June 2009

Culture in the square
If you fancy a bit of culture on the cheap, you can enjoy The Royal Ballet via the BP Summer Big Screen in Manchester’s Exchange Square. On June 3rd, Ondine will be featured at 7.30pm, and on June 30th La Traviata will kick into action at 7pm. The square has its own stone seating but you might want to take a comfy cushion or blanket, as well as a picnic, although alcohol is not permitted. For more information go to www.roh.org.uk/bpbigscreens

Hot chicks
Also on the big screen at Exchange Square until July 5th, you can keep a beady eye on Manchester’s peregrine falcons and follow the chicks from hatching to fledgling. A new over-the-nest camera will relay all the action from their secret city centre nest onto the Big Screen and the RSPB team in the square will be on hand with binoculars and telescopes to help you see the peregrines as they fly around the city. Keep up to date with the peregrine diary blog at
www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/nature

Dead good
And from beautiful chicks to, er, dead ones. This is bird spotting at its simplest. Until August 1st, the Manchester Craft and Design Centre in the Northern Quarter will be displaying a collection of handmade lifesize ceramic dead birds. It may sound a bit out-there but the birds represent the time when the artist’s mother looked after her uncle’s birds, but left the gas stove on and killed all of them. We’ve all been there. Despite the tragic nature of the tale, there is an element of humour and Eve Bennett’s creations celebrate both the living and the dead. www.craftanddesign.com

Picnic by the lake
FEAST! Picnic by the Lake promises 'a weekend of free delights from the improbable to the impossible'. There will be an Indian circus, a fire-blazing tango, acrobatics, comedy, and the chance to dance along with rhythms from Egypt and Eastern Europe, alongside local community performances, games and workshops. On June 5th it will be 7.30pm-11pm, June 6th 2pm-11pm, and June 7th 1pm-6pm. All the excitement will take place at Platt Fields Park in Rusholme. A full programme is available for £1 and car parking is available on Platt Lane for £3 per car. www.streetsahead.org.uk

Local artistry
The Lowry Theatre in Salford Quays is celebrating the work of its namesake this year with a special exhibition. LS Lowry is one of Britain’s favourite artists, and has a special place in the heart of Mancunians. There are always paintings and drawings within the Lowry Favourites gallery but new additions on loan from public and private collections around the country make this exhibition a little different. It runs until the end of the year so a good option for a rainy summer’s day and then you can always head into the designer outlet next door. For more information go to www.thelowry.com

Armed Forces Day
June 27th will see the first ever national Armed Forces Day honouring the outstanding contribution made by current members of the Armed Forces and by veterans of all ages. So if you know an armed forces veteran, or have friends in the forces, Manchester will be showing its appreciation for them with a variety of offers including free rides on the Manchester Wheel and food and drink discounts across restaurants including the Moet bar at Selfridges. For more information email Ian Hyde at cex-marketing@manchester.gov.uk.

Nosey around the MoSI
One of the special exhibitions at the Museum of Science and Industry this summer is Visions of China. In conjunction with the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Manchester, the Liverpool Road, museum presents images of China old and new. Admire images of spectacular countryside and the feats of engineering behind modern Hong Kong and Shanghai. The exhibition celebrates the new partnership between MOSI and the China Museum of Science and Technology in Beijing. www.mosi.org.uk