Danny Boyle, the Bury-born, Oscar-winning director behind Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting and the upcoming Steve Jobs biopic, knows his way around an opening do.
HOME's opening exhibition is all about love, heartbreak and 'the bittersweet emotions of your first teenage crush'
Having orchestrated the crackerjack London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony featuring rolling hills, belching smokestacks, Sergeant Peppers, James Bond, the Queen, Mr Bean, NHS nurses, Elgar, Blake and Beckham; HOME patron Boyle will open Manchester's new £25m arts centre this Bank Holiday weekend with a wallop.
See the first pictures of the completed HOME here.
Boyle has created a funfair-themed fireworks spectacular to mark the grand opening of HOME, featuring carnival performances and ending in a 'volley of percussive mascleta pyrotechnics' - or fireworks with big drums.
And that's just the Thursday - so here's the top five (ok, six) things not to miss across the entire HOMEWarming Weekend:
Patron Danny Boyle (right) with HOME chief Dave Moutrey (left)EVENT - WELCOME HOME with Danny Boyle
Thurs 21 May - 5pm to 6.30pm - Tony Wilson Place, First Street - FREE
HOME patron and Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle will curate a funfair fanfare with performances from carnival arts troupe Juba do Leao and pyrotechnics from pa-Boom. Visitors are then invited to head into HOME and take a look at all the new spaces and hit the new bar.
THEATRE - THE FUNFAIR
Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun and Mon (until 30 May) - 7.30pm - Theatre 1 - Tickets £15-£29.50
HOME's first theatre production, The Funfair, is a world premiere by Stockport-born, Olivier Award-winner Simon Stephens (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time). A new version of Odon von Horvath's Kasimir and Karoline, this a story of young lovers on the verge of a break-up during one rollercoaster night at the fairground.
The Heart Is Deceitful Above All ThingsART - THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS
Opens Fri 22 May - 6pm to 11pm - Gallery - FREE
HOME's opening exhibition is all about love, heartbreak and 'the bittersweet emotions of your first teenage crush', and features exciting new commissions from artists including Jeremy Bailey, Declan Clarke and Irina Gheorghe. Join the HOME team for a drink and a first tour around the gallery.
AUDIO - CARNIVAL OF SOULS
Sat 23 May - 10pm - Cinema - Tickets £10
Inspired by classic adventure radio serials and sensory deprivation methods, this adaption of director Herk Harvey's experimental 1962 film oddity, Carnival of Souls, has been reimagined as an audio-only experience broadcast on wireless headsets inside a darkened cinema. Starring musician Baby Dee and directed by Bren O'Callaghan.
Caliata Flamenco Son will perform at the First Street party on SundayEVENT - FIRST STREET'S FIRST STREET PARTY
Sun 24 May - 11am to 8pm - Tony Wilson Place, First Street - FREE
A family-friendly day of art, live music, food and theatre to celebrate Manchester's newest neighbourhood, featuring: a gleaming silver whale on wheels, a steel orchestra, a rooftop garden party and the 'world's tallest bubbleologist's magical bubble show'. Food will include Fat Annie's hotdogs, DimSumsu's dim sum and Viet Shack's Vietnamese street food.
CINEMA - LONESOME + LIVE SCORE by Dutch Uncles' Robin Richards
Sun 24 May & Mon 25 May - 8pm - Cinema - Tickets £5 to £11
Set in Coney Island over the Fourth of July weekend, Hungarian-born director Pal Fejos’ 1928 film Lonesome is a classic New York City romance, following two lonely characters whose chance meeting offers them a brief shot at happiness. As an award-winning neo-classical composer, and principal songwriter and bassist for the band Dutch Uncles, Robin Richards is one of the city’s most exciting musical talents.
Download the full HOMEWarming Weekend brochure here
