Exhibitions in Manchester and the North

Maja Lorkowska, Exhibitions Editor

Spring weather might be dragging its feet a little, but the world of exhibitions isn’t slowing down with new shows popping up everywhere to greet the new season.

Let’s start with Familiar Phantoms by the artist duo Larissa Sansour and Søren Lind at the Whitworth – the film is an intimate journey through Sanssour’s personal history and a piece that asks questions about collective memory and the very nature of remembering. An absolute gem, this art film is not to be missed.

There is a more conceptual feel to a lot of the recently opened shows, even when it’s realised through painting or sculpture. Painting, An Unending from Parham Ghalamdar at HOME incorporates rebellion against an oppressive government, graffiti culture, references to Piero de la Francesca and experimentation with materials all in one.

You can find a less political form of artistic rebellion at Greig Burgoyne’s exhibition, the one who was standing apart from me at the Lowry. The artist focuses on the absences and all that is not immediately visible in both his own practice and in examining the world of the great painter of the North, LS Lowry.

Jo Clements takes a closer look at how we learn, with the concept of knowledge itself being a key theme in the artist’s new show at the Whitaker: Everyone In This Room Is Connected To Everyone In This Room.

Genetic Material by Rosie Edwards at Cross Lane Projects is a minimalist investigation of form and material. The artist often takes mundane, domestic objects as starting points for her sculptures which are as much about the final shape as the process of being sculpted.

Here are our picks

More in Exhibitions

Damien Hirst at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Exhibitions Until 31 May 2023, FREE

Damien Hirst at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Experience YBA artist Damien Hirst’s towering and provocative outdoor sculptures at Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Silence – Alone in a World of Wounds
Exhibitions Until 5 June 2023,

Silence – Alone in a World of Wounds at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Stop and spend an hour or two with this special creation, nestled within a stand of birch trees beside Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s Upper Lake.

At Home with the Pankhurst Family at the Pankhurst Centre
Exhibitions Until 29 August 2024, FREE

At Home with the Pankhurst Family at the Pankhurst Centre

The Pankhurst Centre’s new permanent exhibition offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of the people behind the iconic Pankhurst name.

life drawing
Activity Until 31 July 2023, from £10

Life Drawing Manchester

Whether you have never put pencil to paper or have been honing your artistic skills for years, Bee Creative studio runs life drawing sessions for people of all abilities.

Exhibitions Until 21 May 2023, from £6.00

Turn It Up: The Power of Music at the Science and Industry Museum

Prepare to get hands-on, with your ears and hearts open, at a new major exhibition exploring the science of music’s mysterious hold over us and how it drives us to create, perform, feel and share.

Exhibitions Until 30 April 2023, FREE

Jala Wahid: Conflagration at BALTIC Gateshead

Visit the BALTIC to experience Jala Wahid’s ‘inferno’, an exploration of Kurdish identity, Britishness and diaspora through the lens of oil.

Exhibitions Until 30 April 2023, FREE

Hinterlands at BALTIC Gateshead

Experience the folklore, mythologies and history of the landscape of the North East in Baltic’s new group exhibition ‘Hinterlands’.

Exhibitions Until 16 October 2023, FREE

Nothing About Us Without Us at PHM

‘Nothing About Us Without Us’ at PHM explores the history of disabled people’s activism and their ongoing fight for inclusion with a wonderful collection of exhibits brought together for the first time, 

Activity Until 31 July 2023, FREE

Whitworth Art Gallery Tours

Running daily from 2pm, take a closer look at some of the Whitworth Art Gallery’s collection while gaining a better understanding of the context in which the pieces were created.

Culture Guides

Cinema

Northern flicks, sci-fi masterpieces and some brand new film festivals feature in this month’s cinema preview.

The Bull and the Moon at Instituto Cervantes

Families

With spring’s indecisive weather in mind, we’ve pulled together a whole load of fun indoor and outdoor family events and activities taking place in Manchester and the North.

Poet Helen Mort.

Literature

Spring is making an entrance in live literature land with some extra special festival events, writing walks, online launches and in real life readings from local writers as well as international talent.

Music

From Father John Misty to The Flaming Lips, The Waeve to Big Thief, here are the gigs on our radar for early spring.

Theatre in Manchester and the North

Theatre

From work-in-progress scratch nights to multi-award winning musicals, our theatre guide has got you covered.

Classical Music

We preview the standout classical music events and venues in Manchester and the north.

Food and Drink

Get ready for spring and summer with the best restaurants and bars in Manchester and the North.

Tours and Activities

From indie markets to bit-sized meditation, spoon carving workshops to gallery tours, here are the headlines in the world of tours and activities.