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Warning: The following question should not be answered out-loud (as fans of Peter Pan will know well). Do you believe in fairies? Either way, we urge readers to approach Serena Korda’s latest outdoor commission, The Bell Tree, with great care and under no circumstance stray from the forest paths. The sculptural sound installation sited in Speke Hall’s ancient woodland explores the contemporary artist’s longstanding interest in alternative histories – and herstories – of folklore and witchcraft, and the legacy of hidden rebellion that surrounds the historic Tudor home.
Korda’s trademark slipcasting technique, which many may have encountered at her recent show Daughters of Necessity at The Hepworth Wakefield, brings us to SUBI 수비 – a fascinating new exhibition about to open at Castlefield Gallery featuring artists whose unconventional approach to ceramics prompts us to consider the radical potential of this over 8,000-year-old craft. Meanwhile, Thick Time at the Whitworth brings the work of renowned South African artist William Kentridge to Manchester, addressing subjects as wide ranging as early cinema, China’s Cultural Revolution, opera, scientific theories of space, and the generative qualities of nature and creativity.
Finally, with autumn rapidly approaching, we look forward to two of the season’s main highlights (crunchy leaves and gloriously thick black tights aside, of course): The Manchester Contemporary and the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair.
Here are our picks
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1. Serena Korda: The Bell Tree at Speke Hall
Photo by Chris Egon Searle Serena Korda: The Bell Tree at Speke Hall, Liverpool, 8 September 2018–28 July 2019, free entry - Visit now
The Bell Tree by award winning contemporary artist Serena Korda responds to England’s alternative history of fairy-tale folklore, the ancient forest at Speke Hall and the legacy of hidden rebellion that surrounds the historic Tudor home.
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2. SUBI 수비 at Castlefield Gallery
URWOTUEAT (2017) by John Powell Jones. Image courtesy of Castlefield Gallery Subi 수비 at Castlefield Gallery, Castlefield, 14 September–4 November 2018, free entry - Visit now
SUBI 수비 at Castlefield Gallery explores the long process of cultural and generational exchange that underpins the art of pottery and ceramics – one of the world’s oldest crafts – as an integral part of the way that humans create and communicate the world in which we live.
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3. William Kentridge: Thick Time at the Whitworth
William Kentridge, in collaboration with Philip Miller, Catherine Meyburgh and Peter Gibson. The Refusal of Time, 2012. Film Still. 5-channel video projection, colour, sound, megaphones, breathing machines. 30 minutes. Courtesy William Kentridge, Marian Goodman Gallery, Goodman Gallery and Lia Rumma Gallery William Kentridge: Thick Time at The Whitworth, Manchester, 21 September 2018–3 March 2019, free entry - Find Out More
Thick Time by South African artist William Kentridge at the Whitworth should prove to be both fascinating and mind-boggling in equal measure.
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4. Manchester Art Fair 2018 at Manchester Central
Aviva Investors Manchester Art Fair Aviva Investors Manchester Art Fair 2018 at Manchester Central Convention Centre, City Centre, 12–14 October 2018, from £5 - Book now
Introducing: Manchester Art Fair 2018. The North’s largest art fair returns this October with its largest offering yet and under a proud new title.
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5. Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair 2018 at Upper Campfield Market
Great Northern Events NW Ltd Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair at Upper Campfield Market Hall, Castlefield, 11–14 October 2018, from £5.50 - Book now
For anyone with even a passing interest in the beauty of the handmade or artful design, the annual award-winning Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair (GNCCF) in Manchester is the place to head this October.
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6. Beautiful world, where are you? around Liverpool
Courtesy of Liverpool Biennial Beautiful world, where are you? at Exchange Flags, 14 July–28 October 2018, free entry - Visit now
Before the summer draws to a close, make sure you get out and explore Liverpool Biennial’s ever-popular programme of outdoor public art commissions and works presented in unusual spaces throughout the city.
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7. LS Lowry: The Art and the Artist – An introduction to LS Lowry’s life and work at Salford Museum & Art Gallery
SMAG LS Lowry: The Art and the Artist at Salford Museum and Art Gallery, Manchester, 16 January 2019, from £10 - Book now
Head to Salford Art Gallery and Museum to find out more about the fascinating life of the somewhat-reclusive, Stretford-born artist and rent collector LS Lowry.
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8. The Hardmans’ House
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9. Beautiful world, where are you? at Tate Liverpool
Beautiful world, where are you? at Tate Liverpool, Waterfront, 14 July–28 October 2018, free entry - Visit now
Part of Liverpool Biennial 2018, Beautiful world, where are you? at Tate Liverpool presents work by a group of artists predominantly originating from America, Australia and Canada, dealing with issues of indigenous identity and the often-violent legacies of colonialism.
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10. Salford Royal Academy Takeover
Salford Royal Academy Takeover at Salford Museum and Art Gallery, Manchester, 19 May 2018–24 February 2019, free entry - Visit now
To mark its 250th birthday, the Royal Academy of Arts in London has launched a nationwide programme of exhibitions, displays, tours, talks and one-off events. Here we take a look at what’s going on in Salford – home of RA LS Lowry and now a growing independent art scene.
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11. Lest We Forget? at Imperial War Museum North
War Horse at the New London Theatre. Photo by Brinkhoff Mögenburg. Courtesy of IWM North Lest We Forget? at Imperial War Museum North (IWM North), Manchester, 27 July 2018–24 February 2019, free entry - Visit now
Lest We Forget marks the first instalment of a major new season of exhibitions, music, dance, talks and events at IWM London and IWM North exploring how the First World War has shaped society today.
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12. Heads Roll: An Exhibition Curated by Paul Morrison at Graves Gallery
Julian Opie, Julian. 2013. Courtesy the artist and Alan Cristea Gallery, London Heads Roll: An Exhibition Curated by Paul Morrison at Graves Gallery, City Centre, 11 August–24 November 2018, free entry - Visit now
Featuring work by over 60 internationally renowned artists spanning 400 years, Heads Roll at Graves Gallery in Sheffield sets out on a remarkable journey to unpick one of the world’s most popular and enduring artistic genres: the portrait.
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13. Elisabeth Frink: Fragility and Power at Abbot Hall Art Gallery
Elisabeth Frink, Walking Madonna © Frink Estate and Archive executors. Courtesy of The Ingram Collection, Image © JP Bland 2016 Elisabeth Frink: Fragility and Power at Abbot Hall, Cumbria, 22 June–29 September 2018, free entry - Visit now
Featuring a number of pieces which have never been seen before in public, ‘Elisabeth Frink: Fragility and Power’ at Abbot Hall Art Gallery in Kendal delves into the life and work of one of the most widely-loved, exciting and individual sculptors of the 20th century.
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14. Liverpool Biennial 2018 – Beautiful world, where are you?
Paul Elliman, QUERTY_PE, 2012. Courtesy of the artist Liverpool Biennial 2018, 14 July–28 October 2018, free entry - Visit now
If there’s one thing you do this summer, we strongly recommend you hop on a train and make your way over to the 10th edition of the ever-popular Liverpool Biennial – Beautiful world, where are you? – a city-wide festival of new and exciting contemporary art from around the world.
More in Exhibitions
Annual Banner Changeover 2018 at the People’s History Museum
Explore the story of democracy through a special display of banners that were integral to the women’s suffrage movement, as well as other campaigns for representation at the People’s History Museum.
China’s First Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors at World Museum Liverpool
Encounter objects from one of the world’s greatest archaeological discoveries, spanning almost 1,000 years of Chinese history, at China’s First Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors.
Annie Swynnerton: Painting Light and Hope at Manchester Art Gallery
The first major retrospective of work by the radical Manchester artist and feminist campaigner, Annie Swynnerton, opens in nearly 100 years at Manchester Art Gallery.
Exchanges at The Whitworth
Exchanges at The Whitworth sets art and artists together, sometimes in harmony, sometimes in opposition – always with insight and intention.
Bodies of Colour: Breaking with Stereotypes in the Wallpaper Collection at The Whitworth
This latest exhibition uses the Whitworth’s extensive and significant wallpaper collection to focus on how Imperial attitudes to people are reflected in wallpaper.
Life in Motion: Egon Schiele/Francesca Woodman at Tate Liverpool
Life in Motion at Tate Liverpool highlights the expressive nature of the human body, seen through the eyes of two influential and innovative artists: Egon Schiele and Francesca Woodman.
Speech Acts: Reflection-Imagination-Repetition at Manchester Art Gallery
What do public museums collect and why? Which works become highlights, and which lie forgotten in storage? Speech Acts: Reflection-Imagination-Repetition at Manchester Art Gallery considers how public museums reflect and shape our collective imagination.
PRINT UnLtd. at Salford Museum and Art Gallery
A pop-up exhibition of works celebrating, challenging and questioning printmaking, catch PRINT UnLtd. at Salford Museum and Art Gallery.
The Dormouse Garden: Wild Worlds at Chester Zoo
Jump into the secret world of dormice and discover more about this tiny and adorable expert in the art of sleeping!
Culture Guides
Tours and Activities
We round of this month’s best Tours and Experiences in Manchester and the North. From behind scenes tours of galleries and theatres, to walking tours of the cities we love to getting getting hands on creative and sampling food and drink.
Literature
All our favourite regular nights are back after their summer hols, there are launches and one-offs a-go-go, and tickets are selling like hot cakes for October’s Manchester Literature Festival and the Rochdale Literature & Ideas Festival.
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Food and Drink in Manchester and the North
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Lunch in Manchester
Whether it’s a light bite or a hefty doorstep you’re after, good lunch places (like coffee shops) are one thing Manchester is not short on.
Cafes and Coffee Shops in Manchester
Here are some of the best cafés and best coffee shops we’ve come across in Manchester – independents (almost) all.
Bookshops in Manchester
Books, what they lack in memes and GIFs, they more than make up for in being well written and worth reading. Our guide to the best places to pick them up in Manchester.
Art Galleries in Manchester
Manchester’s galleries span ancient to contemporary art, via some of the best collections of paintings, objects and even wallpaper in the country. Here’s our guide.
Museums in Manchester
Manchester is studded with fantastic museums – read our picks of the best here.
Places to go / stay / shop / eat / drink
Things to do right now
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