The BBC will have a temporary new home in Manchester’s Albert Square, aka Festival Square, from today (June 30) as part of Manchester’s International Festival (MIF).
Some of BBC Radio 6 Music’s biggest presenters will be using a specially built studio, meeting guests and mingling with crowds. The event runs from June 29-July 16.
Mark Radcliffe, Stuart Maconie, Mary Anne Hobbs, Guy Garvey and Jarvis Cocker will present their regular shows from the new MIF base. BBC 5 live, Radio Manchester and North West Tonight on BBC One will also cover the Festival’s biggest stories and main events. The BBC Philharmonic will also be part of the festivities too, when they perform two world premieres at the Bridgewater Hall (July 4, 6).
Radcliffe and Maconie’s 6 Music Show will be broadcast live from the BBC hub for the first nine days of the Festival - from 1pm-4pm on Friday July 30, and Monday July 3-Friday 7. They will welcome many of MIF’s top guests plus local stars and visitors, including Richard Ashcroft, Billy Bragg, James, KC and the Sunshine Band, Jane Horrocks plus Dave Haslam, Peter Hook, Graeme Park and Rowetta.
Mark Radcliffe commented: “MIF really creates a buzz and the city crackles with all manner of intriguing artistic endeavours, and of course everyone loves carousing effervescently in Festival Square. We can’t wait!”
Jarvis Cocker’s Sunday Service starts as usual at 4pm on July 2. Across his two hour programmes, he will speak to Factory Records graphic designer Peter Saville about the True Faith exhibition, part of MIF 2017, which explores the visual identity of New Order and Joy Division.
New Order will be taking over Stage 1 of Manchester's iconic Old Granada Studios for a series of intimate gigs. Cocker will also be chatting to the Turner Prize nominated artist Phil Collins about his new piece, Ceremony.
On July 9, Guy Garvey will interview the poet Tony ‘Longfella’ Walsh - who paid tribute to the victims of the Manchester Arena attack, reading his poem This Is The Place at the Albert Square vigil - and singer-songwriter Josephine Oniyama.
Mary Anne Hobbs is curating her own shows from pioneering Manchester-based musicians, from Levelz to Paleman and experimental artists including Holly Herndon and Kojey Radical, and will share her favourite moments with 6 Music listeners from Gorilla and the Ritz.
On Sunday July 16 from 1pm-2pm, Elizabeth Alker of 6 Music will be shining a light on Manchester Street Poem, a music and art installation centred on people with experience of homelessness. Manchester Street Poem is created for MIF by Karl Hyde and Rick Smith of Underworld.
Karl Hyde said: “We came to Manchester with a concept for a performed installation to serve both as a shop window and a receptacle for stories from people with lived experience who are too often reduced to a generic the homeless. Whilst my task is to spend eight days covering the walls of a vacated building with hand painted extracts from these stories, Rick has created a unique piece of music exclusively for 6 Music, interwoven with voices from recorded interviews with people who have first-hand experience of homelessness bringing them to life in a way in which we hope will be both enlightening and thought-provoking.”
Also on July 16, Now Playing presenter Tom Robinson will be asking listeners to send in their music suggestions around that theme of homelessness; while later that night Maconie is joined by Mary Anne Hobbs to present coverage of her Dark Matter gigs at MIF, with live music from Holly Herndon, Paleman, The Haxan Cloak, Kojey Radical and Colin Stetson.
BBC Arts Correspondent Will Gompertz will bring his regular BBC 5 Live arts show to Manchester on July 2 (11am-12pm) for a special MIF edition, and 5 Live’s Lates team will be broadcasting live from the BBC events studio.
Many of BBC Radio Manchester’s shows are to decamp to Festival Square, including BBC Introducing, Chelsea Norris and The People with Karen Gabay and Mr V. Eno Eruotor will be reporting for BBC North West Tonight.
On BBC Two (Saturday July 1, 8pm-8.30pm), Lemn Sissay takes viewers on a cultural tour featuring over 60 new works from local and international artists and performers. Lemn has unique access to rehearsals by New Order, Shunt Collective and Susan Hefuna.
For more information go to mif.co.uk/live.
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