Manchester Is Ace

Get wordy with Manchester Literature Festival

Manchester Literature Festival has some really great events this year, and I'm gutted that I've been too busy to get to any of them yet. The city has an incredibly rich history of writing and literature, including A Clockwork Orange writer Anthony Burgess, Elizabeth Gaskell, Janette Winterson and one of my favourites, Withington-based writer Melvin Burgess.

We're smack-bang right in the middle of this year's event, which runs from Thursday, October 15 to Sunday, October 25. The MLF team have done good this year, with an impressive line-up of celebrated authors and writers including Martin Amis, Simon Armitage, Kate Atkinson, Joan Bakewell, Eoin Colfer, Marilyn Hacker, Val McDermid, Jimmy McGovern and Fay Weldon.

Festival Finale Weekend at Albert Square

 
Paul Heathcote, who was giving a chef demo at St Ann's Square.

We're now in the middle of Manchester Food and Drink Festival , after it launched last week with a glitzy bash at Manchester Art Gallery. Anyone who follows me on Twitter knows I’m doing some freelance PR work for the festival so I’ve been watching all the behind the scenes action and can really appreciate how much work goes into putting an event like this on. 

And I’m starting to realise the occupational hazard of working with (and consuming lots of) food and drink is a strong possibility of gout. But, hey, I’m not complaining!

Ice ice baby

Alright, stop collaborate and listen, Manchester's back with a new invention. Yes, I am indeed paraphrasing Vanilla Ice in order to tell you about a new Smirnoff vodka launch. Well it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Angels With Manky Faces, Library Theatre Manchester

 

UPDATE...I've just heard the play is being performed again which is great news for anyone who missed it first time round because it was sold out. Angels With Manky Faces will be performed at the Dancehouse on Friday, November 6 at 8pm and Sunday, November 8 at 3pm and 7pm. Tickets are £10 (£9 concs).

Dancehouse Theatre, Oxford Road.
T: 0161 237 9753
W: Dancehouse Theatre

Inspired by the book Gangs of Manchester, the play Angels With Manky Faces is about the gangs - or scuttlers - that roamed the streets in the ninteenth century. But more importantly, the book and the play both remind us that binge drinking, casual sex, gang warfare and street crime are far from being modern phenomena. 

I bought the book, Gangs of Manchester, which was written by historian Andrew Davies, before I went to the play and it was fascinating. And it makes you realise that when people hark back to the good old days, they certainly weren't these times. Manchester during the Industrial Revolution times sounds downright scary - and however much I say I'm skint, my standard of living is just pure luxury compared how the factory workers used to live.

Manchester Museums get creative

I meant to give Creative Tourist a mention when it launched back in July, but I didn't get round to it. I should have pretended I needed to read it for over a couple of months to really absorb what it was all about. But really I just forgot.

But I've been enjoying the latest issue over a cuppa throughout the last week. Creative Tourist is a joint project between nine museums and galleries in Manchester, as well as the North West Regional Development Agency, Renaissance in the Regions and Visit Manchester. It's a mighty fine idea to create a joint cultural guide to the city with guest posts from bloggers.

The project is edited by Susie Stubbs, who has worked with most of the museums in arts and cultural sector for 12 years and who also writes Travels With My Baby.

Being a foodie kind of gal, I enjoyed reading Simon Webbon's guide to museum cafes - surely the reason we go to galleries? Although a trip to the gift shop at the end has to be my favourite (I say with only a little sarcasm).

It's inspiring to read about all the good stuff happening in Manchester, and a bit of history to give it all context. Manchester Museums Consortium seems to be working together for a united front to showcase our super city to the rest of the world - I bet other cities wish they'd thought of it first.

www.creativetourist.com

Buy Art Fair back in Manchester

Buy art! Yes, that's a command as well as an event. The Buy Art Fair premiered last year in the uber-cool surroundings of Urbis, memorably with my favourite tipple, Tuaca, providing welcome cocktails.

And now it's back for a second year and I've just signed up and registered. The three day event runs from Thursday, September 24 (preview evening) to Sunday, September 27 and showcases the work of more than 300 artists, presented by 75 selected galleries.

Partners this year include the Castelfield Gallery, the Northern Quarter's amazing Craft and Design Centre and the Chinese Arts Centre and Cornerhouse, among others.

In addition to this year's event is the first presentation of The Manchester Contemporary, a new platform within the fair, featuring 15 leading cutting edge galleries from across the UK.

And even better, if you register now online you will get free tickets, which otherwise would be £5 on the door. Get in there quick - it's good.

www.buyartfair.co.uk

Zouk's Slumdog Millionaire charity extravaganza

There was lots of food, lots of drink and lots of cool belly dancers. Yes this was raising money for charity the fun way. None of this making people wear orange tabards, giving them clipboards and making them chase you down the street for your bank details.

No sir, there are more genteel ways of engaging people with a charity by plying your customers with food and drink - and this is what the lovely people at Zouk did to donate more than £1000 to Plan UK, which goes to help disadvantaged children in India. And after a bottle of vino Mr and Mrs Manchester Is Ace got giddy with the raffle and spent all our money on tickets, but didn't win anything, except the warm feeling in our hearts. The organisation’s aim is to enable vulnerable children in some of the world’s poorest countries to live in a safe and secure environment.

Cornerhouse: loving the pizzas

Cornerhouse - where to start eh? I luckily used to work right near this centre of arty-cultural goodness so its delights were ready available. But last week I met an old work colleague for some Cornerhouse pizza action, and I realised how much I missed it. 

Manchester Is Ace goes to Leeds

Manchester Is Ace has been asked to provide a monthly round-up of all the amazing stuff we have here for our cousins in Leeds across the Pennines.  Have a look at my post on Culture Vultures and let me know what you think.

I decided to stick to only three things otherwise the post would be too long, but it's so hard to choose because there's so many great things going on the city that I heart. Watch this space as I'll post a couple more things that I'd like to mention.

I also write for www.tasteofmanchester.com, which is a purely food and drink lovers website, so have a look there for my food reviews and news.

Summer break is over

As you may have noticed, Manchester Is Ace has taken a lovely summer break which involved lying on a beach in Sicily and then also lying on my sofa at home a bit.

There's been a few ups and downs over the past month, but some exciting things on the horizon and a bit of guest blogging on the go, so watch out for Manchester Is Ace elsewhere.

I've only dipped into Manchester International Festival slightly and mostly enjoyed sitting in the Festival Pavilion at Albert Square in the sunshine sipping wine (although it would have been nice if they could have chilled it!).

Now I've enjoyed a break, blogging and writing calls again. News of any exciting foodie-related stuff or arty-cultural events can be emailed to manchesterisace at gmail.com. Thanks and I'll be back v soon.