Cornerhouse Manchester

Yesterday I visited Cornerhouse, a arts funded exhibition space and independant cinema in Manchester. There current exhibition is 'Lost is Found,' which showcases work by nine northern based artisted who explore found 'beauty in the redundant and discarded, delving into past lives, finding new stories in transformations and fleeting identities.'  I always find exhibitions at Cornerhouse to be often too conceptual for my simple tastes, I much prefer a good old design or print exhibition, but saying that I did like this show. The idea behind the exhibition is simple and easy to relate to with ideas of past and personal experiences. Emily Speeds' piece, which is pictured, explores the idea of the physical place, the home, which is shaped and tied to the memories and lives lived by the occupiers. The pieces are like small little memories you can carry with you, but they have an eerier feel, a feeling of coldness presented by the stark whiteness of the pieces.

After viewing the show me and my companion had a swift couple of bevies in the very trendy and buzzing bar at Cornerhouse. I enjoy drinking and socialising here, even though it is often difficult to find seats due to the popularity of the venue, which isn't surprising since the atmosphere is so nice. The only downside is the expensive prices, but to be fair these are standard for the city centre. The venue also contains a cinema showcasing art house films, and has a much more personal & relaxed atmosphere compared to the big cinema complexes.  

Before leaving Cornerhouse I picked up one of their programmes, and inside I found a section called 'Creative Industries,' which included several Digital Skills workshops. The workshops are aimed at the creative industries, showcasing how social media can be used within the sector. Most of the workshops are targeting social media novices, and as a previous Social Media Specialist I imagine they would cover most of the areas I already have knowledge of. However the next workshop taking place is called 'Tools & Trends on the Horizon,' and is presented by The Next Web’s European Editor, Martin Bryant, whose name I recognised through my engagement with Twitter and digital events within Manchester.  The workshop looks at new tools, such as apps and devices, which can help to improve the way we work. The workshop takes place on 20th March and cost £4/£3 Concs. If you are interested in doing other creative courses, and gaining some new skills then you should look at the many projects Cornerhouse has to offer on their website.