EVENTS RUNNING THURSDAY 11 OCTOBER 2012

Find out what’s on when, and build your own itinerary with our full Weekender listings. Key: #FF = family friendly. Events marked with a star are free.

The Weekender launch event: *Thursday Lates with Kirsty Almeida at Manchester Art Gallery, 6pm-9pm, Thursday 11 October 2012, free. Riffing gently on the theme of paper, and inspired by new exhibition, The First Cut, singer-songwriter Kirsty Almeida gives an intimate and atmospheric performance to mark the launch of this year’s Weekender. Expect a delicious evening of art, craft, music that blurs the lines between folk, jazz and soul, food and drink and socialising, and, of course, entry to an exhibition that showcases 31 international artists whose work with that most humble of artistic materials – paper – is nothing short of revolutionary. From the poetic imagery of Rob Ryan and a walk-through forest of paper trees to Almeida herself, who promises to somehow uncover the best of the city’s secret spaces during her performance, this is a one-off night in one of Manchester’s most beautiful neo-Classical buildings. Unmissable.

Head back to the Weekender main page, or see what’s happening on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

Images (top to bottom): Rob Ryan, part of The First Cut at Manchester Art Gallery, October 2012, courtesy the artist; Kirsty Almeida, courtesy the artist.