Polly Checkland Harding

Manchester After Hours 2014 is the rainy city’s take on the annual Museums at Night celebrations – and here’s our guide to the best of what’s on after dark. Staying out...

In our exclusive interview, one of Britain’s best-known poets reveals the thinking behind his version of the world’s oldest war story, The Last Days of Troy. How do you go...

At Season’s Eatings, a monthly supper club in Manchester, you won’t find an air-freighted pineapple or deep-freeze peas anywhere in sight. The clue is in the name… Season’s Eatings is...

Southport’s new, multi-art space is staging an exhibition of artists who have used walking as a central part of their work. There are so many ways to travel – but...

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Sound artist Bill Fontana brings an incredible, war-enraged audio installation to IWM North. IWM North has a pretty striking design. On the banks of Manchester Ship Canal three interlocking sections,...

Exclusive releases, live bands, DJs and beer – this year’s Record Store Day is set to be (sorry) a smash hit. A queue grows backwards along the street from a...

The world’s bloodiest war was so big it can be hard to get a handle on – but this new exhibition about WWI manages to make it personal. For many...

We spoke to five leading critics and theatre-makers about how Britain’s current theatre scene is both exciting – and frightening. Funding cuts, emerging artists, closures, re-openings, safe bets and creative...

Dance-offs, live drawing and a Northern Soul all-nighter: just some of what’s on offer at a festival that celebrates the self-defining power of dance. It’s like the start to a...

Salford’s independent music festival is back for another year – it’s tenth. The best way to think of Sounds From the Other City music festival in Salford? It’s like a...

Don’t look back in anger – Manchester Histories Festival is a chance to rethink our history. History can be both a familiar and hidden thing. It’s taught in schools, featured...