MIF17: Cotton Panic! at Upper Campfield Market

Andrew Anderson

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MIF17: Cotton Panic! at Upper Campfield Market

Campfield Market Hall, Castlefield
8-15 July 2017

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

Charl Marais
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Manchester was once the centre of a worldwide textile trade, the place where cotton was king – so much so that it was christened cottonopolis. However, its reliance on cotton made it vulnerable and in the early 1860s the market crashed, leaving many out of work and on the streets. It is this crisis that Cotton Panic! revisits as part of Manchester International Festival, in a production led by Lancashire legend Jane Horrocks.

On giving the MIF programme a first quick it was Horrock’s name that magnetised my eye – because, after all, who doesn’t love Jane Horrocks? – while writer Nick Vivian (who happens to be Horrocks’ other half), director Wils Wilson (who you might know from Scuttlers at the Royal Exchange) and musician Stephen Mallinder (of Cabaret Voltaire fame) complete the creative team.

Cotton Panic! will weave together music, drama, spoken word and film, re-evaluating the city’s history – an angle that has seldom been explored in past editions of MIF.

Where to go near MIF17: Cotton Panic! at Upper Campfield Market

Castlefield
Bar or Pub
Cask

Cask is a well-loved pub on Liverpool Road in Manchester. It has an excellent selection of continental beers and a cosy beer garden.

Manchester
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Cibo

Cibo is one of the newer Italian restaurant to open in Manchester. Modern Italian food in snazzy city centre surroundings.

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Atlas Bar

Situated in the railway arches of Deansgate, Atlas is an elegant, quality bar specialising in nearly 600 gins from around the world.

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The Deansgate

The Deansgate is located in the heart of Manchester. A traditional pub with homemade food and real ales, this is truly one of the greatest watering holes in Manchester.

The Life Centre North
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The Life Centre North

The Life Centre, just off Deansgate in Manchester, is a place which offers yoga and Pilates classes for people of all abilities. 

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Cloud 23

Manchester’s Cloud 23, the cocktail bar siting proud on the 23rd floor of the Beetham Tower, boasts unparalleled views across the city.

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