It’s a disappointing start to the year for Manchester. As chief executive Vaughan Allen tweeted recently, it’s sad that the Urbis is closing at the end of a decade when it was supposed to be a millenium project.
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Category Archives: Museums
Homegrown: see it while you still can
January 4, 2010 – 12:08 pm
Our beloved Urbis is due to incorporate Preston’s Football Museum and will be closing on February 27, 2010.
Go and check out its Homegrown exhibition, while it’s still there. This is a fascinating look at the UK hip hop scene, and is interesting regardless of what music you listen to.
Manchester Museums get creative
August 26, 2009 – 2:47 pm
I meant to give Creative Tourist a mention when it launched back in July, but I didn’t get round to it. I should have pretended I needed to read it for over a couple of months to really absorb what it was all about. But really I just forgot.
But I’ve been enjoying the latest issue over a cuppa throughout the last week. Creative Tourist is a joint project between nine museums and galleries in Manchester, as well as the North West Regional Development Agency, Renaissance in the Regions and Visit Manchester. It’s a mighty fine idea to create a joint cultural guide to the city with guest posts from bloggers.
The project is edited by Susie Stubbs, who has worked with most of the museums in arts and cultural sector for 12 years and who also writes Travels With My Baby.
Being a foodie kind of gal, I enjoyed reading Simon Webbon’s guide to museum cafes – surely the reason we go to galleries? Although a trip to the gift shop at the end has to be my favourite (I say with only a little sarcasm).
It’s inspiring to read about all the good stuff happening in Manchester, and a bit of history to give it all context. Manchester Museums Consortium seems to be working together for a united front to showcase our super city to the rest of the world – I bet other cities wish they’d thought of it first.
Urbis Creatives launched
May 28, 2009 – 1:36 pm
Did you know staff at Urbis were such a creative bunch? No, I didn’t either, but a new website has just been launched to showcase the collective creativity of Urbis staff in their outside-work projects.
Encouraging creativity and out-of-work interests is a fantastic idea, and of course it promotes Urbis itself because it is supposed to be a forward-thinking hub of creativity and new thinking.
Have a look at the website www.urbiscreatives.org, which was launched last night with a party (which I wasn’t at but it sounds great). The evening showcased the varied creative talents with original artwork as well as live music, DJ sets and burlesque.
The site tells you a bit about each staff member and their outside talents, which include a freelance community musician, film installation, photography, and of course art.
I’m looking forward to seeing what other work and ideas come from this collective in the future.
MORE INFO
www.urbiscreatives.org
E: urbiscreatives at urbis.org.uk
(Image take from the Urbis website)
The Best of Manchester Awards are upon us again
March 12, 2009 – 5:20 pm
Do you want to be crowned Best of Manchester? I love that title, what an accolade. To be the king or queen of Manchester, you have to do something worthy in the categories of art, music or fashion. Now, I have already put forward the suggestion that these awards are re-named the Manchester Is Ace Awards, so I’m just waiting to hear if that will go ahead (ahem).
Organised by Urbis, the Best Of Manchester awards launched in 2007 and do a marvellous job in rewarding creativity and innovation in this great city of ours. And there are now just 10 weeks to drum up as many applicants as possible.
Manchester has always been noted for creativity in its people, so it’s important to encourage and develop this as much as we can.
Mosey on down to MOSI
January 7, 2009 – 11:19 pm
I haven’t been to the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester since I was about 11 and my, has it changed! The big shed full of places and engines is still there, but now there are four buildings in total full to the brim of exhibitions.
Since then it has also undergone some re-branding and transformed into the Museum of Science and Industry – but shortened to MOSI. There was something about the long original version that sounded British, Northern and down to earth. I have to admit that MOSI sounds all American, and well a bit posey (or should that be POSI, haha?). But I am a busy girl, and who has time to say Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester – MOSI will do me fine.