HOME Opening - The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things

Manchester's newest neighborhood, First Street,  launched into its opening weekend over the last couple of days. HOME was one of the first buildings in the cultural hub to open, with 'The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things' exhibition opening on Friday night. HOME's inaugural exhibition centers around heartbreak and desire. We are all connected through affairs of the heart and 'The Heart Is Deceitful' can speak to each visitor in a very unique way. 

The exhibition is an eclectic collection of art that includes digital video installations, photography, prints and a temporary tattoo vending machine. 'The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things' is a fitting exhibition to open HOME, a touching subject that can be very close to the bone for some people but also incites reminiscence of both happy and bittersweet memories. 

Douglas Coupland's 'Slogans for the 21st Century' seemed to be a particularly popular piece; a large collection of prints shouting out slogans that particularly relate to the 21st Century individual. Most exhibition visitors spent a while drifting in front of the piece reading the slogans that could be humorous one minute and food-for-thought the next. 

Gemma Parker's 'The Tattooed Lady' was also constantly surrounded with admirers. Modeled to reflect a 20th century penny arcade machine, 'The Tattooed Lady' became a tattoo lucky-dip for its admirers; the audience were invited to turn the handle and dispense their tattoo, an attendant was on hand to apply the tattoos instantly (and yes of course I got one!). 

The exhibition opening seemed to be a success with a large attendance and both the cafe and restaurant packed out with excitable visitors. (It's on the list to visit very soon!) The menu is apparently very similar to the original Cornerhouse menu and I have previously had a very nice pizza there so hope is high for HOME's First Floor Cafe Bar. HOME's opening weekend has definitely gone off with a bang and seems set to become a primary cultural location for Manchester's newest neighborhood. 

'Wonderland by the Waves' at Manchester Central Library

On Friday evening I visited the Manchester Central Library for the opening of 'Wonderland by the Waves' an exhibition curated by students (my friends!) from the University of Manchester. Working in tandem with Arts Management students, a team of MA Art Gallery and Museum Studies students created 'Wonderland by the Waves', an exhibition exploring local history and the traditional Mancunian summer holiday to Blackpool. 

In response to 'Wonderland by the Waves' the Arts Management students created a lovely opening night entitled 'Manchester Wakes: Workers at Play'. The evening was deemed a success with great attendance on the opening evening. I would say that there did not seem to be enough emphasis that the evening was to open an exhibition. It felt as if the team involved in the event portion of the project may have run away with themselves slightly as there was little to no advertisement of the actual exhibition on the night. 

However, the evening was very enjoyable, with appearances from award-winning performance poet JB Barrington and monologues from Jennifer Reid and John Bartley. The Oldham Youth Wind ensemble welcomed people into the library with seaside themed tunes before Levy Uke Up ushered in a seaside singalong with accompanying ukeleles! 

The exhibition itself may be a little tucked away but includes some gems from Blackpool's holiday heyday including treasured photographs and original tram tickets, swimming caps and brochures. The free sticks of Blackpool rock ushered in memories of British seaside holidays as you browsed the classic British 'staycation'.

Salford-born performance poet, JB Barrington, gave a lively and humorous performance of his original poetry, some of which had been created specifically for the event. Some pieces were performed with the accompaniment of students from the RNCM, giving a classical touch to a very modern poet. 

The evening was broken up by performances from The Cosmo Singers from the University of Manchester as well as the Kadenza/Bolton Clarion Choir (below). The Kadenza/Bolton Choir gave a rousing performance of songs from Manchester's industrial past including 'July Wakes' and 'Bolton Mill Lad'. The Cosmo singers made a particular impression with their stunning performance of Deep River by Micheal Tippett followed by an unexpected but humorous depiction of 'The Drunken Sailor'.

The Cosmo Singers from the University of Manchester

The Kadenza/Bolton Clarion Choir

Lunch at Teacup Kitchen, Manchester

Last week, an essay writing coffee break with a friend turned into lunch at Teacup Kitchen in Manchester. I have never visited Teacup before but I had heard very good things from a variety of people. So, when we decided that our coffee break would definitely benefit from added cake, Teacup seemed to be the perfect choice. 

Friendly staff sat us as soon as we entered and offered us menus and table service, something I thought was a nice touch for what I expected to be a little cafe. Teacup Kitchen is actually quite a large and bright cafe with modern but homely decorations. At first I was taken aback with the prices, £5 for a slice of cake?! However, I persevered because I had heard such good reviews. I ordered a latte and a slice of Victoria Sponge while my friend opted for a latte and lemon cake. We then also decided that this was not enough and we would split a brownie between us. 

My reservations about the price were short-lived as the waitress set down a gigantic piece of Victoria Sponge in front of me. It could have been a doorstop. A gorgeous layer of cream and fresh raspberries sandwiched between to think and light slabs of sponge, accompanied with a generous dollop of clotted cream. It was heavenly. 

The Lemon cake was equally gorgeous with a layer of homemade lemon curd and white chocolate curls on top, while the lattes that we ordered came up in cups the size of small bowls. Our eyes were definitely too big for our bellies when we ordered the chocolate brownie to share which came with large chunks of peanut butter and cookie dough and a scoop of ice cream. Everything we ordered tasted just as good as it looked and I am ashamed to say that I was beaten by a slice of cake. The mammoth portions were just too much and I left not being able to finish the whole slice! 

Needless to say, Teacup Kitchen is my new favourite place and I will be visiting again very soon to sample more of the delicious concoctions that they have on offer! 

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Last week I visited Yorkshire Sculpture Park as part of my Curating Art module at the University of Manchester. The majority of the sculptures are outside and luckily we had a nice day (for the majority of it anyway!) The whole park is dotted with sculptures and with such vast grounds it is easy to spend a whole day wandering the park and soaking in the sights.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park has a lovely, modern visitors center with a quaint little sop full of products that were designed especially for sale in the park. The cafe is beautiful, with a huge glass wall that overlooks the park and a large and varied menu that has something for everyone (I helped myself to the delicious homemade chips served in a cute little bucket). 

The sculptures that are placed outside have a certain affinity with the surrounding landscape. They seem as if they were always meant to live in the park and be at one with nature. It is also particularly novel for the avid museum-goer that you can also touch many of the sculptures on display outside, adding another dimension of engagement between the visitor and artwork.

The park is so appealing because of its exploratory value. The main sights are marked out on the park map but on the way there are plenty of other sculptures and statues to discover around every corner and behind every tree. A variety of different sights and scenes keeps the visitor entertained, one minute you are in a rose filled green house and the next you are on a bridge overlooking a trickling stream. The delightful variety of sculptures and the exploratory nature of the park means that Yorkshire Sculpture Park offers something for everyone and would be a delightful day out if you are 7 or 70. Even though I did not have brilliant weather on the day that I visited, I enjoyed the natural atmosphere of the park immensely, so I can only imagine how beautiful the park would be in the height of summer! 

Katja Glieson Reveals an Exclusive Look at Her Brand New Music Video!

BEAT100 can now offer an exclusive preview of Katja Glieson's newest music video release! The Australian songstress is set to officially release 'Look At Us' tomorrow but has kindly allowed her BEAT100 fans to view the official music video before the release date. Katja, a BEAT100 Ultimate Musician, was chosen by the A&R team as one of BEAT100's Picks of the Year 2014 and definitely seems to be living up to her title!Katja has shot to fame this year after starring as Princess Elsa in the viral YouTube video Disney Princess Rap Battle alongside Whitney Avalon. The comedy hit now has well over 23,000,000 views and has catapulted the singer and her own original pop tracks into the limelight.

Katja's newest track 'Look At Us' is set to be her most popular hit yet with an upbeat and catchy tune along with an eye catching music video that is sure to have all listeners on their feet. 'Look At Us' is set to form part of Katja's ongoing PRIDE festival tour and anti-bullying campaign. The young star performed on the main stage at LA PRIDE and CAPITAL PRIDE last year alongside worldwide superstars such as Jennifer Hudson and Rita Ora, as well as featuring on radio stations all over the US. The 'Look At Us' video also features YouTuber Zedakiah Koterba along with well-known drag performer ‘Ongina’, who shot to fame after being part of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Katja's newest track embodies female empowerment and celebrates being true to who you are and confidently inspires everyone to ‘look at us’. Katja has struggled with bullying and confidence issues throughout her life and now acts as an advocate for those causes that are closest to her heart. The 21 year old singer has only just overcome many of the challenges of her past, events that ‘go beyond bullying’, according to a recent blog post by the Aussie pop star.

'Look At Us' has deep meaning for Katja, speaking about the creation process for the song and video, the songstress states 'It is a celebration of overcoming deep pain and fear. Learning how to stand up for myself. As a young lady, trying to make her mark on the world. I have the right to be healthy and confident without asking for sexual harassment and assault. We have a right to speak up for ourselves. We don’t have to be sorry all the time and it is not our fault when we are the target of bullying or sexual harassment or assault. I am certainly not ever asking for it. And the only thing you need to change is knowing that you deserve to be heard and respected.'

In the new video, we hear Katja both singing and rapping, as well as performing the full choreographed dance with six other princesses (her dancers that also perform live with her). Taking inspiration from her previous success with the Disney Princess Rap Battle, the style inspiration for Katja and her dancers are those of the Disney princesses that have also stepped out and owned who they are - characters like Tianaand Esmerelda and Megara. To give them that ‘Modern Princess’ look, Katja reached out to Aussie fashion brand ‘Showpo’ as a sponsor, who were more than happy to provide their clothing for the girls. Katja has a strong admiration for the 'Look At Us' team, saying 'The people I have chosen to surround myself with are wonderful people. They are supportive of me as my true self. My dancers and choreographer are not only talented but are bright, beautiful souls who radiate love. I shared the spotlight in the video with the fabulous‘Ongina’ from RuPaul’s drag race, and the YouTuber Zedekiah, who has also been bullied growing up. These people made the experience very special and I can’t wait for you to see it.'

With 'Look At Us' set for official release this week, Katja is sure to have her hand's full with promotional activities and performances but we can also reveal that will we be seeing more of the Aussie pop star very soon as she is currently preparing for the release of a brand new rap battle featuring Sarah Michelle Gellar! Until then, you can grab an exclusive look at Katja's newest track and music video below as well aspurchasing the track from her website.....

Written for www.BEAT100.com

The Sensory War, Manchester Art Gallery

I have been meaning to visit The Sensory War exhibit at the Manchester Art Gallery for a number of weeks now as I had heard a large number of good reviews an recommendations. Normally I don't venture the busy town center on the weekend but learning that it was the exhibition's last weekend was the push that I needed to get me down to the Manchester Art Gallery on a Saturday afternoon.

I am going to join the ranks and shower the exhibition with praise. It was beautiful and haunting at the same time, covering a large number of genres, periods and conflicts. Each piece was accompanied by detailed text that conveyed the background information of each artwork and how the artist was connected to that particular war. I was particularly touched by images created by victims from Hiroshima and Nagasaki; none of the artists were professionals by any means but the images that they created were touching and extremely telling of the horrors of war. 

Visiting The Hepworth Wakefield

Last week I visited The Hepworth Wakefield as part of my Art Gallery and Museum Studies course. As I have iterated before, I am not very fond of contemporary art, it just does not sink in, most of the time I do not see the point; however (and this is a big however) I absolutely loved the Hepworth. I studied Barbara Hepworth briefly at A-level and remember being faintly fond of her work. I liked that the simplicity and curving lines of her pieces are very reminiscent of natural rock formations, albeit rock formations from a strange and alien planet. 

Having only opened in 2011, The Hepworth Wakefield is still very much a new museum and this is reflected in the beautifully modern architecture and flowing, open spaces of the galleries. Upon entering the wide open space of gallery one, I was instantly pulled in by a range of teapots fanned across the floor. It turned out that they were part of an installation piece that included the 3D printer that was printing the teapots live in the gallery. Accompanied by very knowledgeable staff that were keen to share their interest in the piece, we were able to touch the pots and observe the 3D printing at close-quarters. 

The Barbara Hepworth collection itself was quite small for a museum that is dedicated to the artist. The curators have done a great job with what little pieces they had, creating a lovely room in homage to her life (including her tools, drawings and photographs) and a large open space reminiscent of her workshop, dotted here and there with various sculptures and plasters. The architecture of the building does a wonderful job to highlight the simple beauty of her work, with high ceilings, crisp white walls and huge windows that flood the galleries with natural light. 

One highlight of the Hepworth that I strangely enjoyed was the current exhibition of Linda Benglis' work. I had never come across this artist before but I found her work to be very intriguing. Most of it, I just did not understand (the usual distaste in contemporary works came back a few times), but at the same time I thought it to be very aesthetically pleasing and really had to stop myself from reaching out and touching quite a lot of her work. The exhibition was large, larger than expected, and covered a number of rooms. This allowed the visitor to see a range of works from different genres, different media and different stages in the artist's life. It easily explored her travels around the world and demonstrated how the changes in culture had influenced a change in her working practice. 

The Hepworth Wakefield may be a strange place to build a museum such as this (even though it is the artist's home town) and I am slightly disappointed that because of the tricky travel situations, I probably wont be able to get back to the Hepworth any time soon but otherwise it is a lovely little gallery and a definite testament to the life of Barbara Hepworth. 

The Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester - Grand Re-opening!

On Saturday I visited the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester for the first day of its grand reopening weekend after being out of action for a £15 million refurbishment. As a Museum studies student and a member of the University of Manchester, it was a very important and exciting event in this year's calendar and has been highly anticipated, especially by the University's AGMS students (Art Gallery & Museum Studies). Having only lived in Manchester since September, I didn't have the fortune to see the gallery before its transformation so I can not successfully give a comparison between the old building and the new. However, what I did find was a beautiful, contemporary space that still held the charm of the original 19th century building while treating the visitor to a modern, open plan gallery. 

Upon entering on Saturday morning, the gallery was already busy and bustling and the staff were obviously excited and eager to help all of the visitors that came through the doors. The new look galleries are spacious, modern and beautiful and highlight The Whitworth's stunning collections. 

I was particularly interested in Cornelia Parker's work, which is the gallery's first major temporary exhibition to mark the reopening. I am the first to admit that I have never been a fan of modern art; I can not often see the beauty in it, (something which bemuses me and annoys my modern-art-loving friends who have to put up with my disappointed sighs) however I found Parker's work to be both fascinating and beautiful. There is a curiosity in her work and often a hidden beauty in the mediums that she uses that I found particularly interesting. I am looking forward to visiting again in order to properly soak in all of her work, as I found the mass of visitors to the gallery that day made it extremely difficult to focus on any one art work for too long. 

With wonderful temporary exhibits alongside beautiful permanent displays, it is no wonder that The Whitworth gained thousands more visitors on its opening weekend than was estimated. I unfortunately couldn't take the crowds after nearly two hours of battling our way around the various rooms and reluctantly retreated to the gardens. However, my next trip is already planned (with part of that plan being to visit the delicious-looking cafe) and I can't wait to soak up all that The Whitworth has to offer!

WITTERQUICK, Mara Tancu and Amy Monzon Top This Week's BEAT100 World Music Video Chart!

WITTERQUICK finish in the top spot of this week's World Music Video Chart with their hit original track 'TheOtherside'! The English band, based in Exeter, only formed 18 months ago but have already made a splash with their debut single gaining over 10,000 views since December. This popularity has also extended to theBEAT100 community; 'The Otherside' shot into the top 5 within its first week of chart entry, quickly rising to1st place just one week later! The upbeat rock track has racked up over 1300 views on BEAT100 alone as well as gaining three Gold Awards from the BEAT100 A&R team. All of the WITTERQUICK members have been part of various bands over the years, honing and developing their talents before finally combining their individual musical tastes 18 months ago. The group have since written over 20 original songs but only the best of the bunch make the final cut. They tell BEAT100 'We pick out the songs we love, the songs that have that energy in them that is so lacking in music for the last decade or so. With the response we’re getting, after only being active for a short while, it’s clear that we’re not alone. We have something that other bands don’t.' Influenced by rock sounds from the 70s and 80s, WITTERQUICK gain their inspiration from bands such as Guns and Roses and Pink Floyd, along with more modern bands who carry this classic rock sound into the 21st century, such as Biffy Clyro and Brand New. The fledgling musicians have made a great start to their musical careers and have gained a great response for their debut track 'The Otherside' which will officially be released on March 10th. Currently, WITTERQUICK are preparing for various support slots over the next few months and, most excitingly, are gearing up to record their debut EP in just three weeks time! Talking to BEAT100 about their upcoming busy schedule, WITTERQUICK say, 'We couldn’t be more excited to get these songs out, and because we’re unsigned we can release what we want, when we want.'

Second place in this week's chart was won by Romanian songstress Mara Tancu! Mara has won over theBEAT100 community with the sweet and strong vocals that she provides on a variety of cover songs. Her winning track this week is a passionate cover of 'Going Nowhere' originally by British girl band, Little Mix. The track has won her three Silver awards and currently has over 1300 views on BEAT100 alone. The young singer gains inspiration from her idol Christina Aguilera as well as other influential young female artists such as Pixie Lott and Little Mix. Mara says that she admires her idols and looks to them when recording her impressive cover tracks, however, she strives to develop her own style and add her own personal twist to her music. Mara tells BEAT100 'Music is my happiness. I feel a great pleasure just listening to it and I am so grateful that God gave me the necessary qualities to be able to sing. Although it's a cliché, MUSIC IS MY LIFE!'. Despite her young years, Mara has taken part in various national and international singing contests, proving her talent and finishing in the Top three in every single one! Mara has also gone so far to claim national TV fame after appearing on the international Next Star Romania contest which aired on one of the country's most popular channels. For now, Mara is working on honing her talent and challenging herself as much as she can in order to perfect her performance and develop her musical style. She aims to one day share the stage with her idols and we are sure that she is not very far away from achieving her goal!

Californian pop star Amy Monzon finished in third place this week with her debut original single 'Love Song'. Amy, from San Diego, California only released 'Love Song' at the beginning of the year but is already gaining amazing recognition, including three Gold awards from the BEAT100 A&R team! As a child Amy would often sing her favourite song, Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On', to her imaginary legions of fans and now it seems that Amy is well on her way to achieving her childhood dream. Amy's love for music continued throughout college after she joined a girl band in her freshman year. After leaving the band to focus on her studies, the budding singer decided to pursue a solo career after her graduation. Despite only beginning to post songs on YouTube one year ago, Amy has already performed at some legendary venues, including House of Blues, Whiskey a Go-Go and Gibson Amphitheater. She also enjoys regularly performing at a variety of venues in her local area and is steadily growing a solid fan base who love her upbeat pop style. Amy's winning track this week, 'Love Song' may have only been released a few weeks ago but the powerful pop production and catchy lyrics make it seem as if the young singer is a seasoned professional. We can see Amy progressing far in her music career and can't wait to see her in the charts again!

Written for www.BEAT100.com

Elizabeth Gaskell's House

Elizabeth Gaskell's House was bought to my attention by one of my course lecturers (Helen Rees Leahy), she was one of the curators on the project and talked very passionately about her involvement and all of the work that had gone into restoring the building to it's former glory.

Formally owned by 19th century writer, Elizabeth Gaskell and her husband William, the house was only reopened to the public at the end of last year after being restored to its former period beauty. The rooms have been painstakingly designed and decorated to match the few photographs and descriptions to hand, using original furniture where possible and providing accurate replicas where not. I was impressed that everything down to the same type of horsehair seating has been used on the chairs to give the house the most authentic feel possible. 

Some of the objects and furniture on display did originally belong to the Gaskell's and give an air of authenticity and a personal touch to the restoration. I found the staff to be extremely knowledgeable and eager to share their information with the visitors in each room. Mostly, I found it fascinating that you were invited to touch, sit and fully experience all of the displays, something that I have never come across before. With it being so ingrained in my head that most things in museums aren't for touching, it was hard to get my head around that I could sit on the chairs and take books off of the shelves but I found this to be a brilliant touch to this unique little house. 

I was disappointed that, at the moment, there are only 4 rooms to explore and because of this considered the entrance fee maybe a little too high. There are plans to resume the restoration of the bedrooms upstairs and I think that when that does happen the entrance fee will be perfectly adequate, especially because it lasts for a full 12 months. There is also a lovely little tea room situated in the original kitchen of the house that does nice coffee and cake that is well worth a visit after you have explored the rooms.