Things are about to get better looking – Design Manchester, the annual festival of design, is back. As the city takes on more regional powers following the election of a metropolitan mayor, DM17 celebrates the region’s creative industries – and face up to its challenges – with 12 days of discussion, displays, shindigs and screenings. Although Design Manchester is based at Manchester Metropolitan University, this year’s fifth festival is expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors to venues throughout the city. There are over 50 events – here are our top five picks for DM17.
Film: The DM17 Film Season: Reframing Reality ft. sci-fi classics at Home, The Dancehouse & more.
Design Manchester comes complete with its own film season at HOME, The Dancehouse and Texture. The line-up looks at reality and the future, with sci-fi staples like Metropolis, Blade Runner and A Clockwork Orange. There are also independent design films and a Frankenstein-focused collaboration with Gothic Manchester Festival. Each screening comes with an introduction or a Q&A from a subject expert.
Sun 8 – Tue 24 Oct, check website for times and prices, www.designmcr.com
Debate: Guardian Live – The Great Debate ft. Gary Neville at MMU
Football coach Gary Neville is the star panellist at a lively debate about public spaces. The Old Trafford veteran is now a developer, and will be joined at the Guardian Live discussion by Dublin city architect Ali Grehan, Hawkins\Brown Architects partner Katie Tonkinson and chair Professor Rachel Cooper, who leads universities in researching urban transformation.
Wed 11 Oct, Manchester School of Art, Manchester Metropolitan University, Benzie Building, Higher Ormond Street, Manchester M15 6BR. 6.30pm, £10, www.designmcr.com
Conference: Design City Reframed ft. Creative Review editor, Patrick Burgoyne
Dig deeper with a day-long conference that scratches beneath the surface of design. Creative Review editor Patrick Burgoyne plays host to internationally-renowned speakers such as lead Factory Manchester architect Ellen Van Loon and North design’s Sean Perkins, along with local luminaries from Hyper Island and Co-op Digital. The packed day ends with an all-frills networking party at the Refuge.
Fri 13 Oct, The Principal, Oxford Street, Manchester M60 7HA. 10am-6pm, £25–£50, www.designmcr.com
Gig: Fizzing at the Terminals: Buzzcocks with support from PINS
This year’s festival features a homecoming from punk-pop pioneers Buzzcocks. The boys, fresh from their 40th anniversary tour, will play their greatest hits including the totemic ‘Ever Fallen In Love’. Support comes from popular local punks PINS, and the audience will be treated to projections from the festival’s ‘Fizzing at the Terminals’ and ‘Orgasm Addict Reframed’ exhibitions.
Thu 19 Oct, O2 Ritz, Whitworth Street West, Manchester M1 5NQ. 7pm, £23, www.designmcr.com
Workshops, markets & more: The Design City Weekender at Upper Campfield
This year’s festival climaxes with a kaleidoscope of colour at Upper Campfield Market. Dozens of creators will bring three days of exhibitions, workshops and music to the festival’s final weekend, as the indoor arena is transformed with live artistry. Find plenty of affordable treats at the Manchester Print Fair, and watch out for three-minute portraits, screen-printing and oodles of food and drink.
Fri 20 – Sun 22 Oct, Upper Campfield Market Hall, Barton Street, Manchester M3 4NN. 10am-5pm, FREE, www.designmcr.com
- Words:
- Fat Roland
- Published on:
- Sun 8 Oct 2017
