Manchester 2007

When one thinks of the PR industry it is not uncommon to envisage smartly dressed women holding lunchoen meetings in top London cafes and restaurants. But following a rise in creative companies based in the North, PR should no longer be solely associated with the capital.

Manchester is slowly building for itself a reputation for being a hub of creative talent, with many local companies becoming top players in media services. Manchester’s superiority within the creative media industry can be seen through its extensive range of PR agencies. Many of which specialise in different types of PR.

City Press is one of many well known agencies in the area, which also operates from London, promising to offer strategic consultancy whilst specialising in reputation management and media relations. Brazen PR is another of Manchester’s large agencies, its expertise lies within consumer PR and it has lots of large name clients on its books. Tangerine PR seems to be Manchester’s fastest growing agency, a home-grown company, winning the 2011 CIPR Excellence award.

But, it’s not just large companies that are doing well in the city. The city also houses much smaller, or ’boutique’, agencies that claim to offer the same quality service as their larger counterparts. Ethos Public Relations is one of these smaller agencies, based in Manchester. Their focus is very much on crisis communications and corporate social responsibility, and have been known to work with some top local celebrities. Another smaller agency that is flourishing in the North West is JAMpr. Also a design consultancy, JAM has won many awards in the comparatively short time its been around, and has also worked on many national accounts.

When searching for a PR agency, whatever the requirement, it is no longer essential to look to London, as Manchester has it all.

Either if you’re a Manchester resident or simply a visitor, Manchester has many cinemas to offer. Regardless of your preference in films, Manchester is sure to have something on offer.

Everyone has a favourite common cinema brand, be it Odeon, Vue or Cineworld – each with their individual style of seating, confectionary and pricing. This city, however, has more on offer than just the usual three. There’s AMC, one of just two in the country (the other being in Birmingham), or the Cornerhouse cinema, the independent Manchester cinema, offering original and foreign films that other cinemas would not usually screen.

For standard, reliable cinematic entertainment there’s Odeon in the Printworks with an adult ticket at £8.85, Cineworld Parrs Wood at £8.00 a ticket, or the slightly more reasonably priced AMC in the Great Northern building at £6.80 per adult. AMC also offer a good range of discounts for students and members of the armed forces. Vue cinema at the Lowry, Salford is also less dear with adult tickets from £6.40.

Manchester’s Cornerhouse offers adult tickets at £7.50 for an evening performance, but again there are discounts for students and concessions with a membership option that also reduces the cost. The Corner House is a change from the regular evening out at the cinema. This week its film choices include The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975, a documentary telling the story of the US Black Power movement from the perspective of Swedish journalists at the time and Paisa, an Italian neo-realism film depicting the Italy’s World War two experiences. If it is mainstream cinema that you are after, Manchester has much on offer, although not at a bargin price. But, if you would rather spend the money on something original and different, then the Cornerhouse on Oxford Road is the perfect place.

Gorton Monastery was designed by Edward Welby Pugin during the Victorian era and is a fine example of Victorian Gothic Architecture. The purpose built building was originally a friary for a group of Franciscan Monks who settled in Manchester in 1861. However, it ceased to be used for worship in 1989 and has since had many different uses. The Monastery still acts as a sacred space for people to visit and learn about its history and architecture.

In 1997 the building was included in the 100 most Endangered Sites in the World list by the World Monuments Fund. This subsequently led to a £6 million restoration programme and in 2007 The Monastery reopened its doors as a venue for various events and performances.

The stunning building boasts a bespoke in-house catering and events service who can theme an event for up to 600 guests. The Monastery’s natural acoustics mean that it’s the perfect venue for any musical performance – particularly choral music. Songs of Praise has broadcast from the chapel along with Aled Jones’ Choir of the Year competition.

It is also a beautiful venue to hold a wedding, as both service and reception can be offered as a package. With the Archangel Garden and Cloister Space, there are plenty of superb photograph opportunities.

Although the building was helped substantially by grants donated from the Heritage Lottery Fund and The North West Development Agency amongst others, its own trust has been set up. The Monastery of St Francis and Gorton Trust seeks to gain more money from both public funding and the events that are held on the premises. There are regular tours and talks held at Gorton Monastery detailing the Franciscan’s journey to Gorton from Assisi and the ’sacred geometry’ codes that E. W. Pugin allegedly included in his architecture.

Amid an array of successful food establishments, Manchester sees regular restaurant openings with new offerings for the city. Abundantly filled with various establishments offering every kind of cuisine, Manchester is renowned for offering good grub.

One of the city’s newest contributions to the restaurant scene is Australasia. Situated just off Deansgate, it is set to be one of the best restaurants manchester has seen.

This restaurant is unique to the city in that it offers a fusion of Australian, and Asian foods with a European influence. It also holds a late license, with a bar that stays open until the early morning giving Manchester’s trendy residents a late night venue to converse in.

The selling point on the menu is sushi, but it also has a lot of other stunning dishes to choose from. All presented in a modern way, placing this restaurant at the higher end of Manchester’s market.

A sample menu includes:

Soft Shell Crab Californian Roll (£7.50)
Sashimi (£18.50)
Blackened Cod Roasted in Banana Leaf (£15.50)
Beef Fillet with Sesame, Sweet Soy and Red Chilli (£22.50)
Passion Fruit Marshmallow, roast pineapple parcels and pineapple sorbet (£7)

The prices are higher than some in Manchester, but it is good value for money and still far from London prices. For a nice meal as a celebration or for a few cocktails before a night out – or even after – Australasia is proving to be a popular venue in the city already. Although Manchester does cater for many tastes, Australasia does offer its customers something new.

Xtrax, the entertainment and festival organisers, are hosting a weekend of outdoor performances in Manchester. The company will be bringing together a wide array of street theatre, live music and dances for their upcoming event, Platform 4.

The Manchester festival is set to be even bigger than before as Xtrax have been able to book a large volume of acts from around the UK and Europe. The great amount of performances this year means that Platform 4 will be taking place in all the central area within Manchester. Piccadilly Gardens, St Ann’s Square and New Cathedral Street are going to be filled with street theatre and dance during Saturday and Sunday daytime.

Contact Young Actors Company, the Manchester theatrical troupe, will be putting on an outdoor performance during the weekend. The group will be showing their modern audience an old-fashioned medicine show full of mystical machines and visual treats. Another top attraction is ‘Chutney on the Street!’ where the cast of London’s successful Bombay Dreams will be singing and dancing to soca guitars and percussion.

Platform 4 continues into the night time hours at the Castlefield Arena. Friday and Saturday nights are going to have a real party atmosphere as live music and dancing will fill the arena. You can also watch top acrobats perform breathtaking circus skills and aerial shows around the streets of Castlefield. One of the main evening attractions is As the World Tipped by the Wired Aerial Theatre. Nigel Jamieson, the company director, has composed a piece where aerial performers tell the tale of the current ecological crisis.

Platform 4 will be taking place between Friday 19th and Sunday 21st August and all the performances are free of charge. You can learn more about Platform 4’s times and performances at the Xtrax Facebook page.

The Manchester Picnic is back following its highly successful first year. The 2010 event enticed people from all around the UK with its culinary delights and live entertainment. The picnic is set to be even bigger this year as there will be a wider variety of food stalls, family competitions and celebrity guest appearances.

Manchester Picnic will take place in Piccadilly Gardens between Friday 5th and Sunday 7th of August. The central area is going to be transformed from its usual appearance into a mini festival. There will be marquees and stalls containing a wide array of cuisines taking the place of any usual sights. The Gourmet Gastro garden is set to be popular part of the picnic as people can enjoy quality dishes from the top restaurants in Manchester. There will also be a barbeque smoking away all weekend, a spicy Paella cooking on a traditional pan dish and a crackling hog roast. You can also snack on cream teas and the handmade ice cream which will be served from an old fashioned ice cream van.

For those who are going to Manchester Picnic with young children, the family oasis serves foods which all age groups should enjoy. There is also the teddy bears picnic on the Sunday where Baby Ballet’s Twinkle the Bear will be making a special appearance. The main event of the weekend will be when UKTV’s Monster Munchies film at the festival. The programme’s host, Matt Dawson, is going to be looking in the crowds for people to partake in a giant spring roll competition.

The charity, Forever Manchester, will also be getting involved in the Manchester Picnic. The charity has gained plenty of good publicity and many charitable donations since its successful online campaign with Manchester digital agency, Juice Digital. Fundraisers will be setting up a stall selling a wide variety of local and homemade foods. The charity is also going to be hosting competitions throughout the weekend with a range of prizes for winners. There will also be some secret special guests at the Forever Manchester stall so try and spot them during your visit to the Manchester Picnic.

Ben and Jerry’s annual Sundae On The Common event, held on London’s Clapham Common is heading up north to spread its ice-cream love.

Renamed Sundae In The Park, the northern equivalent sees Ben and Jerry’s host a music event in Manchester’s Heaton Park. The two day event starts on Saturday 23rd July and tickets are priced at £17. British alternative rock band, Maximo Park will be headlining at the occasion, with Gary Numan, Duke & King, and Sound of Rum also making appearances.

This is the first time that the Ben and Jerry’s festival has come to Manchester, having run for 7 consecutive years in London. The weekend is packed with fun activities, in laid-back surroundings, with plenty of free ice-cream.

Ben and Jerry’s work closely with the Fairtrade organisation, promoting ethical food production. Other partners of the festival include Nordoff Robbins, RSPCA, Solar Aid and Cards from Africa. Xfm are also working in collaboration with the event.

In preparation for the festival, the team at Ben and Jerry’s have been using social media to help find an extra act to perform. They asked budding bands from across the UK to enter their competition, which saw a panel judge the entries leaving just four finalists for the public to deliberate over. The two Manchester finalists are: Rescue The Eskimo and The Spiels – fans can vote for their favourite via the Ben and Jerry’s website.

Tickets for both the London and Manchester events are available on the website; there’s also a list of all the delicious ice-creams that will be available to try.

Whatever your flavour, the vast and varied offerings from Manchester restaurants mean no one leaves the city feeling under indulged.

The Northern Quarter’s latest contribution secures this fact further. Home Sweet Home is a gourmet bakehouse and coffee bar on Edge Street, next to Common. From the owners of Socio Rehab, this coffee bar that opens late into the evening positions itself as Manchester’s first dessert restaurant.

They promise home comfort foods and over the top indulgent delights, all freshly prepared. Although there are delicious meals and lunchtime snacks on offer, the main focus is on the cakes and shakes. The idea is that people can go out to dinner and if they don’t fancy the desserts on offer they can pop ‘HomeSweetHome’ for a sweet treat; they even serve cocktails.

The popular northern area of the city is home to many independent food establishments, but this offers something quite original. When stepping into the coffee house one instantly feels at home. The attentive staff are willing to accommodate for any requirements; they offer soya alternatives to their milkshakes and are soon to be selling gluten-free cakes.

‘Manchester is the beating cultural heart of Britain’ The Observer, July 2007

Manchester International Festival (MIF) is a biennial arts and culture festival, which sees the City being taken over by events and exhibitions presenting current artistic talent from across the spectrum. This year’s festival starts on 30 June and culminates 17 July. It is a registered charity with funding from the public and private sectors, whilst also gaining income from ticket sales.

MIF is a chance for established artists and co-producers to perform and display new works from a variety of platforms including theatre, visual arts, dance, music and popular culture. In 2009 twenty world premieres were featured at the festival and ran for several performances across the Festival, allowing more opportunities for audiences to experience them. Over 230,000 people attended events at that festival.

The events take place across the whole city with some free event s being staged in public spaces such as the Town Hall and Manchester Peace Gardens. In addition to this many performances will be held at the city’s established performance arenas such as The Lowry, The Bridgewater Hall, the Opera House and pieces will be displayed in Manchester’s many art galleries.

The beauty of the festival is that it is an opportunity for the City to host a varying array of artists from all genres and fields of creativity. Snoop Dogg will be performing amongst artists such as Bjork and Sinead O’Connor. Comedians will also be showing new material with offerings from Victoria Wood and Jonny Vegas. Visitors will be able to attend free of charge an event named ‘sacred sites’ where five highly recognised performers of sacred song will perform in sites of worship across the city.

The festival, running across two weeks is a great opportunity for people living in the city or people wanting to visit the city to experience some of the most talented artists and original works.

As summer approaches many families begin looking for North West days out and things to do in and around the region. The six week summer holiday can be a large amount of time to fill and keep young children occupied. Luckily for northern families there are a great deal of activities and things to do in the North West.

For Merseyside families they don’t even need to travel too far in order to take part in great events for the whole family. The Crosby Lakeside adventure centre is based on the coast in the Merseyside area of Waterloo. It’s easily accessible by road and rail alike and proves a perfect day out for families of all ages. If visitors are coming from further afield, in search of a break away there is accommodation available in the contemporary Lodge. If a day out extends into the evening, there is a Bistro on site where visitors can experience fine food while relaxing.

The activity centre has lots to offer with an array of water sports available. Visitors can use the lake to waterski, windsurf, sail, powerboat and canoe. In addition to these regular activities there are also special events held at the centre, encouraging families to be active and get involved in energetic pursuits. Such events include a Dualathalon, which sees families and children of all ages competing in the areas of cycling and running.

The centre makes a great day out for families, but if visitors do choose to stay at the Lodge there are a great many days out around the surrounding North West area. With the nearby seaside resort of Southport and both coast and countryside just a stone’s throw away, there’s never a dull moment during a break away in the North West.