Grab a £12 ticket for Manchester International Festival events...

Manchester International Festival returns for its fourth year, showcasing original, new work. This includes music, visual arts, theatre, dance, food and family events, both indoor and outdoor, all created by internationally acclaimed artists. The work is premiered in Manchester, with many commissions going on to tour the world.

MIF are offering a select number of £12 tickets for the following events:

Abida Parveen
Delphic
Despacio
Goldfrapp
John Tavener
Macbeth- the actual show, not the live relay
Martha Argerich
Massive Attack V Adam Curtis
Michelangelo Sonnets
Mogwai
Neneh Cherry
The Machine
The Old Woman
Rite of Spring

To take up this amazing offer, use the code MIFGMC when you ring to book tickets. Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis. Call 0161 876 2406 to book and visit www.mif.co.uk for information on each event.

Laptops for loan!

As a library customer, you can now borrow a laptop for use while in the library, free of charge. You can take advantage of the free Wi-Fi at these libraries and use a laptop in a comfortable environment to access the internet. It means you can study from a sofa or easy chair in the library, or sit at a study desk and spread out the reference books or maps you’re using, rather than being restricted to a fixed computer point with limited space.

This innovative scheme has been trialled at City Library since February 2012 and has now been introduced to Wythenshawe, North City and The Avenue libraries. It is believed to be the first such scheme in a UK public library. Reaction to the trial scheme at City Library has been positive, with customers liking the freedom of using a portable device in a way that suited them. For customers who had never used a laptop before, it was a great opportunity to develop new skills!

For further information, visit one of the participating libraries, email libraries@manchester.gov.uk or call 0161 234 1983.

Photo credit: atomicshark via photopin cc

Get Help with Your CV at Withington Library

Whether you are writing your first CV or updating an existing one, get some free help at our free CV and On-line Job Search drop-in sessions at Withington Library. Drop in on Friday 10, 17, 24 and 31 May between 10am -11.30am .

Call Oliver on 0161 227 3702/3700 or email: o.larke@manchester.gov.uk for more information.

(Photo credit: AngelaArcher.com via photopin cc)

Support the young traders in Albert Square!

On Saturday 11th May, over 80 young people aged 11 to 21 will run 44 stalls, punting their wares to Manchester's shopping public.

Young traders aged 16 to 21 will run 24 stalls on the National Youth Market. Josh, 20, from Manchester, will be selling a range of fabrics for home decoration plus some of his own artwork under his brand WonderWall. Josh said: "Events like this are so important to the growth of small businesses and the development of young traders, not only for the sales and the experience that comes with them, but for the conformation that there are still options there for people to succeed from hard work and a good idea."

The remainder of the stalls will be run by groups of 11 to 15 year olds, who are travelling from as far afield as Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Caerphilly and London.

Jasmine, 12, from East London, aims to raise awareness of cultural diversity from her stall by serving up a range of healthy dishes from different ethnic backgrounds. Jasmine said :"It’s is a great opportunity to gain new experience and to take something from it. It’s not just about having fun. Not everyone gets the chance to do this. I’m most looking forward being there on the day, promoting what I am selling and teaching people about healthy eating." 

Expect to find...

•    Upcycled clothing and jewellery
•    Screen printed eco friendly clothing
•    Bespoke organic jewellery
•    Jewellery made and sold by young people with learning difficulties
•    Traditional sweets from different countries and cultures
•    Designed t-shirts, shoes and cupcakes inspired by popular literature
•    Eco friendly and homemade products designed to promote ‘peace, love and happiness’ to raise awareness of tackling depression and low self-esteem
•    Hand made chocolates made by young people living with autism
•    Personalised phone cases sold to raise money for arts-based activities for isolated groups

Organised by Live UnLtd, Manchester City Council and the NMTF, the National Youth Market runs in Albert Square, Manchester, on Saturday 11 May from 11am to 4pm. For more information please visit: www.manchester.gov.uk/markets

Join small business expert and co-founder of StartUp Britain, Emma Jones MBE at StartUp Saturday

Join small business expert, author and co-founder of StartUp Britain Emma Jones MBE - and other aspiring entrepreneurs -  to learn how to turn your idea into a business in just one day.

Check out this video from a StartUp Saturday run in London last year:

Even if you've already started your business, there's lots to learn at StartUp Saturday! What you'll learn:

How to uncover your BIG Idea and research the market

5 points to include in a business plan

The must-do’s – register the company and protect your brand

Straight forward finance and easy budgeting techniques

Set-up tips on office tech, furnishings & fashion!

All things web – building a home online

Simple sales roadmap and cold-calling made easy

Make some noise!

Successful marketing on a budget

5 essential social media tools and how to make the most of them

Team work – how to grow the business without outgrowing the home

Happy Customers and Balanced Business – you can achieve it all!

StartUp Saturday classes are fun, friendly and welcoming. You'll have plenty of time to ask questions, meet your classmates and share your experiences - on the day and on our website afterwards.

StartUp Saturday costs £30 - the ticket price includes a free startup book, worth £12.99, which includes over £500-worth of savings on business essentials - plus, coffee and cake. Book online now!



StartUp Saturday
Saturday 1 June
City Library
Deansgate
Manchester
M3 3WD

Beginner's IT drop-in classes at City Library

Do you want help to do something on your computer?
To save time and/or money by shopping online?
To keep in touch with your friends or family on Facebook, Twitter or Skype?
Creating an email address or using emails?
Searching for a job?
Want to download apps for your new tablet?
Or share holiday photos online?

If the answer is yes to any of the questions above why not pop along  to our basic IT drop in at City Library. 

No problem too small!

The sessions run every Thursday from 2 to 3pm. It's free and there's no need to book - just turn up!

City Library is on Deansgate at the bottom of Jackson's Row. If you are using a sat nav the postcode is M3 3WD.

(Photo credit: Tc Morgan via photopin cc)

Longsight Library - Free Spoken Word Workshop for Young Women

Come and find your voice!

Join local spoken word artist Alexandra Keelan for an insight into poetry & performance.

Learn techniques for writing and performing in front of people. Performance poetry is a great way to understand life. The world needs more women's voices.

For young women aged 16-19.
Places are free but limited, so please book via Fiona Fulton:  0161 227 3707 or f.fulton@manchester.gov.uk

Tuesday 7 May, 6.30pm – 7.30pm
Longsight Library & Learning Centre
519 Stockport Road, Longsight, M12 4NE

(Photo credit: fensterbme via photopin cc)

Manchester Industrial Heritage reading group meet this Thursday

Are you interested in Manchester history – specifically turn of the 19th century? You're invited to join the latest reading group at MadLab.

This group will focus on Manchester’s industrial heritage, reading a mixture of fiction, non-fiction, autobiographies and maybe even Engels’ The Condition of the Working Class in England.

The next meeting will be on Thursday 25 April at Madlab in Edge Street in the City Centre. Meetings are free to attend, and have a loose discussion format. By popular demand we will be discussing Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell, published in 1848.

This story is set in Manchester between 1839 and 1842, and deals with the difficulties faced by the Victorian lower class. It is subtitled ‘A Tale of Manchester Life’. Manchester Central Libraries will have several copies, but you can also read it on your eReader from Project Gutenberg.

Contenders for the future books include Love on the Dole, A Taste of Honey and Magnolia Street. Do you have a book you can recommend? Please let us know! We would like to create a list of books delving into Manchester’s industrial past. But if you’d like to know more, please email office@madlab.org.uk or leave a comment below.

(This project is supported by an All Our Stories grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund). 

Tomorrow! Celebrate World Book Night 2013 at Moss Side Powerhouse

Young Identity, formed in 2006 by Shirley May and Ali Gadema, is a Manchester-based collective of young poets, singers and artists.

Their social commentary is often wise beyond their years and their humour is known to tickle the ribs of the young and old alike.  Their set will feature performances from Young Identity’s newest performance group ‘Sanctum’, a collective of wordsmiths of notable quality.

Sanctum displays an extraordinary ability to tell stories, play with words and comment on the world they see around them; all with the unmistakable freshness of youth. Billie Meredith, Sanctum member and an upcoming songstress of rare talent will share also some songs.

Come and hear the voice of tomorrow; today.

The event will feature free pizza and World Book Night Books (subject to availability).

6.15pm – 7.45pm

Tuesday 23 April

Moss Side Powerhouse, 140 Raby Street, Moss Side M14 4SL

Postcard Poetry Winners Announced

Thanks to all the 736 children and young people who took part in our Postcard Poetry competition.  The quality and range of the entries was fantastic, and made the judging that much harder!

The winners of the 3 different age categories were:
(age 6-10) Ciara Avis from Our Lady’s RC Primary
(age 11-13) Megan Hydes-Kelly from Loreto High School
(age 14-16) Gianina Dwek from Manchester High School for Girls

Check out the Postcard Poetry webpage to see the winning entries, and find out if your poem is one of the commended or highly commended ones.

Victoria Station Revamp announced - take a look at some archive photos...

Steam over to the Manchester Evening News to read about the £44 million revamp planned for Victoria Station, but before you go take a look at some of the best archive pictures of the 160 year old station taken from Manchester Libraries' online Local Image Collection. The collection holds over 80,000 historic images of Manchester and is free to browse on the library's website.

Victoria in 1870

Platform barrier 1957

Passengers in 1957

Shops and stalls 1957

After the Blitz 1940

Victoria in 1926

Victoria Bookstall 1936

There are almost 200 photographs of Victoria in the collection and they are all available to buy as prints - click on the little basket icon to buy a high quality print and have it posted to your address.

Library App available in Blackberry store

More than 1000 people have downloaded the library app for Apple amd Android devices and it's now also available in the Blackberry store.

The app lets you search the library catalogue from your phone or tablet plus you can reserve books and renew your existing loans.

And best of all you can use the app to scan the barcode of any book and find out if it is available to borrow from Manchester Libraries. If we have it you can reserve it on the spot. Why buy when you can borrow?

You'll also find a list of libraries and links to Facebook and Twitter so you can keep in touch with us, share your reading recommendations or ask us questions!

The app is free and is available for Android, Apple and Blackberry devices. Visit the download page and grab the new library app now!