Still looking for that elusive gift? Why not support local businesses by making a purchase in one of the Northern Quarter's many independent stores and boutiques. Homewares, breads & cards at Fig and Sparrow A pared-down range of copper, glass, textiles and ceramics to buy. If you're into the Kinfolk magazine look, this is the one. 20 Oldham Street, Manchester M1 1JA. Tel: 0161 228 1843, 2.

Necklaces, lamps, teddies & giftwrap galore at Oklahoma (pictured) The Northern Quarter's most colourful gift shop stocks a quirky array that takes in everything from cult US cookbooks to handmade jewellery by local artists such as Aliyah Hussain. Other treats include ceramic lamps, blinds and teddies from JellyCat.

4-76 High Street, Manchester M4 1ES. Tel: 0161 834 1136, 3. Shaving kit, pencils, satchels & time pieces at Deadstock This alteration shop sells everything a dapper lady or gent could desire in terms of grooming products, and useful objects to have about your person. Perfectly designed watches, satchels, pens and notepads abound and there's a range of lanterns, candles and dustpans to enjoy too. Functional objects become must buys in this enclave of times gone.

STOCKHOLM LABEL GROUP Box 20505, 161 02 Bromma, Sweden Tel +46 (8) 629 68 00 Fax +46 (8) 627 08 64 international@slg.polygram.se Feel the Swedish steel) The new ultimate 400 page reference guide to the heavier side of the Swedish market! Large format deluxe edition with an exclusive bonus CD! The Unsigned Guide UK Edition at AbeBooks.co.uk - ISBN 10: - ISBN 13: 136 - mcr - 2006 - Softcover.

46 Edge Street, Manchester M4 1HN. Stationary, art materials, jewels & new hobbies at Fred Aldous There's much to enjoy at Manchester's most famous artist's supplies store. Choose from tools and materials for all manner of hobbies from cross stitch to street art, as well as a bumper range of gifts, wrapping papers, cards, diaries, games and more.

37 Lever Street, Manchester M1 1LW. Tel: 0161 236 4224, 5. Homewares and Breton tees at Ezra to Go Did you know that Northern Quarter coffee shop, Ezra and Gil has a homeware and clothing shop and cafe on Tib Street? 106 Tib Street, Manchester M4 1LR Shopping is hard work, of course, and Tib Street's new Siop Shop cafe is selling coffee and a home made mince pie doughnut for £4.20 (one of our recent ).

Artwork is available to buy in store too, from artists including Textbook Studio, Dr. Don’t miss out on an epic New Year's Eve weekender running from Saturday 30 December into New Year's Day with The Closing Party courtesy of Manchester's The Warehouse Project. Tickets are now on sale for the season's final shows featuring the likes of Danny Tenaglia, A Guy Called Gerald and The Black Madonna. From house music to UK garage to classic techno, the party marathon climaxes with a rafter-shaking New Year’s Day. Book now, or spend 2018 gutted about missing out. Sat 30 Dec: The Hacienda ft.

Danny Tenaglia, A Guy Called Gerald & more The Hacienda will be rebuilt for one night only with an all-star DJ Saturday on December 30. Brooklyn disc spinner Danny Tenaglia heads a glittering US line-up alongside house legend Todd Terry and Detroit techno king Kevin Maurice Saunderson. They will be joined by bonafide Hacienda names including Graeme Park, Greg Wilson, Jon Dasilva and Danny Rampling. Expect an appearance from ‘Voodoo Ray’ veteran A Guy Called Gerald and low-slung bass peddler Peter Hook. Sat 30 Dec, The Warehouse Project, Store Street, Manchester M1 2WA. 8pm–5am, £29.50, Sun 31 Dec: New Year's Eve ft. Hannah Wants, Disciples & more See off 2017 in style when the best of British leads a blistering bass music line-up on New Year's Eve.

Former soccer player Hannah Wants will bring raw rave vibes, Calvin Harris collaborators Disciples will sprinkle their house music with soul, and garage duo Bondax will be full of council estate cool. You’ll also get a chance to see Rinse FM’s Low Steppa, whose remix of Route 94’s ‘My Love’ lit up dancefloors across the world. Sun 31 Dec, The Warehouse Project, Store Street, Manchester M1 2WA. 8pm–5am, £45, Mon 1 Jan: The Closing Party ft. Bicep, The Black Madonna, Midland & more Want to keep the vibe strong into 2018? WHP’s 12-hour Closing Party showcases the biggest names in dance music.

Belfast duo Bicep return to Store Street for a set of sparkling electronica. Mixmag’s DJ of the Year The Black Madonna will crate-dig her favourite tunes, and expect roof-raisers from Motor City Drum Ensemble. Along with Midland, Shanti Celeste and Lone, plenty more names will bid a final farewell to Manchester’s unique clubbing project.

Mon 1 Jan, The Warehouse Project, Store Street, Manchester M1 2WA. 5pm–5am, £45.

Look beyond the panto dames for brilliant Christmas entertainment in Manchester. We’ve picked the coolest yuletide happenings this December, from family entertainment that will delight the little ones, to cultural treats for those who are perhaps too old to sit on Santa’s knee. Apocalypse Harry Lorayne Pdf Files. Fill your stocking with tickets now before they sell out.

Check individual venues for family tickets and relaxed shows. Manchester Collective: The End of Time Discover a stirring seasonal experience as the Manchester Collective presents Messiaen’s ‘Quartet for the End of Time’.

The French composer wrote this while interred by the Nazis and premiered the piece to prisoners and guards in the pouring rain. This evening of rich chamber music also features music by Ravel and Stravinsky. Sat 2 Dec, The Stoller Hall, Hunts Bank, Manchester M3 1DA.

Tel: 0333 130 0967 (Mon-Fri, 2-4pm), 8pm, £12, Cinderella (Cendrillon) You shall go to the ball with Jules Massenet’s operatic take on the classic fairytale Cinderella. ‘Cendrillon’ features the RNCM Chorus and is sung in French, with a strong emphasis on comedy, drama and even sarcasm. As with other RNCM events, there are discounts for group bookings. Wed 6 Dec - Sat 16 Dec, Royal Northern College of Music, 124 Oxford Rd, Manchester M13 9RD. Tel: 0161 907 5200, 7.30pm, £21 – £34, Red Riding Hood and the Wolf Wow!

Said the Owl was such a big hit last year, Little Angel Theatre return with a story about a gentle wolf with a broken heart. Bring the whole family to hear the wolf’s side of the classic Red Riding Hood tale. He won’t gobble you up. Thu 7 Dec – Sat 30 Dec (excl Sun, Mon & boxing day), HOME, 2 Tony Wilson Place, Manchester, M15 4FN. Tel: 0161 200 1500, 10.30am & 1.30pm, £8.50, Manchester Festive Happening: A Gospel Christmas Manchester Camerata will raise the roof with the AMC Gospel Choir in the majestic converted Wesleyan chapel, Albert Hall. Tuck into mince pies and mulled wine to the heavenly strains of ‘Handel’s Soulful Messiah’ while classic Christmas carols are liberally sprinkled with uplifting gospel music.

Sun 10 Dec, Albert Hall, 27 Peter Street, Manchester, M2 5QR. Tel: 0161 817 3490, 3pm, £22 – £38.50, Christmas No.1 (POP) Singalong! If you missed him on The One Show, don’t forget to catch The Rainer Hersch Orkestra for a rip-roaring ride through Christmas number one singles.

This family show is a fully interactive affair, as you clap, stamp and sing along to ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘Jingle Bells’ and more. Mon 18 Dec, The Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley St, Manchester M2 3WS.

Tel: 0161 907 9000, 7.30pm, £17 – £35. There’s a revolution brewing at John Rylands Library on Deansgate. 500 years after Martin Luther posted his ninety-five theses on a Wittenberg church door, a new exhibition explores The Reformation, the religious schism that defined Europe for centuries to come. The turbulence sparked by Luther’s actions prompted William Tyndale to start translating the Bible into English – a revolutionary threat to the established Church and State as Protestant Christianity took hold. In response, the zealous Henry VIII was made “Defender of the Faith”, a title which remains today. The John Rylands exhibition is a treat for religious history fans, who are invited to explore the roles of Luther, Tyndale and Henry, and the resulting propaganda war through print distribution and rare religious tracts. Thu 7 Sep 2017 – Sun 4 Mar 2018, The John Rylands Library, 150 Deansgate, Manchester M3 3EH.

Tel: 0161 306 0555, Sun–Mon 12pm–5pm, Tue–Sat 10am–5pm, FREE, Image: King Henry VIII. Courtesy of The John Rylands Library. Brett Anderson, lead singer of British indie band Suede, will appear in conversation at the Dancehouse as part of Manchester Literature Festival in March 2018. The cult figure who emerged from London's Brit Pop scene will be talking about his forthcoming memoir, Coal Black Mornings. As a child growing up in Hayward’s Heath, just south of the capital, Anderson was deeply into art and music as well as being obsessed with the likes of David Bowie, The Smiths and The Fall. He channelled these passions into his role as lead singer of the band Suede. A contemporary of Jarvis Cocker and Damon Albarn, Anderson subverted the trappings of masculinity which were prevalent at the time and, together with Suede guitarist and co-writer, Bernard Butler, created acclaimed albums such as Suede (1993) and Dog Man Star (1994).

His personal life was no less colourful: he dated Justine Frischmann of Elastica in the 1990s before she went out with Albarn and developed - and kicked - a major drug habit. He has gone on to work with an ever changing line up of musicians, both as part of Suede and on various side and solo projects. Anderson will be in conversation with Adelle Stripe (author of Black Teeth and A Brilliant Smile). Tickets are on sale to Literature Festival members now, and go on general sale on Monday 11 December. For more arts and culture events in Manchester and the surrounding area, click. So Far From The Bamboo Grove Pdf there. Wed 28 Mar, The Dancehouse, 10A Oxford Road, Manchester M1 5QA.

Tel: 0161 237 9753, 7.30pm, £10, or £24 with a copy of the book. The fourth installment of the Winter Market sets up in the idyllic Ivy Church in Didsbury for their latest Christmas pop up. There'll be the usual ornate artisanal finds from stall holders as well as a host of street food traders and beverage makers to keep you warmed plus there's a wreath making course that is filling up fast. The real draw though is the genuine reindeer that will be making an appearance.

Nothing says Christmas quite like Lapland's favourite magic sled pullers so make sure you get down to the Ivy in Didsbury to get in the festive spirit. Sat 9 Dec, Ivy Church, 97 Barlow Moor Rd, Didsbury, Manchester M20 2GP. Shhark Comedy Hold Fast Mon 4 Dec 8pm £2 Canadian comic Evan Desmarais hosts a new night of new comedy. Splitting the night between new voices and new material Evan invites 5 pro comics to perform 10 minutes of whatever it is they might be working on followed by an ‘open mic’ of sorts when those looking to get extra stage time can sign up and hone their tight five. A bold move to be going up against the Frog & Bucket’s flagship new act night ‘Beat The Frog’ but the cosy room at the back of NQ basement bar Hold Fast + the promise of more established comics should set them apart. The more the merrier. Lou Sanders The Bread Shed Tue 5 Dec 7.30pm £5/3 XS Malarkey shows no signs of slowing down before the end of the year as they start December with a great line up headed by the surreal musings of Lou Sanders.

High on self confidence and no shortage of top banter Lou Sanders is always a treat, tonight she’ll be supported by Bisha K Ali (fresh off the back of exposing a bizarre identity theft from a Canadian public arts commission (seriously mate, look it up), Amy Annette and Claire Keegan. Ably held together by the madcap meanderings of XS host Toby Hadoke go check out why they are continually thought of as the best comedy club in the North. Crimes Against Hilarity The Peer Hat Thu 7 Dec 8pm £3.50 The people behind the great comedy snafu are hosting a night of Christmas laughs with some help from the premier meat based Yorkshire comedy duo in The Delightful Sausage. The sausage pair of Chris Cantrill and Amy Gledhill can look fondly back on 2017 where they had a superb Edinburgh show well received by critics and audiences alike and set sights on an even bigger 2018 where they have their 1 st show being released on NextUp and a run at the comedy mecca of the Soho Theatre. Go see them whilst they’re still playing lovely little gigs like this. Benjamin Clementine Mon 4 Dec O2 Ritz £18.50 Experimental poet/singer songwriter with new music since his 2015 Mercury Music Prize winning debut At Least For Now.

See our full preview. Confidence Man Tue 5 Dec Deaf Institute £10 Dance punk four-piece hailing from Australia whose sound is reminiscent of LCD Soundsystem. Willie J Healey Wed 6 Dec Jimmy's £6 Lo-fi/surfer rock artist who recently released debut album People and Their Dogs. Abbatoir Blues Thu 7 Dec Castle Hotel £6 Brighton group with garage/punk rock sounds that are complimented by gravelly vocals.

The Orielles Fri 8 Dec Deaf Institute £7.50 Jangling, funky indie from the West Yorkshire trio. Bloody Knees Sat 9 Dec Night & Day £5 Noisy punks from Australia. Psycho Comedy Mon 27 Nov Eagle Inn £3 Liverpudlian experimental group blending together punk, garage and drone. Jesca Hoop Tue 28 Nov The Stoller Hall £15 Singer songwriter with experimental folk, rock and electronic sounds, whose early mentor was Tom Waits.

Songhoy Blues Wed 29 Nov Manchester Academy 2 £14.50 Malian desert blues band with often politically-charged lyrics. Jane Weaver Thu 30 Nov 02 Ritz £13.50 Label boss of Bird Records delivering psych folk/pop. Pumarosa Fri 1 Dec Gorilla £9 Raucous electro-rock five-piece who released their debut album 'The Witch' earlier this year. Femme Sat 2 Dec Soup Kitchen £7 Electro pop laced with synths and bass, delivered through performance art shows. Son Little Sun 3 Dec Soup Kitchen £10 Folk pop with roots influences evident in his latest album 'New Magic'.

There will be plenty of words from the suburbs at the 13th Chorlton Book Festival. The annual book bash brings literary fun for all the family to the historic Chorlton Library. Expect author signing sessions, spoken word, craft activities, historical insights and even scary stories for kids during the nine-day festival. After Dark Entertainment invites children aged 14 and over to become a sleuth for Once Upon A Crime (Mon 20 Nov, Chorlton Library, 6.30pm, FREE), an immersive theatre experience featuring some well-known characters such as the Mad Hatter, Cruella de Vil and Captain Hook. And the shadows of the old Hulme crescents will be felt at An Evening with Laura Wilkinson (Wed 22 Nov, Chorlton Library, 7pm, FREE), as her novel explores ideas of ugliness and beauty. Unless stated on the Book Festival website, all the events are free. Fri 17 – Sat 25 Nov, Chorlton Library, Manchester Road, Chorlton, Manchester M21 9PN.

Times vary, FREE. Danny Brocklehurst at Central Library Central Library launches its new Library Lounge series of talks at the end of this month, with this free talk from television screenwriter Danny Brocklehurst. Brocklehurst is perhaps best known for his work on groundbreaking series such as Clocking Off and Shameless. Here he will be talking through his journey from freelance journalist to screenwriter, as well as his forthcoming Netflix series Safe. You can read more about the Library Lounge talks in our.

Tue 28 Nov, Central Library, St. Peter’s Square, Manchester, M2 5PD. Tel: 0161 234 1983, 6.15pm, David Batchelor Talk at The Whitworth You can catch this free afternoon Q&A with Scottish sculptor and installation artist David Batchelor on Wednesday at The Whitworth as part of their Wednesday Talks series. In his highly technical creations, Batchelor uses lightboxes, industrial dollies and found objects to create a neo-modernist look. This talk will take you through his twenty-year career, checking off many of his most important works including Plato’s Disco, his 2015 installation at The Whitworth. Wed 29 Nov, Whitworth Art Gallery, Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6ER.

12.30pm - 4pm, Last Chance to See Orthodox Icons at Manchester Cathedral This Thursday is your last opportunity to catch this exhibition at Manchester Cathedral, showcasing a series of contemporary depictions of Mary, the mother of Christ, in the Orthodox tradition. Three professional Bulgarian iconographers worked together to produce these images, which combine traditional painting techniques with detailed wood carving. The artists in question - Dimitrinka Ivanova, Yordan Ivanov and Kameliya Konstantinova - have a long history with the Cathedral, having produced icons for the north side in 2015. Until Thu 30 Nov, Manchester Cathedral, Victoria Street, Manchester, M3 1SX. 8.30am - 5.30pm, Eloquent Silence Exhibition Preview at Lowry Hotel (pictured) Comme Ca Art have been running exhibitions in unusual venues since 1994, and their latest venture comes to the Lowry Hotel this week. Eloquent Silence is an exhibition of work by Manchester-based figurative painter Stefanie Trow, whose photographic style of painting has landed her exhibitions all around the region. This exhibition features all new work by the artist and can be caught until 23rd January 2018.

If you want to attend this evening preview, you’ll have to drop an email to claire@commecaart.com Thu 30 Nov, The Lowry Hotel, 50 Dearmans Place, M3 5LH. 6pm - 9pm, Convenience Store Opening Party New themed bar Convenience Store opens this Thursday, taking its aesthetic from, you guessed it, a convenience store.

This Thursday evening is their free opening party, and you can register via their website for the chance to take part in a late-night lock in. See our for more information. Thu 30 Nov, Convenience Store NQ, 100 High Street, Manchester M4 1HP. Tel: 0161 244 9422, 8pm - late. Chorlton Book Festival The Chorlton Book Festival has been running at Chorlton Library - and a handful of other venues - since last Friday, and boasts a packed programme of free and inexpensive events. There’s a couple of standout free shows running this week, both on at the Library: On Monday you can catch an immersive theatre experience aimed at youngsters, featuring many of your childhood’s favourite villains, and on Wednesday you can catch a talk with novelist Laura Wilkinson. See our for more details.

Fri 17 Nov – Sat 25 Nov, Chorlton Library, Manchester Road, Chorlton, Manchester, M21 9PN. Times vary, Sci-Fi Shorts at The University of Manchester Another festival is also happening this week: The Kinofilm Manchester Short Film Festival, with many screenings happening all over the city, covering every available style and genre. One of the free screenings you can catch is this one at the Manchester University’s John Casken Theatre, where they will be showing nine different science-fiction and fantasy shorts from all over the world. This screening showcases the breadth and imagination of the genre, including both a British film about a woman lost in space, and a Spanish film about a talking Virgin Mary statue. Tue 21 Nov, John Casken Theatre, 2nd Floor, Martin Harris Building, University of Manchester, Bridgeford Street, Manchester, M15 6FH. 6pm - 7.30pm, Gert Robijns at The Whitworth (pictured) For the latest instalment of The Whitworth’s Wednesday Talks series, they’ve invited along the Flemish sculptor and installation artist Gert Robijns to talk about his work. Gert’s work is big and ambitious - one of his sculptures is a 1:1 recreation of his grandparents house placed right next to the real building - and he’ll be talking through his ideas process, and how he actually gets these huge projects off the ground, in what should prove to be a fascinating afternoon discussion.

Wed 22 Nov, Whitworth Art Gallery, Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6ER. 12.30pm - 2.30pm, Last Chance to See Aficionado Recordings Exhibition at Electrik Electrik bar in Chorlton has had record sleeve designs from jazz-donk label Aficionado Recordings on display since the start of this month, but that exhibition comes to a close this Thursday. This is your last chance to catch the stylish, minimalist designs of Aficionado artist Sarah Salkeld.

Check out our for more information. Until Thu 23 Nov, Electrik, 559 Wilbraham Road, Manchester, M21 0AE. Tel: 0161 881 3315, 12pm - 12.30am, Hidden Treasures preview at The Portico Library From one exhibition closing, to another one opening: The Portico Library’s latest exhibition opens this weekend, and you can catch a free advance preview this Thursday evening. It’s called Hidden Treasures, and on display will be a selection of unique and strange pieces from the library’s collections, with documents, prints and illustrations going back hundreds of years. This preview is also the launch of the library’s Adopt-a-Book appeal, where you will have the opportunity to help fund the vital restoration work the library performs on its burgeoning archive. Thu 23 Nov, Portico Library, 57 Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3HY.

Tel: 0161 236 6785, 6pm - 8pm. Pop star and taste maker, Tune-Yards' Merrill Garbus set the world alight back in 2014 with third album, Nikki Nack. Universally praised as one of the most uplifting, new-sounding and downright thrilling records of recent times, she and co-writer Nate Brenner, are known for their international approach to rhythm and sound, effortlessly crossing genres and continents to joyous effect. They return with a new album and tour in January 2018, stopping off at Manchester's Albert Hall in March. This new album, called I can feel you creep into my private life follows collaborations with the likes of David Byrne, Laurie Anderson and Yoko Ono. Fri 16 Mar, Albert Hall, 27 Peter Street, Manchester M2 5QR. Tel: 0844 858 8521.

7pm £16.50 -on sale Fri 17 Nov 2017 at 10am. We popped down to the stunningly restored Mackie Mayor building to find out about the best food and drink at Altrincham Market's new NQ offshoot. It's a beautiful space with a great feel and is perhaps more peaceful than its Alty market sister. This might be down to the the plentiful seating with its additional galleried upper floor, or the natural light from the domed glass roof serving to soften the heavy industrial furnishings.

There are 9 food traders who've set up shop at Mackie, some stalwarts like Honest Crust pizza, and a couple of newbies that we were keen to try out. Here's a top 5 of succulent treats to try out as soon as you get the chance. The bao: Bao House's Hoisin pork belly bao with rice cakes and tenderstem broccolli Bao House offer something a little different with their Taiwanese soft pillowy steamed buns. You can choose from a variety of flavourful fillings; avocado and roast pineapple, cornmeal fried hake with jalapenos, and Sichuan chicken. We opted for the hoisin pork belly, cooked meltingly well, with a sweetness set off by sharp pickled cucumbers, plenty of fresh coriander and spring onions.

All tucked up in a snowy white soft bao bun. We had a side of korean fried rice cakes and tenderstem brocolli for a bit of chilli miso punch. The pizza: Honest Crust's marinara Altrincham market favourite Honest Crust serve up their usual top notch pizzas. They have a great selection of adventurous rolling specials, but be really brave and let the ingredients shine by taking it back to basics with a cheeseless marinara; perfectly sweet-yet-tart tomato sauce, thinly sliced garlic, a generous sprinkling of fresh oregano and a drizzle of olive oil to finish. Simple but stunning. The fish dish: Fin's fish finger sandwich Fin has been making waves at Mackie Mayor with their selection of sustainably sourced whole fresh fish dishes.

The fish finger sandwich is just about as good as it gets with buttery flaking beer battered hake complimented by bright flavour from peas and peppery rocket. The dessert: Wolfhouse Coffee's cheesecakes Dessert should be something sweet from the spectacular display of treats at Wolfhouse Coffee; beautifully fruit-topped friands, gooey brownies and tarts that look too good to eat. The lemon merengue cheesecake is so pretty it feels a shame to stick a spoon in, but when you do it's a silky sweet, tangy delight. The beer: Jack in the Box's Buxton x Dugges Ramberget IPA Manchester's own Blackjack Brewery has a firm handle on the beer selection with the Jack in the Box bar. It's a carefully curated choice of drafts with smaller local breweries represented amongst the Blackjack big hitters. Try the Buxton / Dugges Ramberget IPA with citrusy notes and a smooth finish. A nice light pairing for the fish dishes from Fin.

Mackie Mayor, Eagle Street, Manchester M4 5BU, Tue- Sat 9am-10pm, Sun 9am-6pm, FREE entry. Virtually Reality at RNCM (pictured) This Monday, the Royal Northern College of Music will be hosting a free evening of new music from international composing talent. The event is part of the college’s New Music North West festival, and as its name Virtually Reality implies, it focuses on technology and digitally-manipulated sound. A new composition from Polish composer Jagoda Szmytka entitled ‘sky-me, type-me’, which uses conversation snippets routed through four megaphones to create its eerie sound will be presented in full at the show.

There will also be world premiere of a new composition by local experimental composer MICHAELBRAILEY (his caps) and the first live performance of Sam Kidel’s call-centre bothering track Disruptive Muzak. Mon 13 Nov, RNCM, 124 Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9RD. Tel: 0161 907 5200, 7pm - 8pm, Beats & Pieces Big Band at Band on the Wall The Bits & Pieces Big Band are coming to Band on the Wall this Wednesday for a young people’s masterclass in arrangement. The fourteen-piece band, led by composer and conductor Ben Cottrell - whose musical direction work can be heard in the last series of Peaky Blinders - met as students at Manchester University and have played together for around a decade, amassing a wealth of experience. This masterclass opens with a discussion of their approach to arrangement, followed by group workshops where young conductors will get the chance to arrange their own piece. Parents are welcome to watch, but participation in this event is locked down to 13-18 year olds.

Wed 15 Nov, Band on the Wall, 25 Swan Street, The Northern Quarter, Manchester, M4 5JZ. Tel: 0161 834 1786, 5pm - 9pm, Manchester Histories Festival Announcement The biannual Manchester Histories Festival doesn’t return until June 2018, but you can catch a little sneak preview of the lineup on Thursday at this announcement event hosted by Manchester Art Gallery. The theme for next year’s festival is protest, free speech and democracy, and this event will take you through the highlights of what you can expect to see there. The event will also feature a guest appearance from poet and Manchester University chancellor Lemn Sissay. Thu 16 Nov, Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3JL.

Tel: 0161 235 8888, 6pm - 8pm, Censorship and the working class reader at WCML The Working Class Movement Library commemorates an important but largely forgotten moment in British legal history this week. This year marks the two-hundredth year since the trial of satirist William Hone, who successfully defended himself against charges of blasphemy and libel, opening up the possibilities of British literature in an age of heavy censorship. Edinburgh University’s Dr. Katherine Inglis will be giving this free talk, looking at another less fortunate case - the case of Henry Vizetelly, imprisoned in the 19th century for translating books - and how censorship laws have historically been used to target working class readers.

Thu 16 Nov, Working Class Movement Library, 51 Crescent, Salford, M5 4WX. 6.30pm - 8pm.

Get cozy with GRUB Food Fair when they return this week to their new, covered winter home, the Fairfield Social Club. This undercover hangout is just five minutes’ walk from Piccadilly train station. Caribbean vegan street foodies Ital Fresh will tempt your tummy all weekend along with mobile soul food chefs Wallace and Sons. Joining them on Friday will be cheesy treats from Mac Daddy, Deep South dishes from Didsbury’s Oh My Glaze, and a ‘hole’ lot of tastiness from the Manchester Doughnut Company. Purely Pizza will deliver a slice of delight on Saturday alongside Get Wurst’s best dogs, fish supper twists from the Hip Hop Chip Shop, and ice cream sandwiches from Scoop Up. DJs will keep the party rocking throughout the weekend, with Afrocentric grooves from Banana Hill’s Cervo on Friday, and plenty of tunes from Jonny Shire and Jamie Groovement on Saturday.

Fri 10 - Sat 11 Nov and then every Fri and Sat, Fairfield Social Club, Archway 6, Temperance Street, Manchester, M12 6HR. 12-10pm (food until 9pm). Christmas shopping can be a right old chore, traipsing around town on a weekend far and wide to get the perfect prezzies for your nearest and dearest.

So why not take a big chunk out of it in one fell swoop with the Makers Market at Great Northern this Sunday for the most eclectic traders you can find whilst enjoying delicious street food and maybe having a cup of something warming. The artisanal market is a hit all year round but comes into its own for the winter season as it helps out the hapless shoppers to grab anything from foodie treats to homemade trinkets and fantastic vintage finds. Sun 3 Dec, Great Northern Warehouse, 235 Deansgate, Manchester M3 4EN.

11am – 5pm, FREE. Enjoy theatre right on Manchester’s doorstop with this special offer for Manchester Wire readers. The Waterside Arts Centre is a buzzing, modern arts hub on the site of the old Sale Civic Theatre. Their programme bursts with comedy, theatre, music and film – and you now have a chance to sample the best of the Waterside with an exclusive Wire deal. Book for any of the shows listed here and use the code MCRWIRE on checkout to get 2-for-1 on tickets. Two (Thu 5 Oct, 7.30pm, £12, ) sees two actors take on 14 characters as a working class town comes to life in a local boozer.

The quick-change script is by renowned Farnworth playwright Jim Cartwright, whose classic play ‘Road’ was adapted for the BBC. Mary Pearson’s one-woman multimedia spectacular FoMO, Mofos (Fri 6 Oct, 7.30pm, £12, ) takes us into the chaos of a digital world. This solo dance piece takes its cue from the movies Blow-Up and Mullholland Drive, and the songs of Robert Wyatt and John Lennon. The British empire comes under scrutiny in Just An Ordinary Lawyer (Wed 11 Oct, 7.30pm, £12, ).

Actor Tayo Aluko tells – and sings – the compelling tale of how Nigerian cricket fan Tunji Sowande rose through the ranks to become Britain’s first Black judge in 1978. The Value of Nothing (Thu 19 Oct, 7.30pm, £10, ) is a press conference from hell. Kim Wiltshire’s script sees self-appointed people’s champ Vince Fine lead a government welfare scheme amid the many voices of people on benefits. An electric play brought by Laid Bare. Young people across the UK lent their voices to Zest Theatre and Half Moon’s What Once Was Ours (Mon 6 Nov, 7pm, £9, ).

This is an immersive standing show for young people about Katie and Callum (pictured) living disconnected lives against the background of Brexit. Meet a cobbler and a cook in hit Edinburgh Fringe show Chopping Chillies (Fri 24 Nov, 7.30pm, £12, ww). This poetic tale brings India to the heart of London, and features a post-show talk. It’s directed by Guy Masterson, producer of the Olivier Award winning ‘Morecambe’. Thu 5 Oct – Fri 24 Nov, Waterside Arts Centre, 1 Waterside Plaza, Sale, Greater Manchester M33 7ZF. Tel: 0161 912 5616.

GRUB Food Fair and Fairfield Social Club’s new venture is full steam ahead, opening this weekend at the new venue. It’s a five minute walk from Manchester Piccadilly train station, and all undercover. On Friday, The Gravy Train Poutine, Howlin’ Tacos, Diamond Dogs, The Otto-Men and ChouChoux are the street food line-up. The Gravy Train Poutine and The Otto-Men are back on Saturday, and joined by Wallace and Sons, Pastrami NOW, South Manny Flavaz and Fruits of the Forage – all food trader details are available via the link below. DJs are playing all day and a full bar of local beers, sodas and wine will be flowing.

Head down to celebrate their arrival. Fri 27-Sat 28 Oct and then every Fri and Sat, Fairfield Social Club, Archway 6, Temperance Street, Manchester, M12 6HR. The Royal Exchange is being transformed into a major new food and drink destination. The theatre’s restaurant, bars and cafe is now The Rivals, named after the Exchange’s first stage production in 1976 while the luxurious Great Hall is home to an indoor beer garden which has just opened. Expect urban cool vibes amid the venue’s stunning architecture: this dramatic renovation is fronted by Goska Langrish and Coronation Street actor Rupert Hill, the team behind the award-winning Parlour in Chorlton among other venues. There's a new menu that includes dishes such as braised featherblade of beef, a roast and pickled cauliflower risotto & haddock and parsley fishcakes, plus a revived drinks offer with cask ales and craft beers, plus space to host a range of live events. The indoor beer garden is open now, while The Rivals restaurant and bar will open to the public on Thursday 14 September.

From Tue 29 Aug, The Royal Exchange, St Ann’s Square, Manchester M2 7DH. Tel: 0161 833 9833.

The Refuge and Electric Chair are hosting a six-hour cosmic disco marathon with veteran producer Daniele Baldelli at the end of October. For one night only, Baldelli will recreate his legendary nights on the banks of Lake Garda, at which he pioneered the cosmic disco sound in the 1970s. Expect plenty of electronic sounds and surprises from the man who was beatmatching and creating his own edits years ahead of his contemporaries. There's a pre-show warm up in the bar from 3pm with tunes from James Holroyd and Bonar ‘PBR Streetgang’ Bradberry.

We have a couple of packages of four tickets to give away to lucky Wire readers. Simply email competitions [at] manchesterwire [dot] co [dot] uk with your name, age and Twitter handle and we'll get back to you. Over 18s only.

Sat 28 Oct, The Refuge, The Principal Hotel, Oxford Street, Manchester M60 7HA. Tel: 0161 233 5151, 10pm-4am, £15. The Manchester Contemporary is the leading fair of critically engaged (and critically acclaimed) modern art outside of London. This celebration of the best of the contemporary art scene is part of the annual Buy Art Fair, which celebrates its tenth year by moving to the huge venue of Manchester Central this October. Expect work from the UK's leading galleries and curators taking in both local galleries like Paper, Castlefield and Islington Mill and public institutions such at the North East's acclaimed Baltic Arts Centre, and London's Royal Academy of Arts. We've picked out a few names to watch for your delectation below:- Castlefield Gallery presents, among others, Rebecca Halliwell-Sutton’s ‘Texts From The Universe’ which explores associations between land and body, new work from Omid Asadi, and Lindsey Mendick who fuses patterns with classic fashion and images of big names from the 1980s and 1990s.

Manchester School of Art is the second largest and oldest school of art and design in the UK. Their rising stars at the fair include small-canvas fine artist Jenny Eden, German artist Katerina Eleftheriadou whose work has been curated by Tate Britain, and the abstract oils of Francesca Neal. The UK’s learning disability art scene will be represented by Venture Arts. The Hulme studio brings with it numerous playful artworks from across the UK such as clay fruit pies and mobile phones, and a lobster sunbathing on a pine cone. Look out for Jennie Franklin’s ‘Collection of Straws, Black Straws and Ink’. Watch out for Salford’s creative hub Islington Mill, who will bring artworks spanning photography, printmaking, ceramics and sculpture. This will also be a chance to view – and buy - Maurice Carlin's ‘Temporary Custodians of Islington Mill 2018-2028’ consisting of a hundred reliefs taken from the Mill’s abandoned fifth floor.

Performance artist and word-wrangler Martin Hamblen will appear thanks to Preston’s Birley Studios. Hamblen’s works include ‘Ticking Boxes’, which involves him ticking endless boxes, ‘A Plinch of Salt’ in which he pours salt onto plinths, and a vocal piece called ‘FoolooF’ where he recites the word “fool” forward and backwards. Sat 28 – Sun 29 Oct (VIP preview Fri 27 Oct), Manchester Central Convention Complex, Windmill Street, Manchester M2 3GX. Tel: 51, VIP preview 5pm-9pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm, £5 (VIP preview £12). International clowning sensation Slava will bring a blizzard of family entertainment to The Lowry in October. Slava's SnowShow has scooped awards for the most unique theatrical experience from Time Out, Olivier and Drama Desk. His fun-packed winter wonderland received worldwide acclaim, visiting 80 cities from Moscow to Madrid and Sao Paolo to Shanghai.

Russian performance artist Slava Polunin, Artistic Director of the St Petersburg Circus, is the man behind the big red nose: he recently came to the UK to launch his illustrated memoir Alchemy of Snowness. This will be the ninth time this sell-out show has been performed in the UK. Want to treat your.

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