Exhibitions in Manchester and the North

The Sun at Science and Industry Museum, Castlefield, 20 July 2019–5 January 2020, from £6 - Book now

Museum of Science and Industry’s blockbuster summer exhibition, The Sun, sets out to bring us as close to the star as many of us are likely to ever come.

Future Cities: Technolpolis & Everyday Life at Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art, Manchester, 2 August–19 October 2019, free entry - Find Out More

How is the Digital Revolution affecting the future of our cities? A new season of exhibitions and events at CFCCA explores.

a place lived By Maddi Nicholson at Spinningfields, Manchester, 20 July 2019, free entry - Visit now

‘a place lived’ by Maddi Nicholson is a new public artwork that delves into the near-forgotten history of Manchester’s thriving financial district.

Expect the Unexpected: A Chance Exhibition at The Lowry, Manchester, 29 June–29 September 2019, free entry - Visit now

A new exhibition at the Lowry is a reminder to re-connect with the beauty and joy chance poses. To celebrate the unexpected, as well as to expect it.

British Textile Biennial at Northlight (Brierfield) Mill in Pendle, 3 October–3 November 2019, free entry - Find Out More

The inaugural edition of the British Textile Biennial opens this winter with a series of new art commissions, exhibitions and performances.

Keith Haring at Tate Liverpool, Waterfront, 14 June–10 November 2019, from £12.5 - Book now

Featuring more than 70 artworks, Tate Liverpool presents the first major UK exhibition of work by the legendary New York artist and activist Keith Haring.

Yemen: Inside a Crisis - IWM North at Imperial War Museum North (IWM North), Manchester, 17 May 2019–26 January 2020, free entry - Visit now

Curated with support from award-winning journalist Iona Craig, Yemen: Inside a Crisis at Imperial War Museum North offers a powerful look at one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Yorkshire Sculpture International 2019 at The Hepworth Wakefield, 22 June–29 September 2019, free entry - Visit now

Billed as the UK’s largest dedicated sculpture festival, the inaugural edition of Yorkshire Sculpture International seems rich in promise.

Eileen Simpson and Ben White: Open Music Archive at Castlefield Gallery, Castlefield, 14 June–18 August 2019, free entry - Visit now

Castlefield Gallery’s latest exhibition will cast visitors into a time warp of music and sound, featuring an array of copyright-expired archival material from across the last 100 years.

Unearthing passion and protest at Manchester Central Library at Manchester Central Library, Manchester, 6 July–29 September 2019, free entry - Visit now

Join the artist family who’ve created new work for Dunham Massey and Quarry Bank for a day of marching, making and drumming at Central Library.

Child Labour: Hidden Stories of Cumbria at Museum of Lakeland Life & Industry, Cumbria, 18 May–28 September 2019, from £5 - Visit now

Providing a rare insight into the history of child labour in Cumbria, this eye-opening exhibition at Museum of Lakeland Life & Industry is not to be missed.

, 15 February–15 October 2019, free entry

Not only one of Britain’s most picturesque national parks, the Lake District is also brimming with culture. Here’s what not miss this summer.

Unearthing passion and protest at Dunham Massey at Dunham Massey, 13 July–29 September 2019, admission charges apply - Visit now

Over the summer Dunham Massey will host two new works of art relating to the Peterloo Massacre. Two films that feature themes of rights, social change and responsibility will be shown on a regular basis thought July, August and September.

Auto - Destruct at Cross Lane Projects, Cumbria, 29 June–31 August 2019, free entry - Visit now

Cross Lane Projects prepares to launch its summer exhibition, Auto-Destruct, inspired by the ideas of celebrated artist and activist Gustav Metzger.

Pears & Apples – The Botanical Illustrations of Elisabeth Dowle at Cannon Hall Museum Park & Gardens, Barnsley, 25 May–3 November 2019, free entry - Visit now

Cannon Hall’s historic pear collection and a new exhibition of work by renowned botanical artist Elisabeth Dowle makes for a perfect – and prescient – pairing.

LOOK Photo Biennial — Chapter One: Transplant at Victoria Gallery and Museum, 6 June–25 September 2019, free entry - Visit now

LOOK Photo Biennial 2019 – a major programme of photography-based exhibitions taking place across Liverpool, the Wirral and Shanghai – opens this June.

Unearthing passion and protest at Quarry Bank at Quarry Bank, Cheshire, 13 July–29 September 2019, general admission charges apply - Visit now

In addition to the Rights of a Child exhibition Quarry Bank will host two new films that a based on conversations about rights, social change and responsibility. The newly commissioned art is part of the National Trust’s People’s Landscapes programme of events.

Peterloo 2019, 7 June–18 August 2019 - Visit now

Manchester Histories prepares to launch a major programme of over 150 events to commemorate the 200-year anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre.

Ruth Ewan & Oscar Murillo at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 12 July–3 November 2019, free entry - Visit now

A new exhibition by artists Ruth Ewan and Oscar Murillo at YSP invites audiences to step back into the world of learning and reflect upon the importance of creativity within education.

Poulsen Arc Dream Radio at Storyhouse, Chester, 17 May 2019–15 May 2020, free entry - Visit now

What does it mean to be transported into another person’s memories? Step into a new digital art commission at Storyhouse in Chester to find out.

The Weavers Factory, Uppermill, 13 New Street, Uppermill, Greater Manchester, OL3 6AU - Visit now

Has the Kettle’s Yard of the north arrived? The Weavers Factory is a brand new art space in Greater Manchester with an intriguing story behind it.

Windermere Jetty Museum of Boats, Steam and Stories, Rayrigg Road, Windermere,, Cumbria, LA231BN - Visit now

Windermere Jetty Museum, on the banks of one of England’s largest and most picturesque lakes, is a new museum dedicated to the timeless pleasure of boating.

Atmospheric Memory at Science and Industry Museum at Science and Industry Museum, Castlefield, 6–21 July 2019, from £1 - Book now

Could the air that surrounds us be used to access the voices of the past? For MIF 2019, Mexican-Canadian electronic artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer sets out to investigate a captivating theory posited by the great 19th century English polymath Charles Babbage

Parliament of Ghosts at The Whitworth, Manchester, 5–21 July 2019, free entry - Visit now

Ibrahim Mahama presents an assemblage of lost objects that reflect upon the history of his home country’s long struggle for independence.

A duo-exhibition of work by the eminent American filmmaker Ericka Beckman and rising London-based video artist Marianna Simnett marks a strong start to FACT’s year-long season focusing on identity, representation and gender.