National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Artwork in progress
New cultural happenings in Manchester
Manchester has long been a poster child for innovation, and now the city is embracing a flurry of openings and makeovers to guide its post-lockdown future. Chief among them is the revamp of the MANCHESTER JEWISH MUSEUM, which has doubled in size thanks to an extension that’s been two years in the making. There’s a new gallery, learning studio and cafe, and the restored, 19th-century onsite synagogue will play host to an immersive installation by Turner Prize-winning artist Laure Prouvost until October. The SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY MUSEUM, meanwhile, has unveiled a new Special Exhibitions Gallery — the first stride in a plan that encompasses improved connections with the city and a goal of achieving net-zero emissions. manchesterjewishmuseum.com scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk
Building on Manchester’s credentials as a UNESCO City of Literature is the MANCHESTER POETRY LIBRARY, set to open later this year at Manchester Metropolitan University. It’ll be the shining new beacon on a literary trail that also includes ELIZABETH GASKELL’S HOUSE, now complete with a recently unveiled bedroom. Meanwhile, the multisensory VAN GOGH ALIVE is set to pitch up at Manchester’s MediaCity this October. The travelling exhibition will fill a 17,500sq venue with 360-degree screens, a sunflower-flanked trail and a reconstruction of Bedroom in Arles, bringing the Dutch master’s work to life with style. mmu.ac.uk elizabethgaskellhouse.co.uk vangoghaliveuk.com
Further ahead, all eyes will be on THE FACTORY, a new cultural space scheduled for completion in late 2022. Its programme of events will range from visual exhibitions and large-scale installations to dance, music and theatre performances. Ahead of the ocial opening, a series of online artworks inspired by the project’s architecture, people and history — and hinting at its digital ambition — is available at virtual-factory.co.uk.