TICKETS ON SALE FEB 7TH 2019
There are nearly 30 events at NQL 2019, featuring art, music, debate and architecture, exploring the city in a fast changing world.
Hightlights include Hauntology at The White Hotel, a newly commissioned play “Beneath These Tarmac Cracks”,
a night of art & music curated by Dave Haslam and “Children Dream A City’ in collaboration with architects Hawkins Brown.
Full details of events and venues will be published when the tickets go on sale.
THURSDAY 28TH MARCH
The festival begins with two events. Ordsall Community Arts will be working with local children to produce lanterns at an event called “THE LIGHTS ARE ON” whilst over at The White Hotel there will be an amazing night of music, light and sound performed by artists exploring our haunted city of unresolved pasts and unrealised futures.
“HAUNTOLOGY” will feature artists Wilderness Hymnal, Black Lodge, Sean Clarke, Xavier Velastin, Zirkus, Ruby Tingle and Simon Woolham. The excellent LoneLady will be doing a DJ set.
FRIDAY 29TH MARCH
On the Friday there are six events, starting with a panel discussion first thing in the morning at Capital & Centric on the theme of “PLACEMAKING”.
Then we have DARK BORDERS, a night walk with Nick Dunn, literature with THE REAL STORY at the Kings Arms, a COCKTAIL MAKING WORKSHOP at Lupo with Into The Gathering Dusk and an astonishing hommage to ‘THE ORDSALL PEACOCK : ‘GUARDIAN OF MEMORIES’ in collaboration with lighting specialists Arup.
There will also be the premier of a play specially commissioned for NQL 2019, called “BENEATH THESE TARMAC CRACKS” by award winning playwright Josh Val Martin, with soundscapes and music by Daniel Mawson and visuals by Simon Buckley / Not Quite Light.
The story focuses on May, who was born in 1913, and is now literally dying of remembering too much, having developed a regenerative disease which causes her to remember more and more about her life.
Lonely, and in a care home, she is visited by a PhD history student researching Salfordian women in the 1930s, who sees the potential in exploiting the old lady’s condition. The play looks at reality and nostalgia, asking us if it’s really so bad to forget?
SATURDAY 30TH MARCH
We get into the full swing on the Saturday. The day begins at dawn with an event called “PILGRIMAGE” – a charity walk led by the Rev Andy Salmon, following the River Irwell from its source 30 miles north, down to Scared Trinity on Chapel Street. All monies raised will go to homeless charities. Also setting off at dawn is well known local photographer ANDREW BROOKS, who will be conducting a photo walk around the Chapel Street area of Salford.
The festival hub will be at Five Four Studios, and here there will be a day of talks, workshops, music and art. Events begin with artists’ talks. First up is AL BRYDON, who produces amazing photographs called Solargraphs. He will be joined by LAURA SAGAR who will discuss her work, particularly her March Of The Artists.
There will also be a fascinating talk on how we use artificial light by experts from Arup – Light plays a vital role in our lives, affecting how behave and feel. They’ll be discussing how a human centered approach to urban lighting can create a truly 24hr city.
Architects Hawkins Brown, in collaboration with GF Smith Papers, will be leading a brilliant all day event called “CHILDREN DREAM A CITY” where children get to imagine and build a city with card.
In the afternoon “THE DARK CITY” will see a panel discussion and performances from poets and authors Kate Feld, Emily Oldfield, Nick Royle, Rosie Garland, Steve Marland, Anne Beswick and Helen Darby. They will explore the darker side of the city as an inspiration for crime novels, the gothic and film noir.
Meanwhile the Modernist Society will curate an event called “FROZEN MUSIC” It will examine how photography has influenced architectural styles. Eddy Rhead will lead the event, which includes a showing of a documentary on mid-20th C photographer Julius Shulman, and a panel featuring photographer Daniel Hopkinson, Jenna Johnston from Buttress Architects and Dr Richard Brook, Reader in Architecture at MSA .
During the afternoon, in the bar of FiveFour Studios, “COURTYARD CREATIONS” will be providing 2 hours of live music.
Meanwhile, over at Ordsall hall there is an event called “SLEEP LIKE A TUDOR” with historians Sasha Handley and Anna Fielding. They will take you on a wonderful journey, exploring how the Tudors slept, and ask if there is anything that we can learn from them to help us sleep better in the 21st Century? They will explain the history of how the Tudors approached sleep, and also help you create your own sleep potions using authentic herbs.
In the evening it’s back to Five Four Studios for another night of wonderful live music, video, poetry, and a glorious afterparty, curated by Dave Haslam especially for Not Quite Light. Called “HEART & SOUL” it will feature DAVE HASLAM and The Option (Paris) perform their ambient soundscape ‘Breathless’ live for the first time in the UK – with an accompanying live video created by Donna Jevons – alongside sets by spoken word performers Eve Piper, Karl Hildebrandt, and Kieren King, and acoustic singer/songwriter Evie Russell.
The night concludes with ‘Salfrica’, a one-off club night of Afro-flavoured house and disco with DJs Levi Love and Selina Nongaliphe Oliphant (aka SNO).
SUNDAY 31ST MARCH
On the Sunday, we again begin at dawn with a “DAWN CYCLE RIDE” through the streets of Salford, supported by The Bike Hire Shop and Salford Council. Then we’re back off to Five Four Studios for more talks and workshops.
In the morning we have artists LIAM SPENCER and CLARE ARCHIBALD discuss their work. There will also be more talks on architecture, and Hawkins Brown will continue their “CHILDREN DREAM A CITY” workshop. In the afternoon we have a special event curated by MANCMADE which, through performance and readings looks at when the Sioux tribe came to Salford with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show at the turn of the 20th C. There will also be a further exploration of people’s journey’s bringing them to settle in Salford.
Also taking place is “EXPLORING SALFORD” with historian John Garrard and urban explorer Matt Holmes, who enters abandoned buildings and documents their decaying interiors. And again “COURTYARD CREATIONS” will be providing live music throughout the afternoon.
Away from Five Four GRUB MCR will be staging a very special food event at the Masonic Hall on The Crescent featuring great local food and drink companies alongside speakers Jonathan Schofield , Cllr. Derek Antrobus and others, who will guide us through the history of food in the city, and its importance to the evolution and regeneration of local communities.
Across the road in Peel Park and Salford Art Gallery cafe, will be a performance piece and film by artist Clare Archibald – “SPACE OF DOGLESSNESS” is a docupoem film exploring permission to public spaces and the impact of dog ownership on ideas of outside. The film will show on a loop whilst outside a man and woman will sit or walk separately with or without dogs and observe public reactions /interactions. The much loved Lark Hill place at Salford Museum will host an afternoon of story telling.
At the New Adelphi Theatre, in collaboration with Salford University, will be “FILM IN THE HALF LIGHT” looking at film makers who have used the half light as inspiration for their work.
There will also be guided walks with photographer Steve Marland along The Crescent, and Jonathan Schofield will lead a walk along Chapel Street, ending up at the Masonic Hall.
The festival concludes in the evening back at Five Four Studios with another performance of “BENEATH THESE TARMAC CRACKS” followed by live music from Irish flute player Michael Walsh, performing work from his forthcoming album “QUARE HAWK”, which explores ideas of nostalgia and tradition. Michael will be joined by special guests such as Simon Bradley and Hannah Miller from The Moullettes.