The live event - 'Workers At Play' - sought to bring people together to engage with the exhibition, discover local artists and journey through a variety of Library spaces, each filled with a different musical treat. Devised and managed by postgraduate students from The University of Manchester's MA Arts Management, the evening was curated in collaboration with industry professional Tom Hingley. Together they brought back the spirit of Wakes Week for an event of traditional entertainment presented in a truly modern context.

The highly acclaimed yet local mix of artists featured award-winning performance poet JB Barrington with special guests from the RNCM, and collaborative folk performances from Monologue John Bartley and Manchester’s broadside ballad singer Jennifer Reid. 
The Library's new flexible performance space, nestled snugly against the archives and exhibition, provided a great environment for the music and stories of holiday traditions.

The ornate space of Shakespeare Hall saw its steps lined with local choirs as The Cosmo Singers and a mixed group from the Kadenza and Bolton Clarion choirs brought harmonious voices to the Library's foyer. One by one they delivered a mix of songs from Manchester's industrial past intertwined with the odd sea shanty.

Other attractions on the night saw magic at the cafe from Master Magician Jez Mansfield, a rousing sing along with community ukulele group Levy Uke Up, and a bright welcome from the very start with Oldham Youth Wind Ensemble welcoming guests at the entrance.

To usher in the abstract and avant garde, newly commissioned experimental and responsive soundscapes were composed by members of NOVARS, a Manchester research centre for 'Innovation in Sound, Space and Interactive Art'. The library's epic Reading Room with its high domed ceiling was the setting for the live diffused soundscapes reflecting on ideas of work and play. 

Peter Emms, Project Manager, Workers at Play, said: 
"‘Workers at Play’ was a great opportunity to showcase the developing Arts Management talent that the University of Manchester is bringing into the industry. We aimed for and successfully delivered a bold, engaging and popular cultural event, bringing audiences together around the new exhibition to revive the ‘Wakes Week’ sense of community togetherness. We provided a free opportunity for all to experience the diverse treats of local performers and musicians, and encouraged new visitors to wander the library halls and witness the refurbishment’s combination of classic architectural character and modern digital utility. We aimed our event to support the library, university, fellow students and arts professionals with a truly all-encompassing sense of purpose, and I hope you have time to look through all the great feedback we received from those we worked with and entertained. It was a lot of hard work but much fun for all involved as well. See you at our next event!"


More details on The Artists and their feedback