Elektro Kif are a French Elektro dance troop consisting of some shockingly youthful dancers for their abilities. Their performance was choreographed elegantly considering the music they were jiving to, but most impressive was their synchronisation. They moved as if one single entity, to put it bluntly. With one of the group separating off to make […]

This unique performance from The Chinese State Circus was exhilarating and undeniably gripping throughout. It showcased a traditional Chinese art form which ranged from balancing on bicycles to smashing bricks on each others’ heads. The audience seemed mesmerised by the performances and the theatre was filled with gasps innumerable times. The show reflected the Chinese […]

Vive Le Cabaret’s dazzling Valentine’s Day special promised a night to remember and it certainly did not disappoint. The venue and soundtrack at The Lowry Theatre were an ideal setting for the night’s flamboyant events with red satin tables, classy decor and a medley of old jazz and swing with a contemporary edge. The night […]

I’m not sure what I was expecting from A Flash of Light: The Dance Photography of Chris Nash – just pointe shoes and the perfect arabesque, perhaps. I couldn’t have been more wrong; these are extraordinary images that are all charged with energy, immediacy and a vibrant vitality. Surprisingly, from a collection of colour-saturated images, […]

COTTON: Global Threads, the Whitworth Art Gallery’s contribution to London 2012 Cultural Olympiad programme Stories of the World, aptly fulfils its brief.  Ranging from Egyptian textiles to contemporary installations, the exhibition tells a universal tale of the production of cotton, and the effects of its consumption, trade and disposal.  In contrast to Manchester’s February misty […]

As January reared its ugly head with impractical New Year resolutions and post-festivity blues, we were all in need of a pick-me-up, and what better way to do so than see in the birthday of one of the most celebrated and acclaimed sporting heroes of all time, Muhammad Ali. This year the self proclaimed ‘king’ […]

Two of University of Manchester‘s ex-students and ex-Fuse FM presenters, Dom Moss and Christopher Redman, have popped their love of punk and hardcore, and their vegan lifestyles into one nice bundle to share with the population of our fine city of Manchester in the form of their vegan record shop, V-Revolution on Oldham Street. Having […]

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.

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 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 […]

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.