esea contemporary

Creative Tourist
Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art CFCCA by Michael Pollard
Photo by Michael Pollard

Thanks to its dynamic programme of events and exhibitions celebrating artists of East and Southeast Asian heritage, esea contemporary (formerly Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art, CFCCA) is widely regarded as the number one place for experiencing East and Southeast Asian contemporary art in the UK.

Established in 1986, originally located in Chinatown but now tucked away at the end of Thomas Street in Manchester’s vibrant Northern Quarter, esea contemporary presents and supports artists and art informed by East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) cultural backgrounds. Alongside a regularly changing programme of new exhibitions, it also commissions new work and runs artist-in-residency schemes.

esea contemporary is also one of the only public art galleries in the Northern Quarter, alongside Manchester Craft and Design Centre, and a long-standing favourite for many. For these reasons, it more than warrants the title of one of the best galleries in Manchester.

Market buildings, Thomas StreetManchesterM4 1EU View map
Telephone: 0161 832 7271 Visit Now

Admission Charges

Free

Commercial and Hire Services

For Hire

Services and Facilities

Gallery, shop

Opening Hours

  • Tuesday10:00am - 5:00pm
  • Wednesday10:00am - 5:00pm
  • Thursday10:00am - 5:00pm
  • Friday10:00am - 5:00pm
  • Saturday10:00am - 5:00pm
  • Sunday12:00pm - 5:00pm

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

What's on near esea contemporary

Until
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Beyond the Music 2024

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Fair Play Festival 2024

Following two sold out festivals, Fair Play is back to take over the Northern Quarter with a day of live music in all its ‘alternative’ forms.

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Where to go near esea contemporary

Manchester Pubs
Manchester
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Trof Northern Quarter

It’s a landmark year for Trof NQ. In the years since it first opened, the Northern Quarter has developed around it to become one of the city’s most prominent areas.

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Bar 21

A bar in Manchester’s Northern Quarter for fans of television and cinema science fiction. Enjoy food and drink amongst a off-beat selection of movie memorabilia.

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Café or Coffee Shop
This & That Café

Eternally popular curry canteen taking its name from a time when patrons didn’t know what to call their orders, but pointed instead to a bit of “this” and “that”.

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Restaurant
Disorder

Disorder is a new bar and restaurant in the Northern Quarter, based where the old Walrus venue was, with Bryan Barber as executive chef.

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Odd Bar

A three storey Northern Quarter bar which serves a selection of beer, cocktails and food. Regular quiz nights, open mic sessions and resident DJs.

Wolf At The Door
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Restaurant
Wolf At The Door

Three storey bar and restaurant on Thomas Street in the Northern Quarter, from the team behind the Wilderness record store and bar in Withington.

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The Bay Horse Tavern

The Bay Horse Tavern is a laid-back pub based in the dead centre of the Northern Quarter, with a wide range of drinks and food options.

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