?
The trail celebrates the rich and varied culture of Manchester itself and visitors passing ChriSalon on Princess Street might spot Ric Facchin’s miniature Manchester Builds, which immortalise some the city’s best buildings at their moment in time, whilst the new Kimpton Clocktower Hotel will display a mosaic work by Mary Goodwin, featuring a tryptic of historical Mancunians who are famous by name but not so famous by face.
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If you head onto Deansgate, Classic Football Shirts will present mosaicist Mark Kennedy’s replica of the 20/21 Premier League Manchester City Football Club shirt – the design of which was inspired by his work – and Sarah Connell’s Manchester cityscapes of the Etihad Stadium and Old Trafford can be seen at Wesley Barrell.
Mark KennedySneaky Raccoon
Many of the works will showcase creativity sparked by lockdown.
Sneaky Raccoon’s work in Hobs Repro is inspired by the plants and flowers that she photographed while on walks around her neighbourhood and reflecting the sentiment of re-wilding and regrowth.
Others bring a sense of fun and discovery, with Playhouse from Barney Ibbotson Illustration, Ben Clark Design and Playground shown at Hilton House in partnership with Design Manchester bringing to life some of the entries to a global reaching competition to design something to enable people to play at home during lockdown.
Artist and maker Lazerian (Liam Hopkins) will present Curiosity Killed the Cat, which is a conceptual art piece that will morph and change throughout the duration of the project.
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Liam Hopkins
Tim Denton’s giant drawing pantograph at Dandara Living explores family connections, friendships and other relationships which create the communities we live, laugh, love and work in, Guy McKinley celebrates humans in all their guises of the present in beautiful colourful stained glass windows at No. 1 Canal Street, and at RNCM, Sumit Sarkar presents a series of sculptures created with a mix of cutting edge digital technology and analogue techniques, which take inspiration from a variety of sources, including religious iconography, science fiction and graffiti.
Large scale visual artworks will pop up around the city.
This includes a mural of Ste Wing by acclaimed photorealistic street artist Akse on Little Lever Street, and award winning photographer Benji Reid’s work, which will be displayed on the facade of the National Football Museum.
Atelier Bebop will take over Selfridges Exchange Square, with large-scale graphic work Cosmos inspired by the sunset of summer and the autumn season, whilst Caroline Dowsett’s mural at Hatch wraps around the whole inside of its container to create an immersive experience, and Hammo has created a sequence of playful little adventurers, clambering over rocks, climbing trees, crossing streams at Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports in Castlefield.
Atelier Bop
Manchester’s ever-present music influence can be seen in the Moovin’ Festival Visual Art Collective’s installation at KSMCR, which captures some of the festival’s madness and magic, whilst one of the many pieces at RNCM includes a photography show from the Manchester Hip Hop Archive.
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Elsewhere, in the Northern Quarter, artist Lei-Mai LeMaow’s mural at Yard and Coop takes inspiration from old rave flyers and touches on the current precarious situation regarding the music sector.
Other works challenge the viewer to think and will be on display at other prominent city centre venues.
All pieces on display will be available to buy directly from the artist or maker and the project culminates with an auction on 10 December 2020 streamed live from the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel which will see a selection of pieces auctioned with proceeds going to their artists and makers, and to The Lord Mayor of Manchester Charity Appeal Trust – We Love MCR Charity (registered charity number 1066972) which supports disadvantaged communities and individuals to be the best they can be.
50 Windows of Creativity is being delivered by global public art producers Wild in Art – whose previous work includes the award-winning Bee in the City art trail which took over the city in 2018 – in partnership with Manchester City Council.
Building on Manchester’s reputation for innovation and the key strategic role that art and culture plays in the social and economic life of the city, the event is hoping to allow “residents to reconnect with places and spaces in the city centre again” as part of the council’s recovery programme.
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Ben Reed – Head of Creative Development at Wild in Art – said: “We are delighted to have the privilege of working with the many incredibly talented artists, designers and makers and we are excited to reveal their work and displays.
“This project will transform the city’s windows and spaces into an innovative art gallery taking people on a creative journey around Manchester.”
Councillor Luthfur Rahman OBE – Executive Member Culture Leisure and Skills, Manchester City Council – added: “Now more than ever it is so important that we show support for the arts community and I hope that people will take the time to safely explore 50 Windows of Creativity and appreciate the incredible talent that Manchester has to offer.”
The project is made possible 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 trail.
You can find the interactive trail map at the Bee in the City website here.
What's On
Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live – tickets, times and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
American girl group Pussycat Dolls have reunited for a UK tour, stopping off at Co-op Live in Manchester with their powerhouse pop anthems.
Releasing their first LP in 2005, this pop girl group have a variety of radio hits to their name like ‘Don’t Cha’, ‘When I Grow Up’ and ‘Buttons’.
Over the years, the Pussycat Dolls lineup has gone through significant changes with this latest reunion comprised of Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberley Wyatt and Ashley Roberts.
The trio even released some brand-new material to coincide with the announcement of their UK and EU tour titled ‘Club Song’.
Now the girls are about to put their Doll Domination to the test as they bring their PCD Forever Tour in arenas across the nation.
Gig guide – Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live, Manchester
Doors for Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live open from 6pm with a start time listed of 7pm with Lil’ Kim and rising girl group Deja Vu kicking things off.
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning you can get home and loosen your ‘Buttons’, hopefully before the clock strikes twelve.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Queer Up North launches digital archive full of visual art and more from legendary Manchester festival
Lydia Mastrolonardo
A new digital archive documenting the legendary Queer Up North festival has launched this month.
Running for an illustrious decade from 1992 to 2002, Queer Up North was the first multi-artform LGBTQ+ festival in Europe, but its significance has extended far beyond the arts as a beacon for queer culture, and is largely described as being one of the most pioneering and influential festivals ever.
From the very start, Queer Up North had an international standpoint – gaining support and recognition from much further afield as well as here in Manchester.
The festival emerged during a period where Manchester’s queer communities were navigating new ways to gain visibility and to create culture on their own terms.
It played a central role in uniting artists, performers, audiences, and venues – helping to establish Manchester as an international destination for LGBTQ+ arts and culture.
The newly launched digital archive shares materials from the iconic festival’s history, making them easily accessible to the public online for the first time, and for free.
The curated collection features 1420 images, 275 artefacts, and 29 oral histories revealing amazing stories about the people, performances, art, club nights, cabaret, and comedy that all helped to shape culture in Manchester during the 90s.
It offers a chance to explore a pivotal decade of Manchester’s history and understand how a generation of artists, performers, and audiences created a whole host of new opportunities for the Mancunian queer community.
Queer Up North launches digital archive full of visual art and more from legendary Manchester festival / Credit: Jonathan Keenan (Supplied)
It also facilitates a platform for new work, inspired by the legacy of Queer Up North, with founders emphasising that its purpose is as much about the future, as it is the past.
Tanja Farman and Gavin Barlow, founder-directors of Queer Up North shared: “The festival set out to be pioneering, innovative, international and inspirational, and looking back 34 years later, is it incredibly exciting to see that history preserved and celebrated.
“The Queer Up North Archive ensures that the creativity and contributions of LGBTQ+ artists and communities are remembered, while opening up their work and stories to a new generation.
Emily Sergeant -
20th October 2020 
