Programme

Friday at A Grand Exposition sees a day of two halves. By day you’ll experience a trio of exhibitions, meet the Talbot Mill community and take part in artist-led workshops. Alongside an exhibition of specially curated artworks that illustrate the blending of art, science and technology, you’ll find The Cornbrook Retrospective and The Collaborators Showcase.

By night, you’ll see talks from specialists and local thinkers on the social impacts of science and technology before experiencing performances from live audio-visualisers, DJs and VJs.

Evening activities run from 7pm – 11pm. The line-up includes:

TUTTIFRUITTI
A focus on AV performance, visual montage, and eclectic dance music.
Tonoscope (Live set)
ECT (Interactive)
With
DJ DoNot / DJ Bic / DJ Feathers
VJ colourForm
+ more TBA

An Illuminated Talk
Fundamentals – Energy | Electricity | Radiation
A specially curated panel will be discussing how knowledge of the most fundamental forms and forces helps both reveal and conceal the workings of Nature.

Saturday introduces The Northern Guild’s Arcade in the daytime, and A Grand Night Out in the evening. As well as immersing yourself in the continuing exhibitions, retrospectives and artist-led workshops, you’ll also get to meet artists and create your very own sci-art in the Arcade’s MakerZone and marvel at the weird and wonderful artworks, clothing, homeware and gifts at the Steampunk MarketPlace

As night rolls in, stay with us for A Grand Night Out. This is a special event that combines talks and live performances, which can be enjoyed together over a bottle of Manchester Science Festival ale, specially created by Talbot Mill’s own Brew Shack micro-brewery (free for ticket holders). There are non-alcoholic alternatives too, if you’re off the sauce.

Evening activities run from 7pm – 11pm. The line-up includes:

A GRAND NIGHT OUT
Celebrate our common histories of rebellion and the unquenchable spirit of play, subversion and solidarity.
Spaceheads ~ Cosmic Drum and Trumpet duo bring us ‘The Revolution Sashays up the Mall’
Paddy Steer ~ “Sounds like a Swiss cuckoo clock made of egg boxes and horsehair, glued together by an African Moog player in a Vietnamese iron monger’s shop”
With
Rucksack Cinema
[ Analogue Curtain ] DJ Special K
VJ colourForm
+ more TBA

An Illuminated Talk
Dynamics – Pattern | Resonance | Complexity
The panel will be discussing the ways artists’ practice can assist science researchers to recognise new patterns and connections in data and visual communication.

On the last day of A Grand Exposition, after enjoying the continuing exhibitions and activities in the Arcade, why not stay with us for high tea and The Grand Auction at 4pm, where you may bid on items as varied as particle accelerator jewellery, antique electronic curiosities, original artworks and an array of furniture, fixtures and fittings from the Exposition.

The evening presents an assortment of left-field improv and variety acts descending on us as part of our very own Cabaret Faraday, you’ll see all sorts of people take to the stage for a cabaret like no other.

Evening activities run from 7pm – 11pm. The line-up includes:

CABARET FARADAY
With
Cornbrook Number #3 Acoustic Machine Works ~ Mechatronic Sound Circus
Dr Quack’s Talking Cure ~ It’s far from boring. But how far ?
Kino Film Club presents… Bad Science shorts
Vacuum Scientific vs The Pressure Company ~ How low can you go ?
MX Ghost’s Variety Show ~ Stand up and be counted
SpitDog ~ Science is not a narrative
Manoli Moriaty ~ Device D
+ more TBA

An Illuminated Talk
Change – Power | Innovation | Control
Considered from both ‘Determinist’ and ‘Dynamic’ perspectives, the panel will examine how culture informs technology as we plot trajectories into the New Machine Age.