Brighter Sound’s project, The Echo Trace, is named after the incredible acoustic effects in the Central Library’s domed reading room and marks the second phase of Chaos to Order – a programme that commenced with a weeklong artistic residency curated by Everything Everything last November.
For this final event, artists and their projects from North City, Longsight, Withington, Beswick and Wythenshawe Forum Libraries come together under one roof to showcase the whole of the exciting programme of arts activities that have been taking place in the five libraries. Featuring music, sound art, spoken word, sculpture, photography and cookery, the event will celebrate the changing ways in which these local libraries have been used and experienced by their communities – and how creativity has played a key role in changing perceptions of the library’s role.
The Echo Trace is a day-long event featuring:
Baby Chaos: 10.30am – 12pm. Families from Beswick Library and artist/musician Najia Baji host a multi-sensory workshop, for under 4s and their families, inspired by Michael Rosen’s legendary storybook We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.
Digital Mapping with Let’s Go Global: 11.30am – 12.30pm. Artists David Birchall and Andrea Pazos deliver a live digital art session featuring a project by Wythenshawe Forum. Hear how Wythenshawe residents have made a sound map of their neighbourhood, featuring music, noise and conversation, and go on a sound adventure around the library.
Fictitious Dishes: 12.30 – 1.30pm. Taste canapés created by chef Mary Ellen McTague, inspired by some of the greatest literature of the 20th Century from Sylvia Plath to Salman Rushdie, while author Emma Jane Unsworth reads.
Grand Day Out: 1-40-2.15. North City Library shares an installation built around memories of growing up in Harpurhey. It’s a journey of written memories, film and conversation with photography by Rebecca Lupton. A newly commissioned piece of music by Eve Harrison to accompany the installation will be performed by an ensemble of cello, violin, trombone, trumpet and oboe.
Sound Sculptures: 2.30-3pm. Improvised music collective The Noise Upstairs and electronic sound artists The Owl Project showcase the sound sculptures created by young people at Withington Library, finishing with an improvised performance where the original makers and audience will also take part.
Poetry and Spoken Word: 3.15-3.45pm. Young people from Longsight Library premiere the creative talents they have developed with spoken word ensemble Inna Voice, in a new and original performance of poetry, spoken word and music.
Chaos to Order: 4-4.45pm. The original 15 Chaos to Order residency musicians return to perform their high energy set with singer songwriters Sara Lowes and Liam Frost, which is also available as a download https://soundcloud.com/brighter-sound-ltd
Councillor Rosa Battle, Executive Member for Culture and Leisure at Manchester City Council, said: “The diverse range of projects hosted at neighbourhood libraries across the city for The Echo Trace helped residents to explore and creatively express elements of their local and personal history. The free finale showcase at Central Library will be a fitting celebration of the array of artistic talent in Manchester and of our libraries’ important role in fostering creativity.”
