QC 19: Outspoken at No 70

Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature Editor

Book now

Outspoken

9 February 2019

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

Photo by Isle Of Red.
Book now

The annual Queer Contact Outspoken event returns – this time to former Cornerhouse, No 70 Oxford Street – for a spellbinding showcase of poetry and spoken word performance to mark LGBT History Month in 2019. Curated and hosted by Manchester poet and former young programmer Mandla-Rae, the afternoon aims to celebrate Manchester’s queer women and non-binary artists.

Taking part will be the likes of Afshan D’Souza-Lodi (in a line-up replacement, stepping in for Billie Meredith), Young Identity poet Ella Otomewo (recently seen performing brand-new pieces as part of the Festival of Leaving night Ode On The Road at Manchester Jewish Museum and at the Poetry Pop Jukebox), Verbose favourite Maz Hedgehog (new pamphlet coming soon) and Bryony Bates – also tracked down in January launching a collaborative Generic Greeting Collective pamphlet, cash/sex, with Peter Barlow’s Cigarette co-organiser Joey Frances.

Where to go near QC 19: Outspoken at No 70

Manchester
Gallery
texture mcr

Possibly one of the city’s most mysterious art galleries, texture is a small and perfectly-formed independent space in Ardwick.

Foodie Food
Manchester
Restaurant
Foodie Food

Foodie Food is a new food delivery service, bringing hand-stretched Neapolitan-style pizzas and high-end burgers to Manchester.

Wing Dash
Manchester
Wing Dash

Exceptional chicken wings from one of Manchester’s premium food delivery outlets.

ABC Taproom
Manchester
Bar or Pub
ABC Taproom

ABC Taproom is part of the Alphabet Brewing Co. Open Friday and Saturday nights, go here to enjoy some of Manchester’s very best beer.

Manchester
Cloud Aerial

Get upside down with Cloud Aerial. Their beginner classes are the perfect introduction to the addictively fun world of aerial arts.

Manchester
Library
Gaskell Society

These regular talks in both Manchester and Knutsford unpack the meaning and significance of Elizabeth Gaskell’s writing.

PROGRESS
Manchester
Music venue
Progress Centre

After serving two summers of temporary parties, Progress Centre was reinvented into a new permanent outdoor club in 2024, before adding two new permanent spaces – Square One and Cakebread…

Manchester
Museum
Elizabeth Gaskell’s House

Elizabeth Gaskell’s House has been lovingly restored; you can now sit at her desk, see where Charlotte Brontë hid behind the curtains, and have tea in the downstairs café. The Pankhurst Centre is also nearby.

What's on: Literature

LiteratureLancashire
Litfest 2026

One of the oldest literature festivals in the country, Litfest returns to Lancaster with a programme focused on the rights of the natural world.

From £3.00

Culture Guides

Ceramic Sculpture
Exhibitions

Across Manchester and Salford, exhibitions are thinking hard about how things are made – and how materials carry stories.

A pair of white angel wings displayed against a dark, black background. The lower parts of the wings are stained with vivid red, resembling blood splatter.
Theatre

This month’s theatre highlights span dystopian classics, political thrillers and bold new opera.

Music

From underground festivals showcasing emerging talent to global icons unveiling new work, here are our latest live music highlights.

Food and Drink in the North

Spring is coming, at some point. As for now, it’s cold and grim so take our advice and shelter in a nice warm restaurant, pub or bar.

Emily Lloyd-Saini as Grace in Space and Harrie Hayes as Lieutenant Strong in Horrible Science
Family things to do in the North

Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Cinema in the North

There's no shortage of great films out at the moment, whether you're looking for the latest blockbuster, that hot arthouse flick fresh from Cannes or a cosy classic.