Manchester Metropolitan University celebrates its 200th anniversary this year, marking the occasion with a summer-long series of events dedicated to spotlighting the next generation of creativity.
The diverse programme spans exhibitions, productions, screenings, talks, open-mic nights, family events and workshops for colleagues, students and the wider community.
Manchester School of Art’s 2024 Degree Show forms the focal point of the anniversary festivities. Running from Sat 15 Jun – Sat 22 Jun, with a special Private View on Fri 14 Jun, the show celebrates the achievements of graduating students before they head off on the next stage of their creative journey.
Stretching across six buildings, the exhibition will showcase work by students who have studied architecture, art, design, media, and fashion, offering a unique glimpse at the next generation of supremely talented creatives.
The show is free and open to the public, with art on display from 10am – 6pm Monday to Friday and 10am – 4pm on weekends.
Over at Manchester Poetry Library, the new Landscapes of Change exhibition blends poetry and science to explore the impact of the climate emergency.
Running from Wed 5 Jun – Sat 31 Aug, the exhibition features films, poetry across multiple languages and special activities for children.
In September 2023, scientists Kathryn Adamson and Lestyn Barr and poet Helen Mort visited Narsaq, South Greenland to undertake scientific research and to work with the local community.
In Narsaq, the warming of the oceans and subsequent rising sea levels are leading to coastal erosion, melting of permafrost and decreased sea ice thickness, resulting in major human, wildlife, and economic impacts. As well as examining these changes scientifically, the project sought to start a dialogue with members of the community whose lives are changing rapidly.
Launching on Fri 7 Jun, the It Started with a Seed International Storytelling Festival (IS WAS) is a partnership between Manchester Met’s Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Manchester Poetry Library and Manchester Histories.
The festival will invite commissioned artists and students from the university to take to the stage and unleash their own creativity, delivering an eclectic mix of extraordinary performances.
On Sat 8 Jun, as part of Manchester Histories Festival, Intangible Sounds brings a packed day of public talks and workshops on music and sound heritages, followed by a night of live music and performances. The day’s activities will each explore how music, sound and sonic experiences interweave with both time and place, creating emotions, evoking memories and bonding communities.
The following day, on Sun 9 Jun, there will be a special screening at Christie’s Bistro of a curated film from the North-West Film Archive, featuring examples from its collection made by, in, or about Manchester Metropolitan Polytechnic and Manchester Met through the 20th century. The screening features footage of Manchester School of Art in 1930, student productions from the 1970s with a Manchester theme, royal visits, local TV news items and promotional films.
Award-winning British poet, critic, novelist and Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Birmingham, Luke Kennard, will be hosting a poetry reading on Thu 20 Jun. Luke will be reading from a selection of his poetry, followed by a conversation on poetry and writing with Nikolai Duffy.
Finally, from Tue 4 Jul – Thu 6 Jul, Storytellers + Machines is a is a transdisciplinary creative AI conference that champions the contributions of artists, creative practitioners and technologists, alongside other voices from academia, industry and cultural sectors in the lively and contested space.
For more information about any of Manchester Metropolitan’s ongoing 200th anniversary celebrations, visit the university’s website here.
- Words:
- Brad Lengden
- Published on:
- Sat 1 Jun 2024
