Not Part Of

Manchester International Festival seems to finally be achieving some real credibility this year, with excellent reviews for the big ticket appearances by the likes of Bjork and Damon Albarn. The Festival Pavilion outside the Town Hall has become a lively meeting place, and the city centre seems somehow continental all of a sudden. Chloe Sevigny is being spotted here, there and everywhere, and the sun is shining.

I’ve been heartily cynical about the MIF in the past; events have been over-priced (£45 for De La Soul at The Ritz?), and the whole event has felt rather artificial. This year, though, the Festival finally has the lively Fringe that it deserves. Not Part Of has put together a great programme of art, film and literary events, and I’ll be attempting to keep on top of this over the next couple of weeks. Obviously, I can’t get to everything, but here are some recommended events:

Wednesday July 6: Flash Language Literary Pub Quiz

Friday 8: Kim Noble Gave Me A Fiver

Wednesday 13: Time Frame: Southpaw Junction

Friday 15: For Books’ Sake: Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

And some ongoing events:

Re-Covering

11 Rooms

1,395 Days Without Red