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April is here, meaning that summer is close. Here are our most recommended things to do throughout April in Manchester and the North. This list includes: unique exhibitions, stand out live music and excellent food/drink.
Things to do in April
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Ad Minoliti at BALTIC in Gateshead
Argentinian artist Ad Minoliti’s immersive exhibition draws upon queer and feminist theory to offer new understandings of the world around us.
The Jungle Book at Oldham Coliseum
Previously postponed due to Covid-19, we’re pleased that The Jungle Book is set to run at Oldham Coliseum in April 2021.
Flying Scotsman at East Lancashire Railway
Calling rail enthusiasts big and small! Celebrate steam’s golden age with a trip on the Flying Scotsman this Easter. Locomotive No. 60103 really is the stuff of legends! Not least because it was the world’s first steam train to officially travel at 100 miles per hour, subsequently securing its pivotal place in rail history.
Book sale at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House
Elizabeth Gaskell’s House and award-winning garden is a must-see, with the famous book sale scheduled (assuming Lockdown is lifted at the end of March) as follows: 11 April, 9 May, 13 June, 11 July, 8 August, 12 September, 10 October, 14 November and 12 December 2021, 11am-4pm.
Victoria String Quartet Livestream at The Stoller Hall
Beaming live from The Stoller Hall on 16th April, the Victoria String Quartet will perform an emotion-filled programme of Mozart, Beethoven and Puccini.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds at Manchester Arena CANCELLED
One of the world’s great live acts, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds are returning to Manchester next year in support of their extraordinary album, Ghosteen.
Peppa Pig’s Best Day Ever
It’s Peppa’s Best Day Ever! Join Peppa Pig and all her friends and family on as they embark on fun-filled day long adventure. With all the familiar faces, and plenty of chuckles, chortles and trademark snorts this show will have your little ones captivated.
Psappha: Black Milk at Hallé St Peter’s
Black Milk, the penultimate concert in Psappha’s 2020-21 season, features a world premiere by Mark-Anthony Turnage plus two Viennese chamber group classics.
Still showing this month
Grayson’s Art Club at Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester
Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry presents a major exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery featuring work made by the nation during the initial weeks of lockdown.
Online Meditation with the Manchester Buddhist Centre
As we learn to live with uncertainty now is a better time than ever to explore meditation, let the friendly community at Manchester Buddhist Centre help you on this journey.
Trading Station: how hot drinks shape our lives at Manchester Art Gallery
Trading Station at Manchester Art Gallery charts the history and changing social role of hot drinks in our lives.
The Little Library in Spinningfields
Take your pick from The Little Library’s carefully curated collection of classics and new releases, adding a recently read book of your own as a replacement.
System Crasher – Streaming on Curzon Home Cinema
Controversial from the moment it premiered in Competition at the 2019 Berlin Film Festival, documentarian Nora Fingscheidt’s fiction feature debut portrays the life of a chaotic and troubled young girl.
Posters from the Irish civil rights era – Online with the Working Class Movement Library
Working Class Movement Library presents an online exhibition of powerful posters made by young activists fighting for civil rights in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.
What it is to be here: Colonisation and Resistance – Online at The Portico Library
The Portico Library marks 250 years since British explorer James Cook first landed on the shores of what we now call Australia with an online exhibition that explores the history of violence and resistance that followed.
Homemakers
NOW EXTENDED: HOME have invited theatre and live art makers to create new works at home, for an audience who are also at home.
The Gardener Digs in Another Time – Online at the Whitworth
the Whitworth in Manchester invites you to step into the garden as subject with an online version of its 2016 exhibition, The Gardener Digs in Another Time.
Life Drawing Manchester Online Classes
The popular Northern Quarter community, Life Drawing Manchester, have migrated to zoom, opening up their classes to models and artists from all over the world.
Everything that rises must dance with HOME
Produced by Complicité for Homemakers: Join a virtual gathering of women for an online dance project celebrating female movement throughout history.
Hamilton – Streaming on Disney Plus
Politically charged with a hip-hop soundtrack, there is no doubt that this filmed performance is one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of 2020.
Swallows and Amazons For Ever! at Windermere Jetty Museum
Celebrate the spirit of adventure, learn more about the Cumbrian landscape and uncover the inspiration behind Arthur Ransome’s classic tale.
What is Manchester Art Gallery? at Manchester Art Gallery
Manchester Art Gallery reopens with a thought-provoking new exhibition that delves into the history of the public institution and its role within the city.
Don McCullin at Tate Liverpool
Tate Liverpool presents a major retrospective of work by Don McCullin, widely considered to be one of the greatest photojournalists of our time.
Psappha 2020/21 Concert Season
Psappha’s 2020–21 season explores the sharpest and smartest sounds in contemporary classical music, presented in concert and streamed online for free.
Aid Workers: Ethics Under Fire at Imperial War Museum North
Aid Workers: Ethics Under Fire at Imperial War Museum North takes a close look at the moral dilemmas surrounding overseas aid.
The Sheffield Project at Weston Park Museum, Sheffield
Commissioned in the mid-1980s, The Sheffield Project focused a lens on a unique chapter in the city’s history, when it embarked on a journey of radical change.
Make Up – Streaming on BBC iPlayer
Cornwall has seldom seemed eerier than in Make-Up, the vivid first feature from director Claire Oakley.
Fun & Games: Playtime, Past & Present at The Portico Library and Online
Fun & Games at The Portico Library explores the evolution and traditions of games and play throughout the ages up to today.
#WELCOME? at the People’s History Museum
#WELCOME? at the People’s History Museum explores the wider impact of media coverage and changing immigration controls.
Aliza Nisenbaum at Tate Liverpool
International portrait artist Aliza Nisenbaum will present a new painting at Tate Liverpool this winter, depicting members of the city’s key workers.
Postal Exhibition Print Programme from OUTPUT
OUTPUT in Liverpool launches a new programme of mail-based exhibitions, sending original artwork directly to your home.
Discover Buxton Tram Tours
Enjoy a journey through time on Discover Buxton Tour’s unique vintage tram.
Discover Buxton Character Tours
These colourful character guides offer unique and entertaining insights into the history of some of Buxton’s most iconic buildings.
Discover Buxton Walking Tours
Have your history delivered by expert guides whose passion for the heritage of Buxton spills into the unexpected.
Discover Buxton Roman Tours
Join local historian Brian Shepherd for a walk around the town and learn what Buxton may have looked like during Britain’s Roman occupation.
Discover Buxton Audio Tours
Discover Buxton’s audio tours of The Peak cover the area around Buxton and are designed to be enjoyed from the comfort of your own vehicle.
Pakui Hardware at BALTIC in Gateshead
Lithuanian artist duo Pakui Hardware presents an immersive art installation about the future and ethics of virtual health care.
Hardeep Sahota: Bhangra Lexicon – Online
The world’s first ‘visual dictionary’ of movements found within Bhangra, compiled by World Bhangra Day founder, Hardeep Sahota.
My First Protest Song online with the People’s History Museum
My First Protest Song goes online. Round up the family and join Matt Hill for this live-streamed event full of toe-tapping tunes.
NQ Jazz Live – Postponed
NQ Jazz have teamed up with The Stoller Hall and The Yard to bring us dozens of COVID-safe jazz events featuring established and emerging artists.
The Hallé – The Event Horizon
The Hallé are joined by poet laureate Simon Armitage, virtuoso saxophonist Jess Gillam and Former Hallé Assistant Conductor Jonathon Heyward.
One Night in Miami – Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
One Night in Miami is a fictional account of one incredible night where icons Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown gathered discussing their roles in the civil rights movement and cultural upheaval of the 60s.
Online Short Story Course with Michelle Green
Here’s a great idea for a Christmas present – or perhaps it might be something to go on your New Year’s Resolutions list – an online course from Manchester’s Comma Press all about the short story, led by writer Michelle Green.
POSTPONED – AI: More than Human at World Museum Liverpool
Barbican’s major exhibition, AI: More than Human, comes to Liverpool, offering a tantlising look into the future.
The Hallé – Sibelius’s Third Symphony
The Hallé are joined by virtuoso pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason for Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto, plus Sibelius’s magnificent Third Symphony.
Vision & Reality: 100 Years of Contemporary Art in Wakefield at The Hepworth Wakefield
100 years of contemporary art in one sitting? Feast your eyes at The Hepworth Wakefield and discover the story behind its remarkable collection.
The Hallé – Henning Kraggerud: Artist in Residence
Hallé Artist in Residence, Henning Kraggerud curates a concert featuring the UK premiere of his adaptation of Grieg’s Third Violin Sonata.
Science Photographer of the Year – Online as Part of Manchester Science Festival 2021
A stunning online exhibition that brings together award-winning photographic images from the world of science, climate and art.
The Hallé – Shostakovich’s Dazzling First
The Hallé performs a varied programme of Grazyna Bacewicz, Aaron Copland and Dmitri Shostakovich under the baton of new Assistant Conductor, Delyana Lazarova.
C-o-n-t-a-c-t at Salford Quays
Hailed a “gripping thriller” and “pacy outdoor odyssey” – here’s an inventive outdoor performance we can all look forward to in 2021.
The Hallé – Movie Classics
Presented by the BBC’s Petroc Trelawny and conducted by Stephen Bell, the Hallé celebrates classical music on the silver screen.
The Hallé – Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale
Sir Mark Elder conducts a staged performance of Stravinsky’s 1918 masterpiece The Soldier’s Tale, directed by Olivier Award winner Annabel Arden.
Liverpool Biennial 2021 – The Stomach and the Port
The 11th edition of the UK’s oldest and largest festival of contemporary visual art is about to open, with work by over 50 artists.
Tony Phillips: 12 Decades at Bluecoat in Liverpool
Tony Phillips’ 12 Decades continues a survey of modern history that has occupied him over the last 40 years. The series will go on show at Bluecoat in 2021.
The Hallé – Trail-blazing Hallé
The Hallé is joined by Boris Giltburg for Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, before the world premiere of Huw Watkins’ Second Symphony.
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Things to do right now
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