Humanity Hallows Issue 5 Out Now!
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By Megan Russell
The Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester offers an array of unique and interesting events throughout the working week; from early morning yoga to mid-day coffee breaks, the Gallery is much more than art.
As Whitworth Marketing Officer Joanne Hitchen stated: “The number of regularly running programmes (without schools) is about 12 events a week.” She added: “Our visitor number total for last year is 321,269.”
What the Whitworth does well is cater to its diverse audience; it understands that time is precious and not everyone is lucky enough to have a free morning or afternoon off so the venue offers after-hours socials. As the website states: “Start the weekend early with our Thursday Lates – a series of sociable, after work and late night openings that are the perfect place to meet up with friends, explore the gallery and enjoy a specially curated selection of talks, performances, film screenings, live music and artist interventions.”
The free events run every Thursday from 6pm-9pm and have come to prove very popular with the general public. The nights offer a sophisticated wind down for those who have just finished work and allows them to engage in discussions as well as to explore the gallery. With drinks available throughout the night, the emphasis really is on ‘Starting the weekend early’.
Craig Oldham’s recent exhibition ‘In Loving Memory of Work’ is a visual record of the 1984-85 UK miners’ strike. The night was a harrowing flashback to the more troubling times that a huge number of families were deeply affected by in the not so distant past.
As Craig said: “I come from a mining town, I come from Barnsley South Yorkshire. I come from three generations of miners; my dad, my granddad and my great granddad all worked down the Barnsley pits. My granddad and dad both went on strike in 1984 and stayed out for the whole 12 months.
“My mum too was involved in the march, well as much as she could be, she was pregnant with me at the time. I’m so proud to come from a place that empowered women in such a way and released them from their ‘duties’, a lot of families did break down because of that though.”
The night didn’t dwell so much on the negatives of the strike but more the sheer solidarity between communities, the immense passion against the pit closures and combined controversial hatred for Margaret Thatcher. More unexpectedly, the event also consisted of the intelligent material created by all those involved in the strikes.
Craig had created a very visual exhibition that promoted the forefront of the miners’ strike. His night very much consisted of sight and sound, from television adverts, to huge signs and protest flags that were once the norm back then.
He said: “It wasn’t just graphics, it wasn’t just posters and photographs. They were writing songs and poems and telling stories and that’s just as creative and just as brave as any of the other stuff.”
Craig will continue his tour at various locations around the UK with his next appearance at the Civic Gallery, Barnsley June 4.
For more information about Thursday Lates, visit the Whitworth website.
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