Things to do in September

No Particular Place to Go? 35 Years of Sculpture at Castlefield Gallery

35 years and still going strong. Castlefield – Manchester’s first public contemporary visual art gallery – looks back on its history through the prism of sculpture.

British Ceramics Biennial in Stoke-on-Trent

For its 10th anniversary edition, British Ceramics Biennial returns with its most ambitious programme yet, featuring work by over 300 artists.

Measure Twice, Cut Once at Weavers Factory

Design graduates Jack-Victor Westerdale and Ivon Haywood launch their first furniture range exclusively at the Weavers Factory.

Jenny Steele: The Maiden Voyage, George’s Dock in Liverpool

The Maiden Voyage is a new site-specific installation by Jenny Steele that takes inspiration from the spread of ‘Art Deco’ modernist architecture during the 1930s.

Vintage Sundays Presents: Film Noir at FACT, Liverpool

Noir is a place of innocence lost, populated by private eyes and femme fatales; all tangled around grim mysteries, and served up within ingenious, disorientating structures — discover it at FACT this September.

Graphic Encounters at Manchester Metrolink Stations

A unique city project, presented across Greater Manchester Metrolink poster-sites exploring the experiences of women.

Not Just Bollywood at HOME

Tying in with Celebrating Women in Global Cinema, this year’s edition of Not Just Bollywood is entirely made up of films directed by women.

Meditation at the Manchester Buddhist Centre

Learn how to meditate with the welcoming community at Manchester Buddhist Centre. Their beginners classes are the perfect way to find your feet and develop your own meditation practice.

Red Dust Road at HOME

Growing up in 1970s Scotland as the adopted mixed raced child of a Scottish couple, young Jackie blossomed into an outspoken, talented poet. Then she decided to find her birth parents…

Yoga and Mindfulness with Suli Yoga

Join Suli Yoga for a relaxed class, free of the intimidating or competitive nature of other yoga spaces. Let Gayle guide you through the class in a way that lets you develop your own practise.

The Shock of the Future at HOME

Paris 1978, in a predominantly male music industry, Ana uses new electronic machines to make herself heard, creating a new sound that will mark the decades to come: the music of the future.

A Taste of Honey at The Lowry

Shelagh Delaney’s British classic is an exhilarating depiction of working-class life in post-war Salford.

Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2019 at Leeds Art Gallery

An exciting indicator for what’s around the corner in terms of British contemporary art, the 70th anniversary edition of New Contemporaries is a must see.

Venice, Paradise of Cities at Cooper Gallery, Barnsley

Weren’t able to make it over to Venice this summer? Us neither. But don’t worry, the floating city is much closer than you think.

MIF19: Sunset Boulevard at HOME

This acid-etched portrait of Tinseltown remains one of the darkest movies on movie-making. Broke screenwriter Joe Gillis (Holden) hides out in a seemingly deserted mansion.

SICK! Festival

Challenging, entertaining and always trying to change the world for the better, SICK! Festival makes just the kind of art we like.

Death and Birth In My Life at The Whitworth

A powerful video installation by Mats Staub, inviting the audience to listen in on a series of intimate conversations about the most moving and challenging experiences in life.

MIF19: A Place in the Sun at HOME

Stevens’ second major film after his return to Hollywood, A Place in the Sun is the story of how a hostile environment can pervert an already warped character.

Beryl at Bolton Library Theatre

The true story of one of the world’s greatest unsung sporting heroes will be brought to life in the intimate setting of Bolton’s Library Theatre.

The Hallé 2019-20 Season

From a brilliant range of symphonies, concertos, vocal works, operas and more, we select our five top picks from the Hallé’s 2019-20 season.

The Hallé – Shostakovich’s Defiant Response at The Bridgewater Hall

The Hallé pairs Beethoven’s magic with Shostakovich’s defiance in this Bridgewater Hall concert, which stars virtuoso pianist Víkingur Ólafsson.

Ad Astra at HOME

Twenty years after his father left on a one-way mission to Neptune in order to find signs of alien intelligence, Army Corps engineer Roy McBride travels through the solar system to find him and understand why his mission failed. The latest film from acclaimed director James Gray (The Lost City of Z) is suffused with his customary intelligence.

Private Peaceful at Waterside

Portraying both the horror of war and the joyfulness of living, Michael Morpurgo’s ‘Blue Peter -Book of the Year’ is brought to the stage.

Aphex Twin Curates at Mayfield Depot

Aphex Twin presents his first-ever curated show, which will see Nina Kravitz, Lee Gamble and Aleksi Perälä perform alongside the king of IDM himself.

MIF19: Mon Oncle at HOME

Slapstick prevails again when Tati’s eccentric Monsieur Hulot is set loose in the ultramodern home of his brother-in-law, and in the antiseptic plastic hose factory where he gets a job.

Chorlton Book Festival 2019 at Chorlton Library

Chorlton Book Festival is back for a 15th time, centring around the Chorlton Library hub, with a varied line-up of readings, talks and events.

LIVEwire with Luke Wright & Co at The Edge

An electric evening of spoken word performance, presented by the UK’s leading spoken word record label, Nymphs & Thugs.

BBC Philharmonic 2019/20 Concert Season

An outstanding orchestra live in a world-class concert hall – read about the BBC Philharmonic’s 2019-20 season at The Bridgewater Hall.

Nahem Shoa: Black Presence at The Atkinson, Southport

Artist Nahem Shoa curates a selection of his striking portrait paintings alongside key historic and contemporary paintings of black portrait sitters.

Terrarium Making Workshop with Sue Jeffries

Create a hanging globe terrarium under the expert guidance of Sue Jeffries. In this workshop you’ll get to grips with succulents and use your knowledge to creative something beautiful.

Northern Lights Writers’ Conference 2019 at Waterside

The Northern Lights Writers’ Conference is back for a sixth day-long event for emerging and established writers, with one-to-one advice sessions, workshops, talks and panel discussions, networking possibilities and book signings, and a keynote speech and ‘in conversation’ session by author Jane Rogers.

Beautiful and Brutal: 50 Years in the life of Preston Bus Station at Harris Museum, Art Gallery & Library

Beautiful and Brutal – an unusual new exhibition celebrates the 50th anniversary of the iconic, internationally renowned Preston Bus Station.

Mop Fair at Little Moreton Hall

Get involved in this living history event and discover what autumn would have been like at the house during Tudor times.

Family Friendly Radical Roam at People’s History Museum

Explore some of the sites of Manchester’s radical history in this family friendly guided walk, marking the 200 year anniversary of the Peterloo Masacre.

The Nature of Why at The Lowry

In a blend of dance and live music, this performance features a cinematic live-score, four extraordinary dancers and an ensemble of musicians from the British Paraorchestra.

BBC Philharmonic: Prokofiev/Coates/Walton at The Bridgewater Hall

Opening the BBC Philharmonic’s 2019-20 season, conductor John Wilson pairs light with darkness, sugar with spice, in an eclectic and thrilling programme.

The Ocean Film Festival World Tour at Stockport Plaza

The Ocean Film Festival World Tour is a collection of short films featuring spectacular footage from above and below the ocean’s surface. Witness incredible marine-life and deep-water cinematography, and meet intriguing characters who have dedicated their lives to answering the call of the ocean.

Sounds and Silence Cinema – Alfred Hitchcock’s Blackmail at The Jacaranda Club, Liverpool

Alfred Hitchcock’s triumphant return to murder and mayhem is both his final silent film and his first talkie. Anny Ondra plays a nice kid who stabs a guy to death in his bed. These things happen. Originally conceived as a silent film, Hitchcock made it a talkie with reshoots and a new voice for his Czech leading lady.

MIF19: 8½ at HOME

Fellini’s 8½ is another of the great films about cinema and the strain of creativity. Mastroianni excels as Guido Anselmi, a director whose new project is collapsing around him, along with his life.

Little Miss Sunshine at Liverpool Playhouse

Thirteen years after its cinematic release, the cult classic returns in a musical adaptation by a Tony-Award winning team.

Everyman & Playhouse Autumn Season

A busy and brilliant season, expect award-winning musicals, stage adaptations of revered literary classics and celebrated cult films, alongside high-quality family shows. There is plenty to enjoy in Liverpool’s theatres this autumn.

David Constantine at Blackwell’s

Award-winning writer David Constantine launches his much-anticipated fifth short story collection ‘The Dressing-Up Box and Other Stories’, out in September on Manchester’s own Comma Press.

Under Three Moons at The Lowry

The brilliant Manchester-based theatre company, Box of Tricks will open their new show in Salford before embarking on a full tour of the north.

Tinned Up at Oldham Coliseum

Written by Chris Hoyle (The Newspaper Boy), Tinned Up is inspired by the Salford stories of demolition and the strength of those who fight to hold onto their homes.

Malory Towers at HOME

Take a brilliant trip back in time, a celebration of girlhood with Emma Rice’s stage adaptation of the Enid Blyton favourite.

The Director at The Lowry

Balancing macabre reality, high-energy and the tragic elements of death, The Director explores end-of-life and the death industry.

Marika Hackman at Band on the Wall

A whip-smart lyricist and box-defying musician, Marika Hackman is hitting full stride. Don’t miss her playing Band on the Wall this September.

Guitar Lessons for Beginners at Partisan

The New School of Music and Partisan have joined forces to bring a 10 weeks of beginner guitar lessons to their upstairs space.

MIF19: In Cold Blood at HOME

Adapting Truman Capote’s true-crime novel about the senseless murder of a family in rural Kansas, In Cold Blood is a grimly authentic American horror story.

Manchester Food & Drink Festival 2019

The biggest food and drink festival in the North is back, and this time it’s a brand new location: the picturesque Cathedral Gardens.

Forward Prizes Northern Preview at No 70 Oxford Street

Ahead of the the prize ceremony in London, hear from the poets shortlisted for the 2019 Forward Prize for Best Collection at an exclusive Northern preview.

Psappha: Lyric Suite at St Michael’s

Psappha present a typically exciting programme at St Michael’s, featuring Viennese composers Anton Webern and Alban Berg, besides three world premieres.

Drink Rum with Expats at HOME

We’re thrilled that the multi-award-winning Sh!t Theatre return to Manchester this autumn. Early booking is highly recommended.

Archive Poetry Workshop with Jennifer Lee Tsai

Join poet Jennifer Lee Tsai as she delves into the CFCCA archive to produce poetic responses. The poetry workshop focuses on themes of migration, identity and inheritance.

Rewriting The Future at Site Gallery, Sheffield

Rewriting the Future at Site Gallery explores how feminist speculative perspectives can offer new insights into how we can restructure society in a more equal way.

British Musical Fireworks Championship in Southport

A firework display to end all firework diplays with music and dancing ….. where do we sign up?

MIF19: Stroszek + Introduction at HOME

The 18:10 screening will be introduced by Andy Willis, Senior Visiting Curator for Film.

The Last King of Scotland at Sheffield Crucible

A world premiere stage adaptation by Steve Waters of the award-winning novel by Giles Foden.

How to Create, Write, & Perform Comedy Characters

Develop your own comedy characters in an inclusive all female environment with professional comedian Jane Postlethwaite.

Manchester Indie Book Fair at Burgess Foundation

Organised by Manchester-based publishing house Dostoyevsky Wannabe, this third special pop-up has lots of lovely stalls where you can pick up lots of lovely books, pamphlets and zines by Manchester and beyond’s finest indie presses.

Happy Sundaze at Gorton Monastery

Happy Sundaze brings the summer to a close at Manchester Monastery. Head to this iconic building for an afternoon of festival delights for all ages

MIF19: The Man Without a Past + Introduction at HOME

This 16:00 screening will be introduced by Sarah Perks, curator David Lynch: My Head Is Disconnected.

Kurt Rosenwinkel Bandit 65 at Band on the Wall

Don’t miss innovative jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel at Band on the Wall, where he’ll perform with Tim Motzer, and Gintas Janusonis as Bandit 65.

And Breathe… at Manchester Art Gallery

Exploring the relationship between art and mindfulness And Breathe… is an exhibition of artworks from Manchester Art Gallery’s collection that explores the relationship between art, positive mental health and wellbeing.

Nordic Craft and Design at Manchester Art Gallery

Showcasing furniture, fashion, lighting, ceramics, glass, metalwork and jewellery, Nordic Craft and Design at Manchester Art Gallery highlights the superb quality and creativity inherent in design from the region and features pieces from 1930 to the present day.

Manchester Art Gallery Highlights Tour

Take a tour around select artworks from Manchester Art Gallery’s collection. Lead by different guides every day, each tour is personal to their taste. Tours start at 2 pm from Thursday to Sunday.

Sí Manchester Daily Tour

Sí Manchester’s daily tour is a brilliant way to get an overview of the city with tours running in both English and Spanish.

Documentary Challenge at IWM North

Make and feature in your own mini-documentary at IWM North.

Daily Manchester Walking Tours

Free Manchester Tours offer a friendly introduction to the city. Setting off every day at 11am without fail.

Celebrating Women in Global Cinema at HOME

In 2019 HOME host a year-long programme of films and special events highlighting and celebrating women in film from across the world.

From specially curated retrospectives, seasons and special events, to takeovers of annual favourites, this branded series of screenings and events will explore and challenge the place and space of female filmmakers from a variety of cultural, social and political perspectives.

HOME 2019 Season

With a continuing drive towards bold global programming, HOME Manchester welcomes friends, old and new, for an exhilarating new season.

Planetarium Shows at World Museum Liverpool

Take your family on a trip through space and time in this fully immersive cinema experience.

Telescope Walking Tours at Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre

Join one of the Centre’s Explainers as they take you on a tour of the iconic Lovell Telescope. Find out how it came to be and discover more about the ground breaking research it enables.

Liverpool Biennial Northern England Tour

Whether Liverpool Biennial 2018 passed you by or you diligently ticked-off every last one of its multiple offerings (if so; bravo), the Liverpool Biennial Northern England Tour seems unlikely to disappoint.

Striking Gold Piano Series at The Stoller Hall

This year-long celebration of outstanding pianists marks Chetham’s School of Music’s golden jubilee year.

A World Inside a Book: Gruffalo, Dragons and Other Creatures at Z-arts

The UK’s first immersive exhibition of the much-loved tales of Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler. Expect enchanting forests, miniature towns and watery worlds.

Things to do in the Lakes this Summer

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.

Dovetail, Biscuit, Splat at Nostell

From designing the highest quality furniture, to sourcing the latest fashions in wallpaper, textiles and fittings, Thomas Chippendale created a world of interiors for Nostell. Roll up your sleeves and discover the designer in you with creative family activities every school holiday

Autumn at Beningbrough Hall, Gallery and Gardens

If ever there’s a time to explore Beningbrough Hall, this is certainly it. Check out the packed programme of seasonal events and activities at the National Trust property this autumn.

Yorkshire! Achievement, Grit and Controversy at Beningbrough Hall, Gallery and Gardens

Featuring over 20 paintings, photographs and prints, this National Trust exhibition brings together some of Yorkshire’s most iconic and controversial figures.

Developing History at the Hardmans’ House

As one of Liverpool’s lesser known gems prepares to reopen its doors for 2019, we look forward to encountering a rare series of photographs only recently discovered by chance in the cluttered darkroom of the Hardmans’ former, perfectly-preserved home.

The Reno at the Whitworth

Award-winning playwright Linda Brogan and a group of local residents who used to attend the Reno nightclub in the 1970s and 80s prepare to occupy the Whitworth for one year. Located in Moss Side, the Reno was known as a space for young mixed-race Mancunians. This living exhibition will tell the story of the club through art and archive materials.

A-Z of Salford’s Collections at Salford Museum and Art Gallery

Discover how Victorian gentlemen protected their moustaches from tea, which monarch’s pair of stockings reside in Salford, get up close to incredible art and more.

In A League Of Their Own at Castleford Museum

Rugby League is born and bred in West Yorkshire. From its beginnings in Huddersfield in 1895 to the Super League superstars of today, celebrate over 120 years of blood, sweat and tears.

Disrupt? Peterloo and Protest at People’s History Museum

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.

Tours of Elizabeth Gaskell’s House and The Pankhurst Centre

Visit the homes of two influential Mancunian women in one day. Volunteer led tours of Elizabeth Gaskell and Emmeline Pankhurst’s former homes are an ideal way to learn the stories of these two influential figures.

Kimsooja: To Breathe at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Following on from Chiharu Shiota’s monumental web installation, South Korean artist Kimsooja prepares to fill Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s 18th century chapel with iridescent light. Prepare to step into a deeply meditative space, underpinned by eastern notions of the Void.

Victoria Baths Guided Tour

Visit the stunning Victoria baths now that the building has reopened for Summer. Get to know the stories of bathers and activists whose continuing work could one day lead to the baths reopening as a working swimming pool.

Football is Art at National Football Museum

With works by Banksy, Picasso and John Cocteau, National Football Museum’s current exhibition demonstrates how artists have been mining the beautiful game for inspiration for decades.

Rights of the Child at Quarry Bank

Discover how children’s rights have changed over time in a brand new exhibition at Quarry Bank, Rights of the Child.

Explore & Draw stations at The Hepworth Wakefield

The Explore and Draw stations are open daily and are free to use.

Family Fun at Pontefract Museum

Lively activity sessions that everyone can take part in.

Castle Crafts at Pontefract Castle

Get creative together and explore and learn about the history of Pontefract Castle through play or crafts. A different activity each month.

Summer 2019 at Little Moreton Hall

With its beautifully charming and quirky style, Little Moreton Hall offers an iconic Tudor manor house, moat, manicured knot garden and plenty of fun activities for everyone.

Grub Food Fair at Mayfield

GRUB’s Food Fair returns to Mayfield Depot, with a bigger site and a huge array of top-class local food traders.

Now Showing Club at Old Bank Residency, Manchester

Now Showing Club is Manchester’s first dedicated documentary cinema and will be showcasing 50 films from Dogwoof’s back catalogue in 2019.

National Football Museum Guided Tours

Discover ‘the beautiful game’ with a guided tour of the National Football museum. You’ll learn about the sports origins as well as getting up close to a collection filled with infamous cups, shirts and artefacts.

Jazz at the Deli llama

Every Thursday join some of Manchester’s freshest players, for Jazz at the Deli Llama, a cosy deli on a corner in Salford that comes alive with vibes.

Yemen: Inside a Crisis at Imperial War Museum North

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.

Poulsen Arc Dream Radio at Storyhouse in Chester

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.

Child Labour: Hidden Stories of Cumbria at Museum of Lakeland Life & Industry

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.

Li Yuan Chia: Unique Photographs at the Whitworth

The Whitworth presents a quiet, yet arrestingly beautiful series of hand-coloured photographs taken by China’s first conceptual artist, Li Yuan Chia, nearing the end of his life.

Pearl Alcock at the Whitworth

Part of the Windrush generation, artist Pearl Alcock’s series of ‘visions’ and ‘moods’ realised as drawings and paintings go on display at the Whitworth.

Free Jazz at Band on the Wall

Contemporary jazz from some of the most exciting up and coming ensembles in the north.

The Other Side of the Hall at Little Moreton Hall

It’s not just the Tudors who lived at Little Moreton. Find out more about the modern inhabitants, their work and what it was like to live here. This event is free, but normal admission charges apply for the venue.

Get Your Body Tudor Ready at Little Moreton Hall

Throughout the year discover Tudor attitudes to health and food, with a different activity to try each month from making butter in a churn to creating a Tudor pinch pot to keep your remedies in. Explore the way in which the Tudors looked after their health and wellbeing, and get your body Tudor ready! This event is free, but normal admission charges apply for the venue.

Fraternity Jazz Jam at the Thirsty Scholar

Join a host of regular Jazz players from the Manchester scene as they share their love of music with anyone willing to get involved.

Digital Dimensions at Eureka!

Step in to a world of immersive, cutting edge technology in this interactive exhibition. Children can take centre stage at Eureka! as they use their own bodies to interact with 3D shapes, creating vivid visual effects and stunning sounds.

Pears & Apples – The Botanical Illustrations of Elisabeth Dowle at Cannon Hall Museum Park & Gardens

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.

The Hidden Tableaux’s Peterloo Massacre 1819 at Manchester Central Library

Part of Peterloo 2019, The Hidden Peterloo Massacre Tableaux is the latest work by renowned artist and co-founder of Rock Against Racism, Red Saunders.

LOOK Photo Biennial — Chapter One: Transplant

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

Louise Giovanelli at Manchester Art Gallery

Manchester Art Gallery prepares to present a series of new paintings by artist Louise Giovanelli, alongside rarely-seen early Renaissance panel paintings.

Sol Calero at Tate Liverpool

Tate Liverpool presents a new commission by Venezuelan-born, Berlin-based artist Sol Calero, whose brightly coloured, large-scale immersive installations offer a sharply satirical critique of the surreal set of stereotypes and clichés attached to different cultures.

Beyond Faith: Muslim Women Artists Today at the Whitworth

Beyond Faith: Muslim Women Artists Today at the Whitworth brings together the artworks and stories of artists Robina Akhter, Shabana Baig, Fatimah Fagihassan, Dr Aida Foroutan and Usarae Gul as they explore themes of identity, faith, cultures, otherness and belonging.

Keith Haring at Tate Liverpool

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.

David Smith: Sculpture 1932–1965 at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Yorkshire Sculpture Park presents a major exhibition of work by the great American artist David Smith (1906–1965) – the first solo exhibition of Smith’s work in the UK since Tate Modern’s 2006 project and the largest ever outside the capital.

Holly Hendry / Taus Makhacheva at The Tetley

As part of the Liverpool Biennial touring programme, The Tetley is hosting works by artists Holly Hendry and Taus Makhacheva.

Yorkshire Sculpture International at The Hepworth Wakefield

This summer 2019, The Hepworth Wakefield will present its most ambitious exhibition to date as part of Yorkshire Sculpture International (YSI).

Yorkshire Sculpture International 2019

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

Gathering – Susie MacMurray at Tatton Park

Gathering is a major new site-specific work by artist Susie MacMurray, about to open at Tatton Park.

Expect the Unexpected: A Chance Exhibition at the Lowry

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.

Gathering at Little Moreton Hall

Over a thousand used tennis balls become the subject of a short film and installation by international artist Hilary Jack in the Long Gallery at Little Moreton Hall.

Everything I Have Is Yours at Salford Museum and Art Gallery

Everything I Have Is Yours at Salford Museum and Art Gallery is a major new moving image and sound artwork exploring the first decade of the UK charts.

MIF19: Ibrahim Mahama at the Whitworth

LAST CHANCE. Considered one of the most ‘internationally visible’ artists working out of Africa today, for MIF 2019 Ibrahim Mahama presents an assemblage of lost objects that reflect upon the history of his home country’s long struggle for independence.

MIF19: David Lynch at HOME

Manchester International Festival announce a host of musicians for this summer’s highly anticipated event at HOME. Brace yourself for dark mysteries and wilder dreams as Manchester International Festival invite cult artist and filmmaker David Lynch to take over for a season of cinema, art and music.

Grace Ndiritu: The Ark: Centre For Interdisciplinary Experimentation at Bluecoat

Grace Ndiritu’s new exhibition at Bluecoat is based on research created before, during and after her ambitious research/live art project – The Ark: Centre For Interdisciplinary Experimentation – which took the form of an experimental scientific and spiritual community formed at Les Laboratories Aubervillers in Paris in 2017.

Shezad Dawood: Leviathan at Bluecoat

Shezad Dawood’s epic film series Leviathan comes to Bluecoat this summer as part of a season examining society and migration.

Rise Up! Children & Young People’s Gallery at Bluecoat

Children and young people across the world are taking action to protect their futures and the environment they inhabit. Bluecoat invitse you to join them and stand up for climate justice, through a series of artist-led workshops across the summer. Occupy the first floor gallery, organise amongst friends and explore how art can respond to what is happening to our planet.

Unearthing Passion and Protest Exhibition at Manchester Central Library

Join Grace Surman and Gary Winters alongside their two young children Hope and Merrick at Central Library as they explore the themes of their newly commissioned films based at Dunham Massey and Quarry Bank.

Heritage Days Out at Quarry Bank

Nestled in a picturesque valley just a short drive from Manchester, visit Quarry Bank this summer and discover one of the UK’s greatest industrial heritage sites.

Summer Gardens at Quarry Bank

Whether you’re a keen gardener or just want to escape the buzz of the city, the summer gardens at Quarry Bank are bursting with colour this time of year.

Mill Trail: Become a Factory Inspector at Quarry Bank

Head back to the nineteenth century for super adventuring at Quarry Bank. Become a factory inspector in this new trail by children’s author Philip Ardagh.

Daily Tours: Nature, power, conservation & cotton at Quarry Bank

With an impressive programme of daily tours all about nature, power, conservation and cotton – learn something new at Quarry Bank this summer.

Ruskin, Turner and The Storm Cloud at Abbot Hall Art Gallery

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.

REAL WORK at FACT, Liverpool

REAL WORK at FACT in Liverpool is a major exhibition about precarious and unrecognised forms of work from around the world.

Ruth Ewan & Oscar Murillo at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

A new exhibition by artists Ruth Ewan and Oscar Murillo (2019 Turner Prize nominee) at YSP invites audiences to step back into the world of learning and reflect upon the importance of creativity within education.

Glorious Phantoms at Quarry Bank

During the summer Quarry Bank will be screening two newly commissioned films based around the themes of rights and social change. Unearthing Passion and Protest is part of the National Trust’s People’s Landscapes programme.

Glorious Phantoms at Dunham Massey

Over the summer Dunham Massey will be showing two newly commissioned films as part of the Peterloo bicentenary celebrations. The work will be responding to ideas around rights, responsibilities and social change.

Nowruz/New Day at Touchstones Rochdale

Nowruz/New Day, Touchstones Rochdale’s new exhibition, poses a range of critical questions around how the Middle East is presented through the media.

Roy of the Rovers – The Exhibition at the National Football Museum

Celebrate the 65th anniversary of Roy of the Rovers with a dedicated pop-up exhibition and family activities at the National Football Museum.

The Sun at the Science and Industry Museum

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.

Maddi Nicholson: a place lived at Hardman Square in Spinningfields

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

Guided Tour of Nether Alderley Mill

This summer, uncover Nether Alderley’s best kept secret. Hidden beneath the distinctive, long sloping roof of this medieval building is a fully restored working corn mill.

Future Cities: Technopolis & Everyday Life at Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art

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

Jiū Society: Lost in Shenzhen at Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art

Artist collective Jiū Society prepares to take over CFCCA’s Gallery 2 with their ambitious multi-media installation, Lost in Shenzhen.

Unreformed: Wallpaper and Design Diversity at the Whitworth

Unreformed: Wallpaper and Design Diversity at the Whitworth examines the powerful the voices of the Design Reform movement.

Cézanne at the Whitworth

This exhibition celebrates an extraordinary collection of drawings and prints by Paul Cézanne (1839–1906) that has been gifted and placed on long-term loan to the Whitworth