Event

Manchester Wakes

Join us after hours in Manchester Central Library as we bring back the spirit of 'Wakes Week' - when northern industrial towns would shut down for the holiday period and residents would flock to the seaside.

Curated by Tom Hingley (former Inspiral Carpets front man) this event will feature award-winning performance poet JB Barrington with special guests from the RNCM and a one-off folk performance by Monologue John Bartley and Manchester's broadside ballad singer Jennifer Reid. The night will also bring together local choirs (The Cosmo Singers and mixed group of Kadenza/Bolton Clarion choir), magician Jez Mansfield, ukulele group Levy Uke Up, Oldham Youth Wind Ensemble and newly commissioned, experimental, responsive soundscapes composed by the members of NOVARS, all reflecting on ideas of work and play.

Workers at Play will present holiday traditions in a truly modern context to launch Wonderland by the Waves, a new interactive exhibition of Blackpool themed archives telling the story of this seaside town and its connection with generations of Manchester residents. The event and exhibition are the results of the Library's collaboration with The University of Manchester postgraduate students, who organised them as a part of Manchester Wakes project.

Shake off the shackles of work - come and play.

# Standing room only event

# There will be filming for the University of Manchester website at this event. If you explicitly do not want to be filmed, please make this known to the film crew on the night.

Twitter: @ManchesterWakes
manchesterwakes@gmail.com