‘Universally Manchester: Where Great Things Come Together’, is an open air gallery of celebratory art, spanning 130 sites across the city centre this week, taking inspiration from people’s time at The University of Manchester. Manchester city-wide open-air exhibition features words from Cheddar Gorgeous, Jeanette Winterson, Josh Widdicombe, Lemn Sissay, Mathew Horne and Rob Rinder.
The open air exhibition marks the run up to the much anticipated Universally Manchester Festival – a once in a lifetime, four-day festival to mark the University’s 200th birthday taking place from June 6 to June 9. The festival includes hundreds of free tickets for events with speakers and performers including Professor Brian Cox, GRRRL, Ed O’Brien (Radiohead) and Professor Daniela Delneri (with Cloudwater Brew Co) available to all from May 9.
Reflecting on their love for the city, and the lasting impact their experiences have had, contributors to this citywide visual art project include award winning author and Professor of Creative Writing Jeanette Winterson, and poet and former Chancellor Lemn Sissay, alongside alumni including drag performer Cheddar Gorgeous, comedian Josh Widdicombe, actor Mathew Horne and barrister and broadcaster Rob Rinder.
The artworks are a fusion of creativity, each designed by different Manchester illustrators, breathing life into the inspiring quotes and the colourful personalities behind them. Artworks can now be found exhibited at Mayfield Park, St Peter’s Square Metrolink, and on over 130 digital billboards and poster sites across the city.
A mural of Rob Rinder’s words, illustrated by Beth Wilkinson, will be painted live, by Open Minds, at Mayfield Park on Thursday 9 May, to coincide with the release of hundreds of free tickets for Universally Manchester Festival, which are available here.
Welcoming over 60,000 people, Universally Manchester Festival offers everything from poetry to physics, music to medicine, computing to creative writing and more. With events popping up in labs, concert theatres, outdoor spaces and the University’s award-winning culture hotspots Whitworth Art Gallery and Manchester Museum, it’s a must-see.
Free ticketed events will be available to book from Thursday 9 May, with early access available for those that sign up for information here.