Art1: Tatton Biennial 2012
The weather's going to be gorgeous. So walk around one of the most beautiful places in the North while taking in some astonishing art. The theme for this year's Biennial is flight - Tatton Park was used as a training ground for the British parachute regiment in World War II. Olivier Grossetete's Pont de Singe is a big, floating, set of stylised barrage balloons holding up a hovering bridge. Lovely. The Ultimate Holding Company's homage to Barbara Cartland is fabulously intriguing. Wonders come and go as stroll around.
It's about Barbara C
Relax: The Art of Tea
The Art of Tea is a tiny gem of a teashop located in West Didsbury. A cosy, welcoming interior instils an immensely calming atmosphere, perfect for enjoying all the treats this independent cafe bar has to offer. Choose from loose leaf teas, speciality beers and homemade cakes, before perusing the second hand bookshop in the back. With artwork from local artists regularly displayed and musical sets from Mancunion musicians, this is the ultimate calming, day-to-night experience.
Cinema: What to Expect when You’re Expecting (12A)
Hollywood’s latest Rom-Com is released Friday the 25 May. Telling the tale of celebrity dance couple Jules and Evans (Cameron Diaz and Matthew Morrison) who are struggling to combine their glamorous celebrity existence with impending parenthood, the plot also interweaves the stories of several other couples on their tumultuous journeys to childbirth. Also featuring Jennifer Lopez and Elizabeth Banks, this is a all star ensemble cast that's hoping to combine humour with touches of poignancy - will it work.
Theatre: Opera North’s Carousel at The Lowry
From Wednesday 23 to Saturday 26 of May, Opera North will be performing the endlessly popular Carousel. The story of a man given one last day to redeem himself for a lifetime of mistakes is set to a full- scale orchestra, and features the eternally popular show tunes ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ and ‘Bustin’ Out All Over’. Tickets start from £25.
Health: Bikram Yoga
The LA craze of Bikram Yoga has come to Manchester, with a fully dedicated Bikram studio having recently opened opposite Affleck’s Palace. Practicing yoga in a room headed to 40 degrees Celsius may sound utterly hellish, but the health benefits derived from the temperature are numerous. From eliminating toxins from bloodstream, to encouraging fat deposits to redistribute around the body and consequently be turned into energy, Bikram devotees swear that the change to both body and mind is unparalleled by any other work out. A special introductory offer of £20 for unlimited sessions over a ten day period, plus the sudden onslaught of summer weather, means that this weekend is the ideal time to get on the path to becoming the new, improved, you.
Club: Matt and Phred’s
This jazz club in the Northern Quarter provides a fun, friendly atmosphere that is the perfect antithesis to the plethora of achingly trendy bars and clubs that populate the Northern Quarter. Friday night will see a concoction of jazz, ska and reggae serenading the audience, whilst on Saturday it will be the turn of ‘The Woo- Hoos’; an all female musical trio combing jazz with R&B, Latin, and Blues. Entry is £5.00, with an impressive range of food and drink available.
Food: Livebait
Following on from the editor Jonathan Schofield's recommendations we're all off to Livebait to sample Dave Spanner's nosh. It's the foie gras and the salt cod for us. And a lovely bottle of Albarino.
Foie gras
Art2: Manchester Art Gallery
For a leisurely yet cultured Sunday afternoon activity, pay a visit to the Manchester Art Gallery. Specifically, to the free new exhibition, entitled: Focal Points: Art and Photography. The focus of the collection is to: ‘Rexplore the body, reinvent still- life, examine our cultural identities and explore the places where we live, work and spend our leisure time’. Apparently bequeathed with the strange quality of ‘making the familiar strange and the ugly beautiful’, and featuring work from Turner Prize nominee Catherine Yass, influential photographer Keith Arnatt and the famous British artist Helen Chadwick and Sarah Lucas see below. It should be both an intriguing and stimulating weekend activity.
Sarah Lucas self-portrait
