HOME is where the heart is

Very recently I found myself at a loss of things to do in an afternoon. So, instead of sitting around like a lemon, I picked myself up and headed HOME.

Heading HOME?

Yes, I headed HOME. The capitalisation of the word probably gave it away, but I'm not talking about sunny ol' Bedfordshire, rather the new art/theatre/creativity stronghold which has recently opened in Manchester. The product of a merger between Cornerhouse and the Library Theatre Company, HOME aims to show the world through Mancunian eyes, or at least that's what their website says. I headed there to check out their latest art gallery, titled 'The heart is deceitful above all things'.

"Who can understand it?"

The gallery takes its name from Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick, who can understand it?" Revolving around the heart and asking "Who hasn't had their heart broken?", the gallery aimed to stir up feelings of lust, envy and heartache, all while in the semi-sterile environment of an art gallery. With attention-grabbing and eye-popping exhibits all around, HOME certainly knew how to keep you interested.

The various slogans, on their bright, eye-catching platforms. Photo: HOME

One such exhibit which has stuck with me was "Slogans for the 21st Century", which devoted a wall to motto's of the new age, especially those which were internet-centric. These mantras, in block text which clashed with their bright background colours ignited curiosity in most, as they tried to see which one applied most to them and which ones they were guilty of uttering. I'll leave it for you to look at the picture and see which one is yours. Often the slogans would match up with others, I personally found myself drawn in to grouping them together. Whether this was the intended aim, or just a happy coincidence which acted to hold my attention for longer, is unknown to me.

How long is it around for?

The exhibit began with HOME's opening back in May and runs until 26th July, as part of a greater overarching theme called Transactions of Desire, which involves various plays and talks. The exhibitions, such as this one, are free to enter and there is often some entertaining theatre on. If you haven't been to HOME already, I'd definitely check it out, as it looks like it's on its way to becoming the cultural hub of Manchester.

Pint of Science 2015

As exams come to a close, I find myself able to write a piece for this sporadically updated blog. For those who are familiar with the blog, you need only scroll back one year to find a very similar piece to this. For what has most likely become an annual event in my calendar, Pint of Science was back at the English Lounge and once again it was bringing science to the huddled masses.

Obligatory logo photo, from the
first night.

Pint of Science

For those who are unaware of Pint of Science (POS), it's an annual festival which aims to bring researchers out of the lab and into the pub, where they can talk about their work over a pint. Now in it's third year overall, POS has exploded into an international event. Anybody can get involved and help with the running of the event, which is where I came in.

This year, like last year and most probably a few years to come, I helped to organise three nights. However, unlike last year, this time I was helping with the 'Our Body' team, which meant I was in somewhat unfamiliar academic surroundings. Yet, as part of an excellent team, the nights were organised with only a few hiccups on the way. You may recognise the pub in the pictures as The English Lounge, which is where we held nights last year. 

Who Gave Talks?

The aim of POS is to have anyone who is doing interesting research at the local university to give a talk. For our nights, we mainly had PhD students who were interested in public engagement, so it acted as a perfect platform for them to get their work known. With talks ranging from stem cells to cosmetics and stopping off at discovering new drugs in the battle against cancer, there was something to keep most interested. Obviously, for those not interested in the human body there were other events at other pubs running simultaneously to our nights. 

Lee chairing a Q&A session on the second night

The general format of the night was very relaxed, especially when the beer was flowing. Talks generally ran for 25 minutes, then followed up by a Q&A session which was always chaired by our compere Lee Moore (@fullofpenguins). With plenty of breaks for drinks and quizzes galore, the nights always ran smoothly and the audience seemed to enjoy themselves. 

When was it?

The event took place on 18-20th May and will most likely be on the Mon-Fri of the same week next year. If you're reading this and interested in getting involved, check out their website or send me an email through the Google+ profile to the right (I promise I will see it). With plans for the event to expand to even more cities and countries, it looks as though Pint of Science is always moving on up.

Whitworth Lates & Laughing Hole

What happens when you mix one of the greatest art galleries in the North West, top quality music and a pioneering art installation? The answer is Thursday Lates at the The Whitworth.

Taking place in the refurbished Whitworth Gallery, Thursday Lates offers late-night openings to the galleries with a twist. Wandering around, it was obvious that this was how galleries should be experienced. With DJs and jazz quartets echoing around the galleries and breathing new life into the exhibits, both artistic novices and royalty were seeing things from a new, refreshing, perspective.

What truly caught my attention was a SICK! Festival installation, titled "Laughing Hole". A six-hour long performance which aimed to confront the themes of sexuality, abuse and suicide, Laughing Hole filled the Grand Hall with continuous laughter and littered it with hundreds of cardboard signs. Three women roamed freely with disturbingly labelled placards (e.g "Impotent Mum" and "Warlord") and confronted visitors with their focused stares and disjointed cackling. The absurd nature of the space resulted in initial laughter, however with speaker systems amplifying the noise the oppressive atmosphere caused many to repeatedly read the placards for some distraction. Many watched others reactions, to see how they were coping. While being free to leave at any point, the combination of the laughter, signs and stares resulted in a sense of claustrophobia, which made the artistic themes really resonate. From an outsiders view I was completely unshackled, but inside I felt nailed to the floor. Never before have I experienced so much in an art installation.

Overall, the night showed that to bring the gallery to life, all you needed was some jazz, some drinks and a hard-hitting performance. If this edition was anything to go by, the Whitworth Lates have got themselves a regular visitor.

The Dumb Waiter

Hello, I'm back! 2015 is upon us and I'd love to say I've been incredibly busy. However, the truth is I haven't been particularly rushed off my feet (other than exams), so I don't have a great deal to tell you. Well, that's if you don't count my recent trip to see The Dumb Waiter at HOME...

The What?

The Dumb Waiter! A Ransack Theatre production, part of HOME's Re:play Festival 2015, which was performed on the 15th and 16th January. Taking place in HOME's new home on First Street, The Dumb Waiter was a production of the play written by Harold Pinter. If, like myself, you're not familiar with the works of Mr. Pinter, I'll give you a brief synopsis of the play, watch out for spoilers!

1.) Show starts. Two men, Gus and Ben, both in suits, are waiting in a grotty basement. The younger man (Gus) asks the older, more weary man (Ben), a series of questions about their next 'job' and other related (and unrelated) topics.

2.) The two men bicker about a series of items, ranging from whether Man City are playing this weekend, to the term 'put the kettle on'. It becomes evident the two men are actually hitmen (shock, horror!)

3.) A series of food orders arrive from the floors above, the two men panic. Hilarity ensues.

4.) Hilarity ends when the men receive their orders for the next 'job', causing betrayal.

Gus waiting for the next job. Photo: HOME

So there's a brief run-though of the play, without ruining too many plot details. At an hour long, this was a one-act play, which was well-received. Any longer and the story line would have been stretched thin, like butter scraped over too much bread. A two-man play can be a tricky thing to master, as if the actors don't fit together, then the audience will be lost relatively quickly. However, James Warburton (Gus) and Alastair Michael (Ben) were perfectly matched, with Michael's performance as the short tempered, wearier, Ben being of note.

The simple set design helped portray our duo's lack of control over their next job, a dingy, windowless room with two beds and a gas cooker which doesn't light. Almost a third companion, it helped amplify the rising tensions and the claustrophobia that accompanied the darker moments of the play.

How Much?

Tickets to the play cost £8 for students, and £10 normally. The play was run as part of the Re:play Festival, where the best fringe drama from the last 12 months in Greater Manchester is brought together for another run. The Re:play Festival has ended now, but I am in no doubt that HOME will run it again next year.