Museums and galleries across Salford will come alive tonight for live music and spoken word performances as part of Manchester After Hours 2016.
The idea behind the free, one-night-only festival on Thursday 12 May, is to let people into spaces not normally open “after hours”.
Taking part are Salford’s wonderful Working Class Movement Library, alternative arts and music venue Islington Mill and the city’s cultural flagship, the Salford Museum and Art Gallery on the Crescent.
Together the three institutions are flying the flag for Salford, offering up unusual locations for live performances.
The night starts from 5pm onwards at the Working Class Movement Library with the focus on poems and short stories from Salford’s own spoken word/poetry collective who’ll perform on the staircase at the library’s grand entrance.
On the bill are Louise Woodcock, Sue Fox, Bob Clowrey, Lauren Bolger, Alex Cook, Rachel Margettes and Rebecca Hurst.
Steep Soda are running a temperance bar; in keeping with the ethics of the library there”ll be no alcohol served.
Library manager Lynette Cawthra told SalfordOnline.com she hoped the night’s weird and wonderful events would inspire new audiences to spend time in these grand and beautiful institutions.
“We’ve told them that the dragons that guard the Irwell have been caged for the night,” Lynette joked.
“It’s safe to come into Salford and try out something new!”
“There are amazing acoustics in the library and we have lots of words here so these artists will be bringing the words to life.
It promises to be an outstanding evening for everybody.
After 7pm the audience will be led across the road to Salford Museum & Art Gallery where they will spend the rest of the evening. Islington Mill will produce a live music programme, and there will be a bar serving alcohol and other refreshments.
There’s Manchester trip hop blues from Bernard & Edith, psychedelia, poetic folk, blues and gospel from LA’s Guy Blakeslee and up and coming dream popper Be To Get Her, the alias of Kate Coultas.
It’s all free, so get on down the Library, on the Crescent, from 5pm with performances starting at 5.30pm, then at the Salford Museum and Art Gallery
doors are at 7pm, Be to get her start at 7.45pm, and Bernard & Edith close the show at 9.15pm.
Dragon design by Chatterfox
