While Mancunian early summer is broadly identifiable by its hourly oscillations between punishing outback heatwaves and Roland Emmerich cyclones, the city is soothingly consistent in providing world-class exhibitions during school holidays.
From a history of public protest to Boltonian embroidery, here are some unmissable exhibitions in Manchester this summer.
With pride of place in HOME’s ground floor care bar, By A Thread features affecting embroidery by artists from Breakdown Bolton, a community interest company which provides high-quality art classes and cultural opportunities for creatives who have experienced mental health issues. Using a Victorian method of adding colour to prints, the artists have stitched a vibrant narrative through an array of personal images.
Tracing over a century of British public fortitude, this year’s Banner Exhibition makes for a sweeping fabric timeline of ground-breaking protests and social unity in the long, tireless struggle for the rights we have today. Featuring art across history marbled with defiance, from the Suffragettes to disability activism and LGBT+ solidarity with the Miners’ Strike, the exhibition occupies a quarter of the People’s History Museum for almost a full year.
Picture This brings six popular children’s books to life in a free and interactive exploration of modern favourites and classics alike, from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to Floella Benjamin’s Coming to England. Sections feature artwork and illustrations from the books, alongside filmed extracts from stage shows, countless props and costumes, and the opportunity for guests to write, draw, read, perform and even devise their own productions.
Sebastião Salgado’s critically acclaimed photography exhibition Amazônia has arrived in Manchester, with tickets available to book for free.
As the latest stop on a soaring worldwide tour that includes Rome, Paris and Rio de Janeiro, the Science and Industry Museum will host the spellbinding work produced by Salgado after seven years spent capturing both the ecological and anthropological diversity of the Amazon rainforest.
- Words:
- Wolf McFarlane
- Published on:
- Mon 1 Aug 2022
Rachel Goodyear brings her incredible Stirrings to Salford Museum and Art Gallery this month, her first major solo exhibition to have shown in a North West museum and art gallery.
The show has been co-commissioned by Blackpool’s Grundy Art Gallery, which has housed the exhibition since March, and the University of Salford Art Collection. The work includes Rachel’s largest-scale drawings to date and a new animation that sees the artist experimenting with structure and sound.
Throughout a mightily impressive 20-year career, the artist has retained a core commitment to the act of drawing, consistently exploring and pushing the boundaries of the medium.