• Tell us a bit about yourself and the roles you have had before joining the University

I have worked in Higher Education for the past five years at Leeds Conservatoire and BIMM University, so stepping into the University of Manchester as the Martin Harris Centre Receptionist has been fairly smooth. 

I enjoy working alongside creative people and I particularly love supporting students, because I felt like I didn’t connect with the staff of my university and I want them to have a better experience than I did. So far, it’s been very enjoyable working at MHC as part of a larger team than what I’ve been used to. Joining in September, at the busiest time of our year, was challenging!

My previous role was also very student-focused, I used to be on first name basis with most of the students I’d deal with day to day. It’s helped me become a great people person, which I’ve found benefits me greatly in my current work.

I have a degree in Music Technology, which gives me a very broad understanding of different aspects of music, musicology, and sound engineering, and all of this contributes to my understanding of creative courses at degree level. 

• Aside from typical administrative work, what’s one aspect of your role that others may not be aware of?

One aspect of my job with the MHC is running the Box Office for several events that are held throughout the academic year, such as the MUMS Opera performance of Hansel and Gretel, the MUMS Chamber Orchestra Concert, and the Quatuor Danel Beat the Rush Hour concert. It’s a nice departure from being behind a screen and is a great chance to interact with MHC visitors and support creative events happening at the University.

• So, what do you get up to outside of work? 

Aside from using my degree in my day job, I also have perform and release music regularly under  the name Isaac Malibu. I am also currently singing at the Luminiscence Light Show”at Manchester Cathedral, running until June, and I have bookings at House of Social and Matt and Phreds in the next few months. As well as the live performances, I am in the studio writing and recording music for my own projects and also creating tracks for other singers. II also organise events, curating lineups and showcasing s talent across the north.  

Andrew Melchior is a British-German creative technologist with over 25 years at the intersection of music, technology, and art. As CTO of Massive Attack and founder of Genotone Ltd, he has spent his career building the infrastructure that connects creative practice to emerging technology, from pioneering work on one of the world's first artist websites with David Bowie in 1999 to encoding Massive Attack's Mezzanine into synthetic DNA with ETH Zürich. 

Andrew advises the UK government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s Working Groups on AI and copyright, representing coalitions of over 30,000 artists through the Music Managers Forum, Featured Artists Coalition, and AFEM. He is a leading voice on artist provenance, AI transparency, and the future of creative rights in the age of generative AI. 

At the heart of the visit was the major public lecture Proof of Human: AI, Copyright, and the Fight for Creative Authorship, which took place at the heart of the Innovation District at SISTER. 

In this special lecture and discussion, Andrew Melchior presented a compelling case for strengthening creative authorship in the era of generative AI. 

Drawing on his experience advising UK government technical working groups on AI and copyright, Melchior explored how large-scale AI systems trained on vast datasets of copyrighted material, often without consent or compensation are disrupting established frameworks for protecting creative work. He argued that the challenge facing artists today is not only legal but infrastructural: without reliable systems to verify authorship and trace creative lineage, existing rights regimes cannot be effectively enforced. 

Following the lecture, he was joined in conversation by John McGrath, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Factory International, and responded to audience questions. 

Earlier in the day, Melchior lead an interactive masterclass for undergraduate and postgraduate music and composition students. 

The session focussed on practical workflows for producing and releasing music while maintaining provenance and control of intellectual property in a rapidly evolving AI landscape. Students engaged directly with Melchior and explored the real-world implications of emerging technologies on their creative practice. 

The visit also included a roundtable discussion bringing together academic experts and policymakers. They examined the relationship between music, culture, technology, and Manchester’s creative heritage; the impact of AI and other technologies on the creative industries and mechanisms to protect the rights and livelihoods of creative practitioners. 

This visit was part of Creative Manchester’s ongoing commitment to fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and critical debate at the intersection of culture, technology, and society.

Congratulations to Alex Shaw, our Arts Administration Manager, who won the ‘Outstanding professional services for social responsibility’ prize at the University of Manchester’s Making a Difference Awards on Wednesday 6 May.

Alex was recognised for her dedication to improving inclusivity and accessibility at Martin Harris Centre performances, diversifying our audiences, performers and volunteers, engaging more effectively with local communities, and improving wellbeing and health through our cultural programme and partnerships.

She said:

Hosted at the Whitworth Hall by President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Duncan Ivison, the ceremony recognised the outstanding achievements of our staff, students, alumni and external partners, and celebrated the ways in which they are driving meaningful change.

Don't miss the next MHC Relaxed Performance - Summer Sing and Sign-along on Friday 12 June at 11am (Doors 10.30am).

Harriet Hillier, a second-year undergraduate student in Music at the University of Manchester, has been awarded the Stuart Hall Essay Prize for 2026. The prize, worth £2,000, is open to UK-based academics, students, journalists and other writers aged 18-30, and aims to stimulate new contributions to the areas of political, cultural and educational research pioneered by the Jamaican-British cultural theorist and sociologist Stuart Hall.

Harriet’s essay, ‘Choosing a Nation: Identity, Belonging, and Representation in International Sport’, was the unanimous choice of the judging panel. The essay focuses in particular on fencing, a sport at which Harriet has represented Great Britain in international competitions.

The judges, Professor Catherine Hall, Professor Jo Littler and Professor Kennetta Hammond Perry, gave the following comments on the prize-winning essay: “This essay applies Hall’s conjunctural method to read culture at the intersection of political, economic and ideological forces. The case study is of fencing as an international sport and the author applies their experience of it as a participant to discuss what it means to represent a nation at this time, in a post-Brexit world in which borders have become ever more problematic, where sport is transnational yet aims to figure as a key symbol of national unity, and athletes adopt strategic nationalities in order to gain funding enabling them to compete. The essay is beautifully written and engages throughout with different aspects of Hall’s thinking – put to work in relation to the specificity of now. The moment – it is argued – is one of both crisis and opportunity: it raises the question as to what kind of nation we want to be, and insists that the nation’s story can be retold. We appreciated its extrapolation of the hybrid histories of the sport, its grasp of the neoliberal dynamics shaping its present, and its deft threading through of personal experience to tell the story on multiple levels”.

The winning essay has been published on the Stuart Hall Foundation website.

The daytime programme formed part of the conference Neither Factory Records Nor Madchester: Rethinking Manchester’s Musical and Subcultural Histories, hosted in collaboration with the School of Digital Arts at Manchester Metropolitan University. After a morning of sessions in Manchester, attendees travelled to UNESCO World Heritage site, Jodrell Bank, for an afternoon of thought-provoking discussions on Manchester’s rich musical legacy, led by University of Manchester experts. 

A panel, chaired by Creative Manchester’s Simon Industrial Fellow Karen Gabay, featured Alison Surtees, Basil Clarke, Debra Burns and Yvonne Ellis, and discussed the subcultural side of Stockport’s well-known Strawberry Studios. Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics Associate Director Prof Tim O’Brien delivered a keynote on ‘moonbouncing’, exploring when Kraftwerk’s performance was transmitted to the moon, bounced off the surface and transmitted back to Jodrell Bank at Bluedot Festival 2019.  

The research conference concluded with a panel discussion on the science and politics of togetherness in music cultures. The panel was led by Dr Roddy Hawkins (Lecturer in Music) with Dr Kamila Rymajdo (Creative Manchester/ENO Research Associate), Dr Christabel Sterling (RCM London), Dr Michelle Phillips (RNCM) and Dr Paul Martin (New Buckinghamshire University). 

The evening event was part of Creative Manchester's Solstice and Equinox series, which brings innovative creative artists to The University of Manchester's four cultural institutions. Each of our unique cultural institutions – the Whitworth, the John Rylands Research Institute and Library, Manchester Museum and Jodrell Bank Centre for Engagement – focus on building civic, national and international partnerships to advance the social, environmental and individual wellbeing of our communities. 

The Solstice event began with a fascinating and important conversation between Soul II Soul founder Jazzie B OBE and acclaimed historian, broadcaster and Professor of Public History David Olusoga OBE, chaired by Dr Sophie Everest, Lecturer in Film Practice at The University of Manchester. Set against the backdrop of the Grade I listed Lovell Telescope, the discussion explored the intersections of music, cultural heritage, and identity, and how the enduring influence of British Black music and subculture has shaped today’s cultural landscape. 

Jazzie B, a pioneering figure in UK music and founder of the legendary Soul II Soul collective, shared reflections on his journey from pirate radio to Grammy-winning global success. The Solstice event also featured the film premiere of ‘The Jazzie B Archives’, which documented his involvement in a University of Manchester research project and was produced in association with the British Pop Archive and Creative Manchester.

In the film, Jazzie B takes viewers on an immersive journey through his personal archive. Rifling through papers and artefacts, Jazzie uncovers his family’s Caribbean heritage and move to the UK, school days, sound system culture, employment history, business ventures and the story of Soul II Soul - from their ideological foundations to warehouse parties and global critical and commercial success. In doing so, Jazzie traces a vital and under-told history of post war Black British music, creativity, enterprise and collectivity.

This film was made by Dr Sophie Everest (Lecturer in Film Practice) and music documentarian Matt O’Casey in collaboration with Jazzie B and aims to trial new models of shared collecting and storytelling in association with the British Pop Archive (BPA). The BPA is a University of Manchester national collection dedicated to the preservation and research of popular culture, counter-culture, and youth culture. The film output is shared with Jazzie B and the footage from the shoot will enter the collection of the British Pop Archive for future research and public engagement with the collections. 

The evening concluded with an exclusive DJ set by Jazzie B with his signature sound in the First Light Pavilion, spinning classic tracks and contemporary hits that embody the spirit of Soul II Soul. 

The trail will feature artworks, exhibitions and installations that celebrate the people, places, moments and instruments of Manchester’s music scene. It runs from Monday 7 July – Sunday 31 August.

We’ll be celebrating two of The University of Manchester’s most famous alumni – Ed Simons and Tom Rowlands, also known as The Chemical Brothers. The dance music duo met while studying history in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and went on to achieve massive chart success with six No. 1 albums and two No.1 singles in the UK.

Why not pay us a visit when you’re out and about in Manchester exploring the trail? For more info, visit the Music for The Senses website, where you can also download the official app.

The Festival, which takes place in spaces and partner venues throughout the city, including Factory International’s home Aviva Studios, is for the first time venturing further with events in locations across Greater Manchester, including Rochdale and Wigan. Festival attendees are invited to ‘experience art that pushes boundaries, addresses the big questions of our time and creates hope for the future’ with a varied programme of free, low-cost and ticketed events. 

The University of Manchester is proud to be a long-standing Senior Supporter of the Festival and its organiser Factory International, who are continuing to build on the MIF legacy with a varied programme of groundbreaking world premieres and local events, co-created with local communities, students and partners. The Festival celebrates Manchester as a global hub of creative innovation and features homegrown artists returning to the region with many of the artists programmed originally coming from the North West. 

The Whitworth, one of The University’s four cultural institutions, is also part of the MIF25 programme. From 4 July 2025 to 4 January 2026, Santiago Yahuarcani’s ‘The Beginning of Knowledge’ will be on show at the gallery and is the result of a project by the artist, Indigenous activist, and leader of the Aimeni (White Heron) clan of the Uitoto people. In his first international solo exhibition Yahuarcani showcases large-scale, narrative-rich paintings exploring the relationship between the Uitoto people and the natural world. 

Throughout July MIF25 is looking to inspire fresh perspectives, challenge conventional thought and invite audiences to ‘dream differently’ - envisioning new possibilities, brighter futures and utopian spaces. Presenting some of the most exciting creative minds of our generation, the programme champions indigenous artists and creators from the Global South, expanding the Festival’s renowned international impact as well as fostering deep connections with local artists and communities in the North West of England.  

Creative Director at Factory International and member of the Creative Manchester Research Platform Advisory Board, Low Kee Hong says:

On the opening weekend hundreds of participants, including students and staff from The University of Manchester, joined puppeteers in THE HERDS for a public artwork on an unprecedented scale. This monumental migration of life-sized puppets, some of which have been made in Manchester, took over the streets of Greater Manchester to open the Festival and raise awareness of the climate crisis and the collective effort needed to fight it. 

Across Greater Manchester’s boroughs residents will also be able to enjoy local community showcases featuring cabaret, performance and comedy on each Festival weekend, or join the free programme of events at MIF’s Festival Square outside Aviva Studios. 

Across Greater Manchester’s boroughs residents will also be able to enjoy local community showcases featuring cabaret, performance and comedy on each Festival weekend, or join the free programme of events at MIF’s Festival Square outside Aviva Studios. 

The day concludes with Creative Manchester’s Solstice and Equinox event ‘Jazzie B in conversation with David Olusoga’ and an exclusive DJ set by Jazzie B himself. 

The summer solstice event brings together two remarkable cultural figures against the backdrop of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Jodrell Bank, home to the iconic Lovell telescope. This unique combination of research and public engagement events contributes to Creative Manchester's ongoing mission to foster dialogue between different creative disciplines and cultural perspectives.

The conversation, chaired by Dr Sophie Everest, Lecturer in Film Practice and Filmmaker, will explore the intersections of music, history, and cultural heritage in a setting of scientific discovery and innovation.

Coach transport to and from Jodrell Bank and admission to the Solstice and Equinox event are included in the conference ticket. 

Celebrating Jazzie B's legacy

Trevor Beresford Romeo OBE, known as Jazzie B, is a DJ, music producer, entrepreneur and founding member of the iconic music collective, Soul II Soul. Born in London to parents of Antiguan descent, Jazzie began DJing in the 1980s on pirate radio and holding parties adapting the reggae sound system. This evolved into the formation of the Soul II Soul Collective and signature sound, a number one single, global success, two Grammy Awards, and the sale of millions of records.

Soul II Soul and Jazzie B have left an indelible mark on British culture, not only through their music but also via legendary club nights, fashion lines, retail ventures, and radio shows on both pirate station Kiss FM and the BBC. Jazzie was awarded an OBE in 2008, and in 2024, Soul II Soul received the MOBO Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of an enduring impact on British music and culture.

Archival Collaboration with The University of Manchester

The event is part of an ongoing collaboration between Jazzie B and researchers at The University of Manchester, who are working together to document his extensive personal archive. This archival project represents an important effort to preserve and study the cultural impact of Soul II Soul and the broader musical and cultural movements they influenced.

Following their conversation, the evening will culminate in a special DJ set from Jazzie B himself, bringing his signature sound to the First Light Pavilion—a rare opportunity to experience his musical artistry in such a unique scientific setting.

The Solstice and Equinox Series: Bridging Arts and Sciences

The evening event is part of Creative Manchester's Solstice and Equinox series, which brings innovative creative artists to The University of Manchester's four Cultural Institutions. Each of our unique cultural institutions – the Whitworth, the John Rylands Research Institute and Library, Manchester Museum and Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre – focus on building civic, national and international partnerships to advance the social, environmental and individual wellbeing of our communities.

Dangerous to Know are currently fundraising for their next project Silent Approach – a play which explores our treatment of individuals in mental health crisis, and discusses how none of us are immune to mental health struggles. 

For more information on the project and to donate, please visit their spacehive fundraising page.

You can also follow the company’s profiles on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

The Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama welcomes a world premiere on Friday,13 December as De Profundis, a newly crafted musical piece from Emeritus Professor Philip Grange, takes centre stage. 

A story of despair, tragedy and protest, De Profundis is Latin for ‘From the Depths’. The piece reflects on the impact of tyranny, particularly for those who stand up to tyrannical regimes - as such, the piece is dedicated to Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny who died in prison in February.

Switching between time periods, the piece uses multiple languages - Latin, German, Russian and English. It will be performed by the Quatuor Danel string quartet, with Opera North’s Simon Grange – Philips’s son - as bass voice, who is cast as an unnamed journalist.

‘Tyranny through the ages’ is a focus, with the piece featuring quotes from Russian poet Anna Akhmatova, who suffered under Stalin’s regime. 

It then moves back to 523AD, to the Roman Empire and the story of Boethius who fell foul of the Roman Court, being imprisoned and eventually executed the following year. De Profundis quotes from his The Consolation of Philosophy, which he wrote in prison. The piece also uses quotes from Todesfuge by poet and Holocaust survivor Paul Celan.

A conversation then took place between Philip and the quartet’s first violinist, Marc Danel, who enthusiastically embraced the idea of a work for bass voice and quartet. This ignited a creative journey lasting nearly three years.

For the text, Philip turned to writer Kim Ballard, who he has worked with previously. It was Kim who created the main premise for the piece following numerous conversations with Philip. By October 2023 the text was ready, and over the following year Philip wrote the music.

Friday, 13 December 2024 will be the first performance of the piece. Tickets are available here.

This series of events aimed to build a CreaTech network to provide support, funding and connections to help grow this sector. These events echoed the aspirations of the Greater Manchester city region to develop the CreaTech sector and to facilitate partnerships between the university and the wider GM Business Community.

We are pleased to announce that our recap is now live, featuring photos and outputs of the breakout sessions. We are also pleased to have worked with Into Productions to produce a suite of after movies showcasing People's experiences at the events and highlighting the importance of networking across the emerging CreaTech sector. Watch the full videos here.

Our first event invited individuals interested and working in the gaming/animation/VR/AR industry within Greater Manchester to network with each other and collaborate. We asked them to uncover the overall theme of “How Do We Make Manchester Great?” within breakout groups. See what attendees had to say about CreaTech innovation and the importance of networking across the sector.

 

In our second event ‘Digital Artisans’ we bridged the gap between tradition and innovation through looking at how artisanal craft can harness Createch This event was held at GRIT Studios a fitting setting to delve into how independent artists can come together to chart a path towards a future where tradition and innovation converge, propelling Manchester's artisan arts and crafts sector to new heights of success.

Our next event focused on CreaTech innovation in the Audio and Sound sector. Held in the entrepreneurial atmosphere of Arbeta, the event brought together enthusiastic, experts, and visionaries from diverse backgrounds, all united by their passion for the intersection of creativity, technology, and sound. See what attendees had to say about the importance of CreaTech in the sound industry.
 

Our next event focused on the fast-paced world of ‘Creative AI’ and took place at Fire Up Rochdale. This event brought together creatives who have an interest in digital technology and AI. Furthering the CreaTech ethos, the event connected inspired individuals who wanted to understand how to stay at the front of technological change and how their work practice has adapted to the advances in accessible AI.

The final instalment in the CreaTech Network Series surrounded the theme of Fashion, taking place in the iconic Halle St Peter’s in Ancoats. Bringing together professionals and enthusiasts in the Fashion scene around Manchester. We asked attendees about how they thought technology could change the landscape of the Fashion industry.

As our CreaTech Network events of March 2024 have drawn to a close, we reflect on the exciting potential all attendees have reflected through the CreaTech network and look forward to future collaborations. 

We have helped to pave the way for a strong network of Creatives in Greater Manchester ready to tackle the evolving CreaTech sector. We have also gained an understanding of the University of Manchester’s role in an increasingly digital and technology focused landscape.

Manchester Literature Festival (MLF) 2023 will take place 7-22 October, featuring a programme of exciting events marking the city’s contribution to literature.

The University of Manchester is proud to be the Festival’s official Higher Education Partner, working closely with the MLF team and offering several events in partnership with the University’s Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester research platform.

This year’s Festival begins with a special sold-out preview event on 16 September, where lucky audience members will join award-winning poet, author and honorary Chair of Creative Writing at The University of Manchester Lemn Sissay as he launches his new collection of morning poems, ‘Let the Light Pour In.’

Other partnership events showcase new publications by celebrated authors – including renowned contemporary novelist Deborah Levy (7 October), bestselling American author Michael Lewis (10 October), classicist and BBC Radio 4 broadcaster Natalie Haynes (11 October) and prize-winning Icelandic novelist, playwright and poet Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir (15 October).

On 7 October, cult author Max Porter will perform a dramatic abridged reading from his new novel Shy with a live electronic score by musician Roly Porter, followed by a conversation about his work.

On 19 October, join us for the annual Rylands Poetry Reading and raise a toast to PN Review, celebrating 50 years of publishing some of the most vital, diverse and provocative poetry, essays, interviews and reviews from around the globe. Contributing editors Anthony Vahni Capildeo, Sasha Dugdale and Will Harris will be sharing their own poems alongside some of their favourite discoveries from PN Review.

Professor of New Writing and prolific author Jeanette Winterson returns to MLF on 22 October to launch her new book Night Side of the River: Ghost Stories. She will read from her new collection and share some of her real-life encounters with the occult.

Lecturers from the Centre for New Writing feature in two events: Poet Jason Allen-Paisant is at Manchester Art Gallery on 14 October to premiere a new co-commission inspired by work in the Gallery and author Beth Underdown hosts an event with Kate Mosse on 7 October at Central Library. The Book of Beijing, an author event with Wen Zhen and Gu Shi on 15 October is presented by the University’s Confucius Insitute alongside Comma Press.

For those looking for more literature events after the main Festival period, there will be two partnership Bookend events in November. Beloved actor, comedian and writer Doon Mackichan joins us to discuss her memoir My Lady Parts: A Life Fighting Stereotypes, on 20 November, and on 29 November winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2017 Naomi Alderman joins us to discuss her superb new novel The Future.

Dr H. Gareth Gavin, Director of the Centre for New Writing said:

Cathy Bolton and Sarah-Jane Roberts, Co-Directors of Manchester Literature Festival  
said:

Find out more about Manchester Literature Festival and view the full programme here.

Who Ya Gonna Call? is part of the UK Climate Resilience programme, developed in association with the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission (YHCC).

This warm and welcoming one-hour performance gives the audience plenty to think about, and even invites the adventurous to help out directly. After all, nobody can act alone on the climate change, so this one-man show might sometimes need a little help. 

Audiences can see the show for themselves at the Martin Harris Centre at The University of Manchester on 8 March 2023, and will ‘tour’ other spaces in due course. 

Who Ya Gonna Call? has been designed to work flexibly in theatre spaces, community halls, or office settings and is the first presentation by Vesper Hill, a new social enterprise co-founded by Scott-Bottoms, which uses storytelling, performances and workshops to explore the human and mental health dimensions of our environmental crisis. 

 “Are we prepared for climate change?,” Scott-Bottoms asks. “Researching this piece, I was really struck by the fact that the people we’ve tasked with sorting this out are few and far between. And they feel pretty overwhelmed by it all. With Who Ya Gonna Call?, I want to tell some of their stories -- and to encourage audiences to see that we all have a role to play, in facing the future.”

To find out more about the upcoming performance of Who Ya Gonna Call? at The Martin Harris Centre and to register to attend, please register for the performance via Eventbrite.

MORE INFORMATION

Vesper Hill is a new social enterprise, founded in 2022. We aim to use interactive storytelling, performances and workshops to explore the human and mental health dimensions of our environmental crisis, and to build capacity and resilience in organisations and communities.

We offer a variety of performances and workshop programmes for different contexts. We can also be commissioned to make new work, tailored specifically to your needs. info@vesperhill.org

Storyteller Steve Scott-Bottoms is the co-founder of Vesper Hill, and co-chair of YHCC’s Adaptation and Resilience panel. He researched this performance by interviewing other panel members, from a range of professional backgrounds. In his day job, he is Professor of Contemporary Theatre and Performance at The University of Manchester. In addition to being the author of several books, Steve is a theatre director, writer, performer and facilitator. 

Simon Brewis (director and co-deviser) is a theatre director and dramaturg who specialises in working with young people and community groups. He is the artistic director of Common Chorus Theatre Company.

Hosted by The University of Manchester’s Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama, Notes on Bresson is a conference organised in partnership with Richmond, The American University in London (RAIUL) and the UK Bressonian Practice-Based Research Group. 

This open and friendly event has been curated to include presentations from thought leaders in cinema, lively panel discussions and intimate screenings, as well as plenty of networking opportunities here in the creative capital of the North of England. The conference encourages participation and debate, ensuring every delegate goes home with a fresh perspective on the great French filmmaker and a wider network. 

Jonathan Hourigan, assistant to Robert Bresson on L’Argent, Lecturer in Screenwriting at University of Manchester and co-chair of the conference, says “It’s a great thrill to bring together so many scholars and experts on Bresson, along with filmmakers and artists influenced by him and to explore and celebrate his work in such depth.”

Tickets and more information about this event are available online now at uom.link/notesonbresson and the event warmly welcomes postgraduate students of film studies, French studies and philosophy, in addition to academics, cineastes, filmmakers, artists and afficionados of Bresson and French cinema. 

 in a friendly and fun environment.

Geared towards creating a safe space for those who might not feel comfortable in a formal performance environment, the Relaxed Performance will keep the lights on, the doors open and anyone who comes along is free to chat, sing, express themselves and move around however they wish. 

Who is the Relaxed Performance for? The answer in short is: everyone! This performance warmly welcomes babies and children, and people with dementia or learning difficulties. People with disabilities will find the Martin Harris Centre’s Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall to be a venue that is accessible and comfortable. Anyone who feels like enjoying some well-loved  tunes in a friendly and informal environment can come along.

There is no need to book and seats are first-come-first-served, while patrons are free to change seats or step out of the hall at any time. 

The music will be performed by the talented members of the Manchester University Music Society who are happy to chat to audience members throughout the event.

When: Friday 16 December 2022 1.10-2pm 

Where: Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama

How to book: Just turn up!

More information on the event and others like it at the Martin Harris Centre can be found here.

A response to Sir Peter’s lecture will then be delivered by Dr Abi Gilmore (Senior Lecturer in Arts Management, Institute for Cultural Practices and the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre). The welcome address will be delivered by Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell.

This lecture is a flagship event coinciding with the 1-year anniversary of Creative Manchester being a University-wide, interdisciplinary Research Platform, as well as the 4-year anniversary of Creative Manchester as an initiative. Therefore, attendees will be able to learn how Creative Manchester facilitates and develops research around the themes of Creative Industries and Innovation; Creative and Civic Futures; and Creativity, Health and Wellbeing.

Sir Peter Bazalgette was knighted in 2012 for his services to broadcasting, and is currently non-executive Chairman of ITV. In 2017, he was commissioned by the UK government to conduct an independent review into the UK’s Creative Industries for their Industrial Strategy, and now serves as a non-executive on the board of UK Research and Innovation and Chair of the Creative Industries Council.

If you would like to attend this event, please register via Eventbrite.

Taking place at the Martin Harris Centre of Music and Drama on The University of Manchester’s Oxford Road campus, the John Rylands Research Institute and Library on Deansgate, and Manchester Central Library in the city’s iconic St Peter’s Square, literature lovers can look forward to an enriching series of talks and an opportunity to hear about the writing process from award-winning wordsmiths.

The programme opens on campus on 8 October with A.M. Homes who will be discussing The Unfolding with Razia Iqbal at the Martin Harris Centre, followed by an evening with Kamila Shamsie who will be sharing her thoughts on female friendship and the themes of her novel Best of Friends. David Olusoga will be talking about his role as a writer and historian at the MHC on 15 October in an event hosted by Ellah P Wakatama, which will also be recorded for a streamed audience. 

At Central Library on 9 October, Kit de Waal’s childhood memoir Without Warning and Only Sometimes will be central to her conversation with Ellah P Wakatama, while on 10 October 2021 Booker Prize-winner Damon Galgut will be sharing his thoughts on The Promise with Alex Clark. Susanna Clarke and Max Porter will be delving into Clarke’s Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell on 21 October at the library in an MLF exclusive event.

The auspices of the John Rylands will welcome one of America’s most celebrated poets Carl Phillips on 13 October, where he will deliver the John Rylands Reading. The gothic building will also host Cosey Fanni Tutti and Jon Savage on 20 October where they will be discussing three iconic women, Cosey Fanni Tutti herself, along with Delia Derbyshire and Margery Kempe. 

Manchester Literature Festival’s Live events programme runs from 7-23 October 2022 across the city.

The wider Manchester Literature Festival programme and tickets are on general sale from 26 August 2022 via the MLF website.

The NIHR School for Social Care Research (SSCR) has awarded researchers at The University of Manchester, Manchester Camerata, and the Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust an 18-month grant to evaluate the impact of Manchester Camerata’s online 20-week Music in Mind Remote (MiMR) programme for people with dementia. 

The main focus of this funded project is on ascertaining care home staff and family carer wellbeing. The MiMR programme is based around music and ‘in the moment’ improvisation and builds on a successful collaboration between The University of Manchester and Manchester Camerata that stretches back to 2014. This collaboration continues, with academics from The University’s Music Department and Division of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work forming key parts of the MiMR team, and at the end of the project, Creative Manchester will disseminate the project’s research findings in a series of hosted workshops. 

Principal investigator, Professor John Keady, said: "This study is a tremendous opportunity to better understand how change occurs in improvised music making for people living with dementia and the well-being effects that this can have on all those taking part in the sessions, especially care home staff and family carers. 

“We are planning to use creative social research methods in this study and to contribute towards an aesthetic of care practice.”

Commenting on the employment of Dr Robyn Dowlen as the lead researcher on the study, Lizzie Hoskin, Head of Community at Manchester Camerata, said: “We are really excited to be working with Robyn again in her new role as the lead researcher on this study and to welcome her back to Manchester Camerata. 

"The success of her previous ‘in the moment’ PhD research with our in-person Music in Mind programme has meant that we have been able to develop our work in music and dementia even further. It's great that this new NIHR SSCR project will focus again on the benefits that music can bring, not only to those people living with dementia, but for those who care for them as well.”

The MiMR team are: 

·      Professor John Keady (PI): Division of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Manchester/Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. Senior Fellow SSCR.

·      Professor Alys Young (Co-i): Division of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Manchester. Senior Fellow SSCR.

·      Professor Caroline Bithell (Co-i): Music Department, University of Manchester.

·      Dr Alexander Gagatsis (Co-i): Music Department, University of Manchester.

·      Lizzie Hoskin (Co-i): Head of Community, Manchester Camerata, The Monastery, Gorton, Manchester.

·      Cathy Riley (Co-i): Open Doors Service Manager, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.

Researchers:

·      Dr Robyn Dowlen: Division of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Manchester.

·      Helena Bull: Manchester Camerata, The Monastery, Gorton, Manchester.

For more information, please contact John Keady.

[Image credit: Rachel Bywater Photography]

Once again delivered by the talented students from the Manchester University Music Society (MUMS), this year’s theme is ‘Music Around the World,’ an exploration of different music cultures, including a performance by Nigerian Gospel singer Klezmer and Irish dancing. 

Previous Relaxed Performance events have included a singalong, where parents and young children were able to meet the musicians and even join in with their own instruments, clap hands, or jangle keys to the music. Visitors were vocal in their appreciation of the event, supporting the Martin Harris Centre’s ongoing campaign to become a more accessible arts venue and part of The University’s wider social responsibility goals.

This year’s performance is no different, having been designed to be sensitive to and accepting of those who may benefit from a more relaxed environment. This might include (but is not limited to) those with autistic spectrum conditions, anyone with a learning disability, or a sensory and communication disorder. Audience members will also have the chance to meet the performers and try some musical instruments themselves.

‘Relaxed Performance: Music Around the World’, takes place on 9 June 2022, at 1.30pm, and all are welcome for FREE (simply turn up).

For further information, please click here.

Venue: Martin Harris Centre

This decision was made following a University-wide review of available payment methods. 

The Martin Harris Centre team apologises for any inconvenience that this may cause and thanks patrons in advance for their ongoing support of Martin Harris events.  

We are delighted to welcome you back to the Martin Harris Centre this autumn with a more limited series of events in music and drama.

The season launches on 29 and 30 September with Catching Comets, a multi-dimensional genre mash-up from Ransack Theatre. The show raises the question of how we're supposed to be big, brave and strong when we look and sound nothing like the heroes we grew up with on our screens. A disaster movie about falling in love, Catching Comets has been described by The Voice as ‘exhilarating, heart-warming and honest – one not to be missed!’

And in music, our magnificent resident String Quartet, the Quatuor Danel is back for a brand new season, with their mesmerising evening and lunchtime concerts, taking place from October 2021 through to March 2022.

Ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience at our venue is our top priority. As such, there are a number of measures that we have decided to keep in place for the short-term, to ensure a healthier environment for audiences, staff and students. More about this will be added to our website in the coming weeks.

You can visit our website for the full programme, up-to-date event information and to book: www.manchester.ac.uk/mhc.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Martin Harris Centre during the forthcoming season.

These will be hosted locally for the majority of programmes in the week beginning Monday, 2 August 2021, and a digital programme will also be available. The celebrations are in no way in place of in-person graduation but are an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the accomplishments of students throughout their studies, acknowledging the resilience and strength they have shown in these unprecedented times.

We’re pleased to update you our University is now planning graduation ceremonies in Manchester next year. Ceremonies will take place in either spring 2022 or summer 2022, taking into consideration the latest UK government advice at the time. The ceremonies that were postponed are being informed by our Division of Development and Alumni Relations.

The virtual celebration for the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures will take place at 3pm, Tuesday 3 August; and will be publicly available, on the SALC YouTube channel.

The celebrations can be viewed after this date, so any students unable to attend will be able to enjoy them with their friends and families at another time.

At the celebrations, students will have the chance to enjoy messages from lecturers, staff, students and alumni from across the University. Those featured will include SALC graduands from the class of 2021. There will also be an opportunity to catch up with staff and other graduating students, either prior to or after the celebration film; at departmental virtual live events.

These live events offer the chance to find out what people are up to, their plans for the future and of course to say congratulations and farewell!

Invites to the SALC celebration will be circulated on the 6th of July and links to the virtual live events will be circulated nearer the time.

The times of the live social events are:

We encourage students to share positive memories and experiences of their time at The University of Manchester, follow the SALC Twitter and Facebook accounts @UoMSALC and use the hashtags #SALCGrad and #UoMGraduation.

Digital programme

We'll also be creating a digital programme. This can be downloaded from the Graduation microsite, from the 2nd of August. Your name and award will be included, but your individual classification will not be. If you do not want your name and award to be included, please email graduation@manchester.ac.uk by 5pm on Wednesday, 28 July 2021. Please use 'Graduation programme' in the email subject line.

SALC celebrations

Please note that as part of our virtual graduation celebrations we may display your name and/or your image during the live event or as part of some pre-recorded content. In the event that you would prefer your name/image not to be used in this way please let us know directly by email to alex.shaw@manchester.ac.uk no later than 12pm on Wednesday 21st July 2021. Please use ‘SALC Celebration content’ in the email subject line.

Manchester Camerata has been delivering vital primary care to people living with dementia through its award-winning Music in Mind™ programme since 2012. This specialist music therapy programme uses improvisation to help people living with dementia to express themselves and communicate with others.

The Studentship is a collaboration between the School of Health Sciences, the Music Department, Creative Manchester and Manchester Camerata, and will see Katherine work across each of these organisations, as well as with the Salford Institute for Dementia. It’s a unique opportunity that bridges the gap between academia and the creative industries, and it represents an exciting new stage of the University’s partnership with Manchester Camerata.

Speaking on the partnership, Manchester Camerata CEO Bob Riley said:

“The partnership we enjoy with the University of Manchester is one of the most important long-term. Of course, there is the synergy with our long-term values, and desire to make an impact in the world, something that’s been particularly important as we developed the research and activity around our work in health, but also more recently with Creative Manchester as we developed both research and activity which is pushing boundaries, particularly during lockdown. Like any relationship, it’s about the people. We are so lucky to work with great people at the University, and their openness, creativity and ability to be a critical friend, has and will remain, invaluable to Camerata over the coming years.”

Meanwhile Professor of Older People’s Mental Health Nursing, John Keady, had this to say about the Studentship awarded to Katherine:

“This ESRC CASE PhD studentship (Health and Wellbeing pathway) is a fantastic opportunity to continue our collaboration with Manchester Camerata and their inspiring Music in Mind programme for people living with dementia. Together, we are building a research programme that focuses on moments and what it means to be ‘in the moment’. Creative music-making by people living with dementia is the ideal vehicle to enable this experience to shine through, especially when language skills may be compromised; it is a privilege to do this work and to be in this partnership.”

Finally, speaking on Katherine’s return to the University’s Music Department, Professor of Ethnomusicology, Caroline Bithell offered:

“Katherine is the ideal person to undertake this new research with Manchester Camerata. Highlights of her time as an undergraduate in our department include her outstanding dissertation exploring how mindfulness meditation can help musicians overcome performance anxiety and her two-year term as Outreach Manager of Manchester University Music Society, overseeing student projects in schools, hospitals and care homes. It’s little wonder that she won the University’s Undergraduate Student of the Year Distinguished Achievement Award! We can’t wait to have her back.”

To find out more about Katherine and the exciting work on her horizon, we sent her some questions.

Could you tell us a little about yourself?

My main background is in music- I completed my undergraduate degree at Manchester University, focusing on community music. I then worked as a freelance community musician and performer for two years, before going to Leeds University for my Master’s degree in Music and Wellbeing. Music is such a powerful tool for communication and facilitation, and I have loved working in the field to date. The main impetus for focusing research on the field of music and dementia was through having a part of organising Manchester University’s relaxed concert series: these were wonderful events set up so that people who may require additional support could attend a concert and were the highlight of my university years!

Could you tell us a bit about your PhD?

Working in conjunction with Manchester Camerata’s Music in Mind programme, the University of Manchester and the University of Salford, the PhD aims to review the impact of music-making with people living with dementia, using an ‘in the moment’ immersive framework to track positive effects, rather than a commonly-used assessment where differences between before and after the music session are evaluated. The objective is to create and document a continuum of ‘moments’ within a session, to be able to highlight more subtle benefits of music for people living with dementia, using this framework as a means for reflection and contextualisation. This research is based on Dr Robyn Dowlen’s amazing PhD work also examining Manchester Camerata’s Music in Mind programme.

What are you most excited about in your project?

I’m really excited to be able to see the Music in Mind sessions and see how improvisatory music-making is incorporated within the sessions! The videos and testimonials taken from the sessions are wonderful and so lovely to see: I can’t wait to be able to be a part of such an exciting project for the next four years and to meet all the lovely people who take part in the sessions.

As an alumna of the University of Manchester’s Music Department, what made you want to return to the University to complete your PhD?

My undergraduate years at the University of Manchester were such an important foundation for my freelance career to date. Without attending the University of Manchester for my undergraduate degree, it is very unlikely that I would have been as effective a participatory musician: it is such a supportive, creative and exciting department for community music, and the lecturers are particularly inspiring in this field. It was because of my undergraduate degree that I went on to work in the field, working in care settings, hospitals, schools and prisons in the North West. When the opportunity arose to return to the University, it was too good to miss! I am very excited to be returning to work with such a wonderful team of people for this PhD. 

What are you looking forward to most about working with Manchester Camerata?

The work that Manchester Camerata have been doing with people living with dementia is so inspiring. I have seen first-hand how music can make people’s faces light up, can encourage someone to dance, can help with eye contact and, most amazingly, can transport people to another time or place. In these difficult Covid times, creating human connections becomes even more important! Manchester Camerata has such an inspiring community music department, and it will be an incredible chance to learn from the facilitators of the Music in Mind programme; their work is so exciting and I love how the sessions are so carefully supported to allow the participants living with dementia to thrive in the improvisatory music setting.

What’s special about the partnership between the University and Manchester Camerata? What unique opportunities does it create for people like yourself? 

The opportunity to study on the CASE Studentship programme is so unusual and exciting- to be working between effectively four institutions in total: two different faculties at the University of Manchester, the Salford Institute for Dementia and Manchester Camerata. It is such a unique chance to learn from and meet such a diverse range of people with so many different specialisms and interests. The opportunity to work between such a strong and exciting research institution in collaboration with a world-renowned orchestra with an amazing community music programme is so rare, and I am looking forward to taking every opportunity from both sides over the next four years!

What music are you listening to at the moment?

It’s been a bit of an eclectic mix over this third lockdown - I’ve been listening to a range of music, primarily feel-good music from the 80s and 90s! I’m also currently preparing for a clarinet recital as part of my masters’ programme, so have been listening to some new clarinet music for inspiration. A particular favourite is Svante Henryson’s ‘Off Pist’ written for clarinet and cello – a perfect folky duo!

Also at Christmas time, the MUMS Outreach team organised a Christmas video, distributed to care homes in Greater Manchester and to celebrate National Intergenerational Week earlier in March the society held Zoom sessions, connecting with four care homes around the country. Further choir videos have also been distributed to Manchester Royal Infirmary and Manchester Children’s Hospital.

The society’s work with primary schools has continued in the form of percussion ‘Bamboo Tamboo’ workshops, delivering a mixture of weekly sessions and one-off longer workshops to various schools across Manchester, with volunteers video-calling into schools to lead the sessions. Video resources have also been developed for primary schools to use, introducing children to different types of music and instruments.

Zoë Kundu, Head of MUMS outreach said: ‘Our work in the community during lockdown has been a great way of encouraging continuous music-making in different ways to lift spirits during this challenging time. It has been lovely to see the joy on children’s faces during Bamboo workshops, the tears in care home residents’ eyes in Zoom sing-a-longs, and the enthusiastic dance moves of the adults at Venture Arts. ‘

The society are now in the process of planning for their online summer relaxed performance, which will be taking place in June, as well as running more Bamboo Tamboo workshops and continuing the virtual links with hospitals and care homes.

Ricardo Climent, Professor of Interact Music Composition at The University of Manchester also featured on the programme, as well as Psappha, a contemporary ensemble in residence at the University.

You can listen again to the programme here.

Hayley Suviste, who received both her master’s in Electroaccoustic Composition and bachelor’s in Music from Manchester, recorded Edgeland for the renowned festival, which was then given its premiere on BBC Radio 3. 

Edgeland brings together conversations, composed music and field recordings from some of Manchester’s green spaces in danger of being lost to urban development. Interviewees include community activists Julie Ryan and Tara Parry from ‘Friends of Ryebank Fields’, award-winning alternative tour guide Hayley Flynn (Skyliner) and Dr Jenna C Ashton (artist, curator and lecturer at The University of Manchester). The work aims to shine a spotlight on the significance of public green spaces and their role in environmental and mental health, and how they are perceived by those who enjoy and look after them.  

An edited version of Edgeland is available to listen back to on the BBC and more information about Hayley Suviste and her work is available on her website. 

The University of Manchester’s School of Arts, Languages and Cultures (SALC) will be hosting a celebration to mark the strength and resilience of its students in a virtual event.

The celebration will take place at 3pm on Wednesday 16 December 2020, and will be available to view and return to on the SALC YouTube channel.

These celebrations are an opportunity to recognise the accomplishments of students throughout their studies, particularly acknowledging the resilience and strength they have shown over the course of a challenging year.

After the celebration, students will have the opportunity to attend a live, virtual event with staff and classmates from their Department.

Links for the celebrations will be sent out to students via email and are intended to complement the winter graduation ceremonies.

SALC encourages students to follow the SALC Twitter and Facebook accounts @UoMSALC to share positive memories and experiences of their time at The University of Manchester, using the hashtags #SALCGrad and #UoMGraduation and to direct any questions to salcstudents@manchester.ac.uk.

Time and date information

SALC Virtual Celebration

3pm on Wednesday 16 December

Department-specific live events (links to follow)

Art History and Cultural Practices: 4.30pm, Wednesday 16 December

Classics, Ancient History, Archaeology and Egyptology: 5pm, Wednesday 16 December

Drama and Film: 4pm, Friday 18 December

English & American Studies and Centre for New Writing: 5.30pm, Wednesday 16 December

History: 10am, Thursday 17 December

Humanitarian Conflict Response Institute: 4pm, Wednesday 16 December

Linguistics and English Language: 5.30pm, Wednesday 16 December

Modern Languages and Cultures: 4pm Wednesday 16 December

Music: 4pm, Wednesday 16 December

Religions & Theology: 1pm, Thursday 17 December

This year, university life has presented challenges that might have previously been unthinkable. The impact of COVID-19 continues to reverberate, yet in face of this, our staff, students, alumni and external partners have pulled together and achieved remarkable things. Now is the chance to make these things known.

Enter or nominate now for a Making a Difference Award!

In what has been an unprecedented year, The University of Manchester’s annual Making a Difference Awards are back and open for entries in order to celebrate the achievements of the institution’s people. The nine award categories acknowledge the differences people are making in their communities and beyond, covering many different types of social responsibility projects and activities. 

Those who wish to nominate an individual or team who has made a difference can enter now. The deadline for entries is 18 January 2021.

Last year’s winners include projects engaging farmers in South East Asia with bioenergy development to improve agricultural livelihoods; creating conservation clubs to teach refugees and asylum seekers English; helping increase survival rates among children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia; pharmacy undergraduates working to close the enrolment and attainment gap between black and white students, and many more.

Take a look at previous winners and highly commended recipients over the past six years to see how receiving a Making a Difference Award boosted their work, tackling issues they feel passionate about, and shone a spotlight on the impact of their work, inspiring further funding opportunities.

All shortlisted nominees will be invited to a high-profile awards ceremony in May 2021 to receive their award and celebrate their commitment and dedication. The ceremony offers a platform for entrants to raise awareness of their work and celebrate their impressive achievements.

Professor Nalin Thakkar, Vice-President for Social Responsibility said: “It’s incredible how many of our staff, students and alumni are pulling together, showing resilience and making a huge difference to the lives of others in such difficult times. Through the Making a Difference Awards, we want to recognise and celebrate all their hard work.”

“I would encourage anyone who is making a positive contribution to society to enter our Awards and take the opportunity to highlight the significant impact their work is having, and provide them with a platform to showcase their hard work and commitment. I would also encourage people to nominate colleagues and students who they feel are making a real difference to the lives of others.”

Important Information:

• Entries to be submitted through the social responsibility website.
• Deadline for entries is 18 January 2021.
• Candidates can self-nominate or be nominated by a third party.
• Individuals or teams can enter. 
• If you do not have to an online entry form please email socialresponsibility@manchester.ac.uk or telephone 0161 306 3044

For further information see the Awards website or contact the Office for Social Responsibility at: socialresponsibility@manchester.ac.uk

"At each rehearsal, I mentor a team of six student conductors to take voice sectionals in Zoom breakout rooms and to warm up. I am proud that we are still creating opportunities for our musicians to sing, produce, lead and make music despite the circumstances. We have over one hundred members in Chorus, with our auditioned chamber choirs Ad Solem and the Cosmo Singers at thirty and fifty respectively. There is definitely scope for online educational experience and training in this model and our students are gaining valuable experience. "

- Robert Guy, University Chorus Conductor and Head of Choral Programme

"I have been really encouraged by what Rob, myself and the rest of the 2020/21 Chorus Committee have been able to achieve with online rehearsals so far this term. Despite my initial worries that online Chorus would not be popular we have continued to see over 100 members turn up to the Zoom rehearsal each week. Coming together each Thursday evening to rehearse has brought back some normality for all our members and I am proud of the positive feedback we have received.

"We have set up an excellent YouTube channel where we upload piano accompaniment recordings for each piece, which has helped members to practise at home with ease.

"Additionally, we hold socials every other week so members can chat in breakout rooms after the rehearsal. This has encouraged members to get to know each other and has successfully created stronger bonds between the student and non-student members. In my role as Chorus President, I am gaining such valuable experience in administration, organisation, professionalism and musicianship. I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity and I will value the experience it has given me in future roles!

"There are many advantages to online music-making. We have been able to welcome other conductors and singers from other choirs who include the Welsh National Opera Community Chorus and other choirs across North Wales and the North West who have signed up as members and their membership has diversified and grown during the pandemic.

"Many choirs have felt overwhelmed embracing online music-making, it’s good to know Manchester is leading the way in giving people these valuable experiences and providing a sense of community at a time when people need it most.

We have complemented rehearsals with guest visits from industry professionals, which has given members the opportunity to hear valuable professional advice.”

- Esther Simkiss, Chorus President

Industry Professionals include:

• Naomi Lewis: Chorus Manager at the Royal Opera House
• Ruth Evans: Head of Artistic Planning and Participation at National Youth Choirs of Great Britain
• Nihal Arthanayake: Acclaimed broadcaster and TV presenter, currently presenting a daily daytime show on BBC 5 Live
• Professor John Casken: Internationally acclaimed composer and Emeritus Professor at the University of Manchester
• Paul Mealor OStJ CLJ OSS FRSA: One of the world’s most ‘performed’ living composers

The University Chorus are always eager to welcome back our returning members and to welcome new singers to the choir. If you would like to register, please email: attendance@universitychorus.org.uk.

Gabriel will continue to study for his degree at The University of Manchester while also working full time on the programme.

Gabriel played a smaller role on the series previously as Chris Neeson, who testified against Buster in his January 2019 abuse trial.

"I’m so excited to join the cast of Hollyoaks. Two years ago, I was part of the Buster storyline, so to be finally here, playing a lead role in Hollyoaks, it is very surreal." Gabriel said.

On 11 November, The University is hosting a Music, Health & Wellbeing workshop that will serve to answer these questions. Presented in partnership with Creative Manchester, the Music Department and the Division of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Work, the Zoom-based session will feature a range of speakers including University researchers, musicians and policymakers, with whom you’ll explore the health and wellbeing benefits of musical participation.

A key part of the workshop will focus on University partners Manchester Camerata, who will share the principles and practices used in their innovative ‘Camerata in the Community’ programme, which stretches across the north-west of England. Members of the Camerata team will share real-world experiences of their work with young people in schools and people living with dementia. There will also be opportunities to ask questions and contribute to the discussion, should you wish.

The workshop is part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science, which presents the very latest in social science research. The local version of this national festival is now in its seventh year, and the 2020 programme features over thirty events on a variety of themes including climate change, mental health and wellbeing, living with technology, and, of course, the impacts of Coronavirus. These all-digital events are running from 7-15 November.

If you’d like to attend the University’s Music, Health & Wellbeing workshop, please sign-up via Eventbrite. For up-to-the-minute booking information and details about the rest of the events, visit www.esrcmanchesterfest.ac.uk, or search #McrESRCFest on Twitter.

The School of Arts, Languages and Cultures at The University of Manchester welcomes its audiences to SALC: Connect, Engage, Inspire – a digital repository for its wide-ranging arts and cultural activities. Through this new portal, you can explore the latest music, lectures, podcasts, writing and learning, made available by SALC to audiences around the world.

This accessible and inclusive digital platform strengthens The University’s mission of offering audiences the opportunity to discover, engage and connect with the School’s wealth of cultural and educational experiences.

The page features virtual concerts from Martin Harris Centre Online, podcasts from the Centre for New Writing, Lockdown Lectures, the latest Institute for Cultural Practices publication, online competitions and creative webinars. It also highlights online learning pathways including Egyptology online, Pre-sessional English Online and MSc International Disaster Management and Humanitarian Response Online.

Speaking about the new platform, Head of School, Professor Alessandro Schiesaro said, “We are delighted to be able to offer our students, staff, alumni, prospective students and the wider community an accessible means of engaging with the School’s wide range of cultural and educational opportunities. The platform can be experienced anywhere in the world, at any time and the items featured highlight the wealth of engaging, creative projects that are created by the School.”

The page will be continually updated with the latest creative and cultural online assets as they become available. Explore what’s on: SALC: Connect, Engage, Inspire.

The new concert series continues The University’s mission of offering students, staff, alumni and the wider community the opportunity to engage with cultural experiences in an accessible and inclusive way.

The series features short recitals that are completely free to view and easy to access via YouTube. Performers featured in the series include Marc Danel, violinist and leader of the Quatuor Danel, The University of Manchester’s String Quartet in Residence; harpist, Olivia Jageurs; and flautist and University flute tutor, Robert Looman, with more to be announced.

Head of the Music Department, Professor Caroline Bithell, said: “Whilst we cannot currently gather at the Martin Harris Centre for our weekly programme of free lunchtime concerts, we are delighted to be able to offer audiences this engaging virtual concert series. These short, bespoke performances can be enjoyed by audiences anywhere in the world, at any time, and remind us of the enormous benefits of music for our pleasure and wellbeing.”

The Martin Harris Centre looks forward to welcoming audiences back to as soon as possible and in the meantime invites everyone to access the MHC Online Virtual Concert Series and enjoy the music.

#MHCOnline

The ‘new normal’ of exclusively online engagement has necessitated quick shifts towards the digital arena, where Manchester Museum, The Whitworth, Jodrell Bank and the John Rylands Library continue to inspire and enrich audiences. Here’s a quick rundown of what each institution currently has on offer.

Manchester Museum

Manchester Museum, the UK’s leading university museum, continues to entertain, educate and spark wonder during this challenging time. Its new mobile site, Manchester Museum in Quarantine, allows us to explore Manchester Museum in our own homes. The site features online exhibitions and displays, as well as resources for home educators and families, carers, researchers and more.

The Whitworth

In accordance with its mission to use art for wider social benefit, The Whitworth has launched a range of online activities, ideas and resources. Via The Whitworth at Home you can find weekly blogs and podcasts that share insights on the Whitworth’s history, collections and future thinking. There is also a great Instagram series, Atelier at Home, offering ideas on how to encourage children to explore their imaginations with simple materials.

Jodrell Bank

While Jodrell Bank’s public facilities may be temporarily closed, it remains a site of live scientific research. In recent weeks, a wealth of learning resources and activities have been issued on Jodrell Bank’s website. These aim to engage and inspire the public with the science and stories of this unique UNESCO World Heritage Site. Via Science Learning at Home, you can find everything from stargazing tips to guides on making your own planisphere.

The John Rylands Library

The collections housed in the John Rylands Library contain some of the most significant printed books and manuscripts ever produced. Thanks to Manchester Digital Collections, you can explore a number of these online. This innovative platform, built-in collaboration with Cambridge University Library, allows enhanced viewing and manipulation of ultra-high quality images, with a parallel display of text, audio and video content.

We’re very proud of the way Manchester’s cultural institutions have adapted to these unprecedented times. In a period of great challenge, they persist in enriching our city by creating, connecting and inspiring. It’s wonderful to see these valued institutions continue to do what they do best.

We hope you are safe and well.

In light of the ongoing and developing situation around COVID-19 and the Government’s latest advice, we have taken the decision to cancel all events at the Martin Harris Centre until Friday 31 July 2020.

Box office sales (by phone and in-person) were suspended with immediate effect from Tuesday 17 March. If you have purchased a ticket, you will be issued a full refund when services are resumed. Refunds for online ticket purchases will be issued directly to the customer by Quaytickets.

We will continue to monitor the updated advice from the NHS and Public Health England and will continue to review future events to ensure the health and safety of staff, students and visitors. We’ll be keeping you updated via our website and social media channels as to when we will reopen. Please follow us on Twitter @MHCentre and/or Facebook @MHCentre for further news and updates.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused and would like to thank you for your continued support at this time.

Please accept our warmest wishes in these uncertain times.

Kind regards

The Martin Harris Centre Box Office team

Music lovers are turning to the radio, the TV, their personal collections and streaming services for their classical fix in lockdown, so Guardian critics are pointing out the performances that shouldn’t be missed while concert halls and venues remain closed.

Quatuor Danel is celebrating 15 seasons of residency at the Martin Harris Centre, where they have been delighting audiences for years with performances by the greats, as well as pieces composed especially for them.

The Guardian’s Rhian Evans alights on their Austrian programme featuring Mozart’s Adagio and Fugue, K546, as a must-listen right now. The performance also includes Neuwirth's Hadal Akroate, Haydns Op 20, No 5 and Beethoven’s Op 132.

Music lovers can experience this ‘highly focused and intense performance’ via the Philharmonie de Paris website now.

In light of the developing situation around COVID-19 and the Government’s latest advice, we have taken the decision to cancel all events at the Martin Harris until Tuesday 30 June 2020.

Box office sales (by phone and in person) were suspended with immediate effect from Tuesday 17 March. If you have purchased a ticket, you will be issued a full refund when services are resumed. Refunds for online ticket purchases will be issued directly to the customer by Quaytickets.

We will continue to monitor the updated advice from the NHS and Public Health England and will continue to review future events to ensure the health and safety of staff, students and visitors.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your continued support at this time.

We’ll be keeping you updated via our website and social media channels as to when we will reopen, and we look forward to seeing you all again soon.

In light of the developing situation around COVID-19 and the Government’s latest advice for people to avoid non-essential contact, we have taken the decision to postpone all events at the Martin Harris Centre. Due to the rapidly evolving nature of the situation, we don’t know yet how long this will last but this will be at least until the end of March 2020.

The health and wellbeing of our audiences is of the utmost importance to us, and this decision has been taken in line with The University of Manchester’s move towards online teaching from Monday 16 March.

Box office sales (by phone and in person) are suspended with immediate effect. Patrons who have purchased a ticket will be issued a full refund when services are resumed.

We will continue to monitor the updated advice from the NHS and Public Health England and will review future events, to ensure the health and safety of staff, students and visitors.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your continued support at this time.

The Californian Century has been an exciting, year-long project and commission for Radio 4, which has delved into the alternative history and stories of the people that made California - from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood to the digital creativities of Silicon Valley.

With series producer Laurence Grissell, Ian researched the project for a year, co-writing the scripts and travelling to California in January to gather exclusive interviews and materials and developing interviews for the programme.

An article from Ian will be available very soon in the BBC World Histories Magazine.

You can listen to the series, which is narrated by actor Stanley Tucci, on BBC Sounds.

The season launches with a free concert as part of the Walter Carroll Lunchtime Concert Series, with jazz pianist, Tom Hewson performing original music from Essence, his latest album made inside the Bösendorfer piano factory in Vienna. There are a variety of free Thursday lunchtime concerts taking place including Gamelan from West Java and Black Voices - an all-female a-Capella collective who are celebrated worldwide for their stunning voices.

We are thrilled to be hosting COMA Fest, Contemporary Music for all Festival in March. This festival will include a variety of workshops and rehearsals and will culminate in an evening concert. Find out more here.

We look forward to seeing you at our ‘Literature Live’ events in partnership with Manchester Literature Festival, Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester. We have the pleasure of hosting readings with some of the most accomplished writers around today in venues across the city. These writers include Isabel Allende, Frances Leviston, Jessica Moor, Emma Jane Unsworth and Peter Gizzi.

Our Manchester University Music Society (MUMS) is back with a variety of concerts including their 4-day thrilling music festival – ‘Estival’, showcasing everything from Symphony Orchestra and Big Band to Wind Orchestra and Music Outreach, including the popular summer sing-a-long relaxed performance. Other MUMS performances include the Musica Festival and a special performance from the University of Manchester Chorus and Symphony Orchestra, performing at the Bridgewater Hall in May for the first time since 2009.

Our resident String Quartet Quatuor Danel continue their fifteenth season at the University with their mesmerising evening and lunchtime concerts. They continue to perform concerts based around the three areas central to the quartet’s growing international fame. In March they will be holding the Quatuor Danel Open House Weekend, a music-making opportunity which will feature coaching by individual members of the Quatuor Danel and Professor David Fanning.

These are just a few of the highlights that barely touch the surface of the incredible talent and diverse events on offer. Don't forget the handy tear-out events guide at the back of this brochure, which provides all of our events in date order. You can also visit our website for the full programme and up-to-date event information and to book: www.manchester.ac.uk/mhc

The spring season is now on sale and you can purchase tickets either online or in person at Martin Harris Centre Box Office from Monday 13 January, or call 0161 275 8951 (opening times 12.30-2.30pm).

These are just a few highlights, to see the full programme, download our brochure now:

· Martin Harris Centre Spring 2020 brochure (PDF)

· View the Spring 2020 brochure online with Issuu

· Go to our What’s on page

We look forward to welcoming you to the Martin Harris Centre during the forthcoming season.

2019-2020 season has been described by Robert Guy as his ‘most adventurous season yet with Chorus’, and the season will be off to a flying start with a performance of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, which was described by Beethoven himself as his ‘greatest work’.

Barry Cooper is a world-leading expert on Beethoven who has recently published a new critical edition of this masterpiece. This will be the first performance of this new edition, which contains a number of significant changes. He states his ‘edition restores Beethoven’s intentions.’

"My chief aim," wrote Beethoven, "was to awaken religious feelings and make them endure, as much in the singers as in the listeners". Perhaps his aim will be fulfilled at the concert on 30 November?

To find out more, and to book please click here: http://events.manchester.ac.uk/event/event:x8r-jz3wdvcp-523wvn

Shining a light on these placements and this special partnership, Creative Manchester has made a new film which documents the students’ own journeys. Featuring members of the MIF team, University staff and the students themselves.

As part of their placement, the students were part of the team that made Rimini Protokoll’s Utopolis Manchester city-spanning event a success, coordinating groups of festival-goers across Manchester to take in sounds and voices across an array of secret venues.

Working alongside established artists and field-leading technicians, the students helped build the audio system for the event, contributed to voiceovers and wrote the music which accompanied festival-goers on their journey.

The University of Manchester and Manchester International Festival enjoy a fruitful partnership. In recent years, it has provided festival volunteers, student placements through our Arts Management MA, and graduates who now have full-time roles at the city’s biennial international arts celebration.

Watch the film here.

Cara Looij, who graduated in 2018, took home the Young Creative of the Year award at the event, and was selected from a shortlist of five inspiring people aged 25 and under.

Cara is co-founder and curator of the multimedia arts platform (In)sane MCR, which provides a platform for discussion on mental health in a creative space.

Now in their second year, the Manchester Culture Awards took place on 9 November 2019 and recognised the people, projects and events that are pushing creativity in the city, promoting heritage, art, music, theatre and performance, film, literature, digital art, photography and craft.

The Notes app encourages concert-goers to break convention and leave their smartphones on during performances, sending subscribers timely notifications about the music they are listening to, providing insights on the arrangements, the symbolism and the story behind the concert as it happens.

Prof Philip Grange, of The University of Manchester’s Department of Music, is part of this new wave of musical interpretation, having penned the notes to accompany the world premiere of his Violin Concerto on 2 November 2019 at The Bridgewater Hall.

“The idea is that you're encouraging people who want to learn more [about classical music] and if it gets more people into the concert halls, then that's absolutely a good thing,” he said.

Prof Grange’s 25-minute concerto featured some 50 notes sent out at appropriate moments to audience members at intervals of no more than three minutes apart, including narrative and technical content.

Notes users are seated in a specific section of the concert venue by way of purchasing a special Notes ticket, so as not to disturb other concert-goers.

The CNW is a proud co-host and co-curator of the Festival, overseeing activities such as the official launch at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel, where Professor of New Writing Jeanette Winterson addressed attendees, who were treated to a live poetry reading by Hafsah Aneela Bashir.

Poetry is central to the CNW’s mission, with several poetry events peppering the Festival programme. On October 7, there was an intimate reading at Blackwell’s bookshop with two poets whose 2019 debut collections were both shortlisted for this year’s Forward Prize for Best First Collection, Isabel Galleymore and Stephen Sexton. On 21 October, three internationally-acclaimed poets read from their latest works at the Martin Harris Centre. Ilya Kaminsky and Karen Solie read from Deaf Republic and The Caiplie Caves respectively, while Vona Groarke launched her new collection, Double Negative.

This year’s outing of the Festival also welcomed some of the world’s foremost novelists to Manchester. At the Martin Harris Centre on 4 October author David Nicholls (One Day, Us, Starter for Ten) discussed his new novel Sweet Sorrow. The following day, Jeanette Winterson performed an entertaining one-woman show at the Royal Northern College of Music, based on her latest novel Frankissstein - a 21^st-century response to Mary Shelley’s classic text - which was longlisted for the Booker Prize.

Celebrating 100 years of Deaf Education, Dame Evelyn Glennie, the pre-eminent solo percussionist, led five percussion students from the Music Department in a two-hour masterclass hosted by the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures in association with the Audiology Department.

The performances ranged from solo tambourine, to 5-octave marimba, to a large drum kit set-up with electronic sounds, and even a student’s own new composition.

Dame Evelyn has been profoundly deaf since the age of 12 and developed a holistic way of listening to and making music, going beyond the printed score to engage more directly with people and the spaces they occupy when listening to music.

“Evelyn brought out extra nuance and colour throughout the class, which was attended by over 150 people from the university community,” said Dr Kevin Malone, Reader in Composition.

The event is part of a series of centenary celebrations of Deaf Education and Audiology at The University of Manchester, and is sponsored by Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness (UoM), Starkey Hearing Technologies, Institute for Cultural Practices (UoM), and the Department of Music (UoM).

Evelyn has been profoundly deaf since the age of 12. Her TEDx talk explains how she hears with different parts of the body.

"In today’s society listening is undervalued, which leads to poor communication. Evelyn’s unique insight shows us that listening is about more than just hearing; it is about engaging, empowering, inspiring and creating bonds. True listening is a holistic act,” her website states.

Places are free, but to ensure there are enough seats, please email Dr Kevin Malone at kevin.malone@manchester.ac.uk with your name and the number of persons you wish to bring including yourself. (There will be one short break around 3pm for those who must leave before the event concludes at 4pm.)

An exciting and diverse programme of events across drama, literature and music awaits every kind of audience, with tickets now on sale.

To mark the 70^th birthday of John Casken, one of the UK’s best-loved living composers, his music will be featured in the musical programme for the new season.

The Manchester University Music Society (MUMS) returns with a variety of concerts including a lunchtime performance as part of New Music Manchester Festival – a special edition featuring newly created compositions by students at the University of Manchester. This concert is organised under the umbrella of the New Music Manchester Festival under the theme ‘Displacement’ and as part of a long-standing collaboration with the RNCM.

The Walter Carroll Lunchtime Concerts will return to Thursday lunchtimes, which take place at 1.10pm and are free to attend. This year the Martin Harris Centre promises a fantastic line-up of unique performers including flautist, Noemi Gyori and soprano, Gweneth Ann Rand.

In addition, chamber music at its most exhilarating and intimate will be performed by the Quatuor Danel for their 15th season at the University for what promises to be a magnificent and memorable musical experience.

The Martin Harris Centre will be hosting a full programme of Literature Live events in partnership with Manchester Literature Festival, Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester. The autumn programme includes some of the most accomplished writers around today in venues across the city, including Jeanette Winterson, David Nicholls, Jonathan Safran Foer, Paul Muldoon, Alice Oswald and Hanif Kureishi.

Tickets for the autumn 2019 season are now on sale and can be purchased online via Quaytickets, in person or by calling the Martin Harris Centre Box Office (during opening times 12.30-2.30pm).

To download the Martin Harris Centre autumn 2019 brochure, click here for a PDF, or click here for ISSUU.

The Relaxed Performance is masterminded with inclusivity as a priority. Staged more informally than other events, the performance encourages those who might be put off from attending performances like these such as visitors with young children and babies, those with dementia and those who are differently-abled, and features family-friendly tunes such as ‘Let it Go’ from Frozen and ‘Consider Yourself’ from Oliver.

This year’s event took place on 7 June 2019 and was well attended by parents with young children, who were able to meet the musicians and get a closer look at their musical instrument, while youngsters were encouraged to join in with their own instruments, or clap hands and jangle keys to the music. Freedom to move around the Centre was allowed visitors to come and go as they wished, and to move around the space freely.

The artists who brought their talents to the Relaxed Performance are all students at the University of Manchester and are members of the Manchester University Music Society, participating in public performances throughout the year.

Visitors were vocal in their appreciation of the event, which was held as part of the Martin Harris Centre’s ongoing campaign to become a more accessible arts venue and part of the University’s wider social responsibility goals.