As part of the Manchester Science Festival, developer Capital and Centric is sponsoring a four day Grand Exposition of 'artists, makers and creative technologists' at Talbot Mill, which includes a 'steampunk marketplace'...
But across the road from the hipster paradise, at Phoenix House, artists are putting the politics back into creativity with an event titled Artists' Space and Gentrification - A Grand Alternative?, which explores the role of creatives in the regeneration game.
"Gentrification is fast becoming this city's most pressing issue for its residents, but how do artists factor into it?" ask the organisers "As affordable places to work become harder to find in Manchester, the landscape is being largely dictated by property developers and their desire for cultural capital.
"It often seems that an artist's only option is to work with these forces in return for temporary space, helping property speculators move into 'undesirable' areas whilst boosting cultural kudos" they add "However, is it really an either-or scenario? How do we negotiate this new landscape? And are there alternatives to the precarious situation we find ourselves in? This event aims to open up these questions."
To help with the discussion, there are four juicy short talks...
Steve Hanson will be musing on the question: Property speculation, the only game in town?: Dale Lately will be talking about The regeneration game: How property developers fell in love with artists, and Jane Brake and John van Aitken will be sticking the verbal boot into our philistine city authorities with Joy and Division in Salford: The Artful Discourses of Gentrification
Meanwhile, representatives of the Partisan collective, which has a new base in Cheetham Hill, will be explaining about Alternative Spaces and how they get made.
It's all to be followed by a group discussion chaired by Patrick Baxter, while throughout the afternoon there'll be graphic visualisations by Joe Ravetz. The event aims to be informal, open and exploratory, with all ideas welcome.
Artists' Space and Gentrification - A Grand Alternative?
Saturday 28th October noon-2pm free
1st Floor, Phoenix House, Ellesmere Street, Manchester M15 4LQ
For more details and to register - click here
Please note that unfortunately there is no disabled access. The place also gets a bit cold so wear warm clothes.
For background see previous Salford Star article on Jane Brake and John van Aitken's work in Salford click here and their blog site click here
For more info on Dale Lately's work see www.dalelately.com
See also the Salford Star article on the city's Cultural Strategy click here
And on artists' response to Ordsall regeneration see here
Main image shows an about to be demolished house in the Top Streets of Broughton with the poignant Aladdin Sane poster left on the wall
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