Exhibitions in Manchester and the North

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.

Future Sessions: Atmospheric Memory at Science and Industry Museum, Castlefield, 2–8 July 2019, from £5 - Book now

Exploring the themes and technologies of Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s breathtaking installation, Atmospheric Memory, FutureEverything has programmed a series of talks, walking tours and conversations at the Science and Industry Museum. 

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 - Find Out More

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 - Find Out More

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 - Find Out More

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 - Find Out More

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 - Find Out More

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.

at Humber Street Gallery, Hull, 6 April–7 July 2019, free entry - Visit now

Featuring free haircuts, sculptures made of edible matter, and a ‘Journey to the Centre of the Couch’, Humber Street Gallery’s spring 2019 programme has certainly piqued our interest.

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.

School of Integration at Manchester Art Gallery at Manchester Art Gallery, Chinatown, 5–20 July 2019, free entry - Find Out More

As part of MIF 2019, acclaimed Cuban artist and activist Tania Bruguera will collaborate with local Manchester residents originally from other countries to challenge dominant societal expectations around cultural integration.

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 - Find Out More

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

Disrupt? Peterloo and Protest at People’s History Museum, City Centre, 23 March 2019–23 February 2020, free entry - Visit now

Marking the 200-year-anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre, ‘Disrupt? Peterloo and Protest’ at People’s History Museum takes visitors on a journey through the past, present and future of protest in this country.

Ruskin, Turner and The Storm Cloud at Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Cumbria, 12 July–5 October 2019, from £7 - Find Out More

This summer, Abbot Hall Art Gallery in Cumbria marks the 200-year-anniversary of the great Victorian art critic and watercolourist, John Ruskin’s birth, with an exhibition dedicated to the turbulent skies above.

Refuge: The Art of Belonging at Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Cumbria, 15 February–29 June 2019, from £7.50 - Visit now

Refuge: The Art of Belonging at Abbot Hall in Cumbria serves as a vital reminder of the significance behind the common proverb: ‘Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it’.