British artist Samantha Donnelly presents her exhibition of representations of the human form in media. The strong shapes and colours manipulated out of everyday objects: buttons, lace, acrylic nails and false eyelashes add another dimension to the sculptures portraying the objectification of women in the mass produced sexualised and generic forms of mannequins. So the […]

The exhibition does as it says on the tin, transforming the ephemeral and the previously discarded objects found in everyday life into profound feature sculptures illuminating through the objects themselves and what each artist has created. The exhibit presents the work of nine artists, based in the North of England, and is comprised of sculptures, […]

Oliver! is a breath-taking feat in choreography and set design making the already spectacular score by Lionel Bart all the more powerful. The chillingly creepy element that is vivid in Charles Dickens’ depiction of Victorian life but can struggle to come across in productions of the classic tale, is portrayed successfully through the simple use […]

For an exhibition born out of long waits in departure lounges, Under That Cloud is refreshingly packed with diverse ideas and a spectrum of emotional reactions. The jewellery featured in the collection is the work of 18 international artists who were stranded together in Mexico City, under the dark cloud of volcanic ash that closed […]

His look is both determined and dreamy. You may recognise Ian Curtis, and if I say Love Will Tear Us Apart, you will probably think of Joy Division, the legendary band from Manchester who emerged at the very end of the ‘70s. NME photographer Kevin Cummins had the chance to work with Ian Curtis and […]

Did a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band have a hand in 9/11? Do beavers have a messiah? These are only a couple of the questions that this Canadian funny man addresses in his one man show, currently touring the UK.

I couldn’t have picked a worse time to come. In blustery Spinningfields on a Saturday evening, crowds gathered to hit the rink. Despite 12 sessions a day we managed to pick the busiest time. Capacity can reach up to 150, and this is when the rink turns into a skating warzone, picking over the casualties […]

Being a student does not mean that an appreciation for this cultural magnet cannot be upheld. Despite propping up one or two of the real pillars of Christmas, North Pole is, for a bar, surprisingly not all about the religious holiday. Under all the tinsel, it’s a place for family and friends to gather together […]

Christmas, the time of year when all that is magical immerses itself into our everyday lives, making even the grey streets of Manchester sparkle with festive spirit. The streets are awash with linked chalets cooking up the best in Christmas-European munch combo to fill your stomach/boots with, fuelling your yuletide countdown with sweets, cheeses and […]

I doubt any of us have ever had a Christmas quite as captivating as the Edwards’ family Christmas in The Nutcracker. There are similarities of course; huge family gathering, a feast and even perhaps dancing. But how about a magic uncle, toys that come to life and a thrilling battle between mice and men? This […]

Twas the month of Christmas in the city of Mancunia, and all across the land students were preparing for Christmas socials, swaggering merrily around campuses in festive delight, for home and free heating were nearly in sight. Yet first a spectacle beckoned the students to the centre of fair Mancunia, where a small man by […]

We spent another evening in the company of our old friend, art. Cornerhouse decided that what it really needed to brighten this cold November was a Night of Art. We couldn’t agree more. Which surely can mean only one thing: a Sketch-O-Matic. I jumped to the conclusion that this would be a giant Etch-A-Sketch. I […]

The lab where science and art are fused: bonkers, but brilliant.

Spektrast is a fairly new enterprise with the goal to be a space where creative talent can be show-cased, and invalidate the general opinion that students are lazy so-and-so’s, which none of us have ever been or ever will be. Fact. Set up by Steph Whalley, a second year Film and Sociology student at University […]

Fielding sticks it to the virtual and hits a home run for the tangible

Whitworth Art Gallery’s latest installation

Just how long does a trend take to burn out? A fly-by look at the rise and rise of pop-ups, a trend which seems in no danger of fading away. Plus a Q&A with pop-up enthusiasts NOISE charity.

Sara Jaspans asks when film and art intersect – what happens to the facts? – in this artist-made documentary.

Eleven hours of performance, on the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

Hayley Flynn’s Skyliner blog captures the Manchester that we miss in the street-level crush