Levenshulme Old Library Group are holding a fundraising event at the Klondyke (1 Burange Range) on Saturday 30th April 2016. Come along and support their work to save the old library and turn it into a valuable community resource.
Once again Levenshulme Community Association is organising hustings for the local elections. All candidates have been invited. Everyone is welcome. These are open, public meetings and an opportunity for anyone to ask questions of any candidates in the May local elections.
Levenshulme Ward
Wednesday 27th April
19.30 start
Klondyke
1 Burnage Range, Levenshulme, M19 2HQ
Gorton South Ward
Thursday 28th April
747 Stockport Road, Levenshulme, M19 3AR
A single transport card for Manchester is on hold following a complete failure of the Atos company to deliver the system for Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).
The scheme – similar to the Oyster Card system in London – is being rethought after it became clear Atos was completely incapable of delivering the system. The MEN reports that according to TfGM all costs incurred (£15m) have been refunded by Atos and TfGM will now explore how to get the failed project moving again.
There does not appear to be any comment from Tony Lloyd, Greater Manchester Mayor, who is responsible for transport across Greater Manchester.
Read the MEN report HERE
Levenshulme Neighbourhood Planning Forum would love to hear your ideas for how you want Levenshulme to develop. What’s your vision for our community?
14.00 today in the Community Studio at Arcadia Library and Leisure Centre.
This isn’t just bout dull planning matters, this is bout what we want our community to be and to look like.
Everybody welcome.
Better / GLL are holding a Recruitment Fair on Tuesday 5th April for jobs available at Arcadia Library and Leisure Centre.
“We’re looking for local people to come and join the team at the new Arcadia Library & Leisure Centre.
We have vacancies for Full/Part-Time/Casual Lifeguards, Fitness Instructors and Customer Service Advisors.
If you’re interested we’re holding a recruitment fair on Tuesday 5th April where you can come along and find out more.
For those interested in the Customer Service Advisor or Fitness Instructor positions, our team will be on hand for an informal job chat.
Application forms will be available at the end of the evening and we’ll let you know when interviews will be held.
Bring your CV along if you have one and if you have any industry qualifications we’d love to see those too. Don’t worry if you don’t have either, if you’re interested in working with us we’d love to meet you.”
The Levenshulme Neighbourhood Planning Forum will be holding a meeting on Saturday 19th March 2016 at 14.00 in the Community Studio in the Arcadia Library and Leisure Centre.
Come along and say how you want Levenshulme to develop.
The first meeting of the Arcadia Library & Leisure Centre User Forum has been confirmed. The invitation is provided below:
Arcadia Library & Leisure Centre User Forum
The first User Group meeting for Arcadia Library & Leisure Centre will take place in the Community Studio at Arcadia on Tuesday 8th March from 6pm to 8pm.
If you are interested in getting involved please contact reception and come along on the night. You can leave you details with one of our team, email arcadia@gll.org or call us on 0161 641 9911
We look forward to meeting you.
Andrew Smith
Partnership Manager – Manchester
The Levenshulme Community Association AGM will be held at 14.30 on Saturday 12th March 2016 in the Community Studio at the Arcadia Library and Leisure Centre.
Statement from Greenwich Leisure Limited / Better today after councillors have asked for clarification of pricing structure for Arcadia Library & Leisure Centre:
“It has always been our intention to honour the membership benefits of those customers who have historically enjoyed using the facilities at Levenshulme Pools. Unfortunately during the migration period from Levenshulme to the new Arcadia Library & Leisure Centre there has been miscommunication in relation to the extended availability of the £18 membership previously available at Levenshulme.
As a gesture of goodwill, until the end of day on Friday 26th February, we will be happy to honour this rate to any of our customers who can demonstrate previous use of Levenshulme Pools.
Customers who believe that they are entitled to take up this offer yet are unable to prove their past use of Levenshulme will be looked at on a case by case basis. All applications should be made in person at Arcadia Library & Leisure Centre.
From Saturday 27th February only the new membership pricing structure for Arcadia Library & Leisure Centre will be available. This is in line with all the other comparable/ new leisure centres across Manchester including the Manchester Aquatics Centre”.
UPDATE:
The Manchester Evening News has published an article on the availability of the old membership rates at Arcadia, available HERE.
After years of campaigns, consultations, marches, plans, occupations, letters, meetings, talking and even quite a bit of dancing the people of Levenshulme can now celebrate as our new Arcadia Library and Leisure Centre throws open its doors.
Here are a few photographs of the new Arcadia. These are the third set in the series of photographs recording the old Levensulme Baths, the original Levenshulme Library and now the new Arcadia Library and Leisure Centre.
Arcadia is a brand new £9.3m facility. It is managed and operated by Greenwich Leisure Limited under the Better brand through a contract with Manchester City Council. GLL are experts in managing leisure facilities. The facilities were built by Laing O’Rourke both on time and on budget. The quality and attention to detail is very impressive. Arcadia includes:
Arcadia stands as a wonderful facility and proof of what can be achieved when there is a genuine cooperative, positive collaboration between residents, our community, councillors, council officers, designers and developers.
This is our facility.
(All photographs copyright Jeremy Hoad)
Levenshulme Baths closed today (18th February 2016) for the last time. I asked if I could take some photographs to document the building that has meant so much to generations of Levenshulme residents. Pete Caveney, Duty Manager, kindly let me have the run of the place on its last day.
Levenshulme Public Baths and Washhouse has been serving Levenshulme for decades, for some time now as a leisure centre with a sauna, steam room and gym in addition to the two swimming pools but without the Washhouse. These photographs mark the building’s last day serving the people of Levenshulme before the new Arcadia Library and Leisure Centre opens on Saturday 20th February 2016 at midday. Goodbye to the old, hello to the new.
Jeremy Hoad
Secretary, Levenshulme Community Association
(All photographs copyright Jeremy Hoad)
Act now to save yourself money on membership at the new Arcadia Library Leisure Centre.
The old Leisure Centre closes on 18th February before the new one opens on 20th as the new Arcadia Centre. The pricing at the new Arcadia facilities has come as a surprise to people, particularly as we were assured pricing would be sensitive to the area and remain affordable.
But there is a way you can save a lot of money on membership…
If you join at the £18 a month rate at the existing Leisure Centre on Cromwell Grove this rate will continue at the new facilities. To keep this membership rate you MUST continue to renew your membership every month by cash or card in person. No direct debit option is available. If you miss a month you will be counted as having cancelled your membership and will have to renew at the £35 a month rate charged at the Arcadia Centre for use of all the facilities.
The £18 a month current membership includes:
Classes at Arcadia will be held in a dedicated multipurpose Community Room with a sprung floor and wall of mirrors.
Levenshulme Library which is also part of the new facilities is, of course free to use. There will also be access to free use of computers and free wifi at the new Arcadia.
Join now to save yourself over £200 a year on membership at the new Arcadia.
UPDATE 23/02/16
Statement from GLL today after councillors have asked for clarification of pricing structure for Arcadia Library & Leisure Centre:
“It has always been our intention to honour the membership benefits of those customers who have historically enjoyed using the facilities at Levenshulme Pools. Unfortunately during the migration period from Levenshulme to the new Arcadia Library & Leisure Centre there has been miscommunication in relation to the extended availability of the £18 membership previously available at Levenshulme.
As a gesture of goodwill, until the end of day on Friday 26th February, we will be happy to honour this rate to any of our customers who can demonstrate previous use of Levenshulme Pools.
Customers who believe that they are entitled to take up this offer yet are unable to prove their past use of Levenshulme will be looked at on a case by case basis. All applications should be made in person at Arcadia Library & Leisure Centre.
From Saturday 27th February only the new membership pricing structure for Arcadia Library & Leisure Centre will be available. This is in line with all the other comparable/ new leisure centres across Manchester including the Manchester Aquatics Centre”.
Not long to go until the new Arcadia Library and Leisure Centre opens on on Saturday 20th February on Stockport Road right in the heart of Levenshulme. Here’s a nice positive article in the Manchester Evening News.
Read the article HERE
Levenshulme Library closed its doors today for the last time after 112 years serving our community.
The library was opened in 1904 as a Carnegie Library and has provided a place of learning, support, education, entertainment and community events and meetings for over a century.
The library was going to close several years ago under council plans but Levenshulme residents campaigned long and hard to keep the doors open. We had marathon readings, occupations of the building, demonstrations and die-ins on the street outside. Art work from children across our community adorned the failings of the library and discussions and meetings were held with the council to save Levenshulme Library. In the end we won and kept the library open with Levenshulme High School for Girls renting the building several days a week. We spoke, the council listened and the library stayed open.
With the imminent opening of the Arcadia Library and Leisure Centre on Stockport Road the old library has now reached the end of that chapter in its story. Hopefully the building will find a new role as a community centre and facility for all sorts of exciting things but for now the doors have closed and the lights have gone off. The Levenshulme Old Library group conitinue to work to try and find a future for the building but for now the old Levenshulme Library is in the past.
Jeremy Hoad, Secretary of Levenshulme Community Association took one last look round the library and recorded a few images before the doors closed.
Levenshulme Library, 1904-2016
(All photographs copyright Jeremy Hoad)
Councils across Greater Manchester join together to share access to almost 3 million books from this weekend.
Everyone living in Manchester, Bolton, Oldham , Rochdale, Salford, Stockport and Trafford will be able to borrow books from scores of sites across Greater Manchester – rather than just libraries in their own boroughs with Tameside council joining later this year.
This is perfect timing just before the new Levenshulme library opens on Saturday 20th February in the new £9.3m Arcadia Levenshulme Library and Leisure Centre on Stockport Road.
See the Manchester Libraries announcement HERE
Manchester Evening News article HERE
ITV News report HERE
We are pleased to confirm that the new £9.3m Arcadia Library and Leisure Centre situated in the heart of Levenshulme on the A6 will open on Saturday 20th February 2016.
This will be the culmination of a long and hard fought campaign by the LCA and Levenshulme residents and groups to keep our existing baths and library open and then to replace them with new facilities.
This is an amazing success story in hard times. It is a story of a community coming together to fight for its facilities. It is a story of Manchester City Council working positively and productively with our community. It is a story of responsive and engaging council officers. It is a story of political differences and collective action. Above all, it is a success story that the people of Levenshulme should be proud of.
We hope to see as many people as possible celebrate the opening of Arcadia with us. Further details will be made available as soon as they are confirmed.
Here are a few photographs from December. This was during a tour after the LCA Community Forum Meeting.
Oh, and here is Jean Bernard and Jeremy Hoad. We could resist a trip in the lift.
There is a general meeting of the Levenshulme Neighbourhood Planning Forum this Thursday 3rd December at the Inspire Centre, 19.00-21.00.
We’ve now had three events to gather new ideas and thoughts for Levenshulme and there are 7 areas of interest. We will need to start developing groups that will start focussing on these items:
If you are interested in one of these areas and you would like to look in developing ideas in relation to the above items, please let us know. We will be discussing these areas at our meeting on Thursday and will start putting together groups that will investigate these areas further.
I know we are a little late in releasing the agenda for this Thursdays meeting, but we’ve been quite busy in the background.
Agenda:
There are not many items on the agenda, but I think the discussions around the workgroups will be taking most of the meeting.
I hope you will be able to attend and see you on Thursday.
Maria van Elk
Chair, Levenshulme Neighbourhood Planning Forum
A few reasons to love Levenshulme by Becci Johnson in Timeout:
You could fill the whole magazine with reasons why Levenshulme is so great, though.
Read the full article HERE.
Happy birthday to the Levenshulme Inspire Centre. Five years old today!
Levenshulme Neighbourhood Planning Forum (LNPF) public events.
Come along and find out about the LNPF and how our community can influence local planning issues.
What matters to you? Green spaces? Affordable housing? Improving our High Street? Supporting businesses for local jobs? Protecting buildings? Takeaways? Parking? Litter? Transport?
Everyone is welcome to get involved and help decide what the priorities and desires are for people who live and work in Levenshulme. This will become our plan for our community.
Saturday 31st October
09.30-16.30
Levenshulme Library (Cromwell Grove)
Thursday 5th November
15.00-19.00
Inspire Centre (Stockport Road)
Saturday 7th November
10.00-16.00
Levenshulme Market (Station Car Park)
Another new school is being planned near us. This time in Rusholme in addition to the new school run by the Dean Trust opening in Ardwick.
Great to see Manchester City Council planning for the future and committing itself to a good model of educational provision.
Council statement and consultation:
“We’re planning to open a brand new secondary school in Rusholme in September 2017 to meet the growing demand for places in the area. And we want to know what you think.
The school will be built on land just off Lytham Road. It will be for girls and boys, and have eight forms for each year group.
The new school will be set up as a ‘free school’. Find out more about free schools at: www.gov.uk/types-of-school/free-schools
With modern facilities and a high-quality environment, the new school will help more children meet their full potential and encourage people to live in the neighbourhood.
What do you think?
Give us your views and we’ll use them to help develop the proposal in the best way to meet local needs.
When we have drawn up more detailed plans we’ll invite interested organisations to bid to become the school’s sponsor.”
The consultation is available HERE
The consultation closes at 5pm, Friday 13 November 2015.
Come along to Inspire on Stockport Road to find out about and discuss DevoManc tonight at 19.00, 25th September 2015.
Manchester City Council is consulting on planning guidance for hot food takeaways. This would be come part of the council’s Strategic Plan as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).
The consultation is available HERE
If you wish to comment you must register with the council’s consultation portal. You can do this by following the instruction on the link above.
The council’s introduction is provided below:
The City Council intend to prepare a Hot Food Takeaway Supplementary Planning Document and would welcome any comments you have on this issue.
The Manchester Core Strategy includes a number of policies relevant to Hot Food Takeaways and the intention of the SPD is to provide further detail on these policies. A copy of the Core Strategy can be found on the City Council’s website HERE
We are particularly interested in how you think planning policy relating to hot food takeaways can support the most appropriate mix of uses within our District and Local Centres and promote healthy lifestyles, especially for young people.
We would like your views about the right planning policy for Hot Food Takeaways.
Next meeting of the Levenshulme Old Library (LOL) group:
Wednesday 9th September at 18.30 in the Library community room.
Progress on the campaign will be reviewed.
Please come along if you want Levenshulme Library to be saved as a community venue. Meet nice people who care about our community, have your say and show your support.
Or keep up to date on facebook HERE
A petition has been set up by Levenshulme resident Sue Millichap to stop the excessive and dangerous speeding on Manor Road.
The petition text says:
“Manor Road is a residential street in Levenshulme, Manchester. The road runs alongside Greenbank Playing Fields – a large open park where children and families play. Manor Road is very long, wide and straight and it connects two main roads together. As such, drivers use it as a ‘rat run’ and incessant speeding has led to a large number of pet fatalities and near misses with children. Some residents have tried to take action by gesturing to drivers to slow down in order to protect our children and pets but have been faced with abuse and threats. We need speed calming measures that actually work. We want speed bumps that span the full width of the road. We have to act now before a child is killed. Enough is enough.
We are aware that there are many roads in Levenshulme that are suffering this issue but residents from all areas of Levenshulme use Greenbank Park.”
You can view and sign the petition HERE
It’s not every day a world record attempt happens in Levenshulme.
A world record attempt at the longest distance conga will set off from Manchester Piccadilly at 11.00 heading for Stockport Train Station, going through Levenshulme past our lovely Market around midday.
Here’s an update from Levenshulme Contemporary Art Collective (LCAC) on what they did with the funding awarded from the Levenshulme Market Fund 2015.
Levenshulme people working together to help our community be the most dynamic and creative in Manchester.
Check out the update on the Levenshulme Market website HERE
The next meeting of the Levenshulme Neighbourhood Planning Forum will take place on Tuesday 1st September, 19.00, at Levenshulme Inspire on Stockport Road.
Since the July meeting the Interim Committee has finalised the draft constitution as agreed. This constitution will be presented for approval at the meeting as well as formal adoption of the Designated Area that was accepted by the July meeting.
The September meeting will formally:
Apart from this formal business to enable the Forum to exist the meeting will discuss a plan for the future and how best to develop the Neighbourhood Plan in a way that includes input from as many people in Levenshulme as possible and that reflects our priorities and issues.
As always, anyone who lives or works in Levenshulme is welcome to attend the meeting and also join the Levenshulme Neighbourhood Planning Forum.
It has been drawn to our attention that the Shell Garage at 1081 Stockport Road (close to the junction with Crossley road and McVities) has applied for a 24 hour license to sell alcohol and that some people may wish tocomment.
Details of the application are available HERE
You can comment by sending an email to Manchester City Council at:
premises.licensing@manchester.gov.uk
The deadline for comments is 3rd September.
A meeting of Levenshulme Neighbourhood Planning Forum will take place this evening, Thursday 16th July, 19.00-21.00 at the Inspire Centre on Stockport Road.
The meeting will:
The agenda, draft constitution and proposed designated area are provided below.
AGENDA
PROPOSED AREA
DRAFT CONSTITUTION
Levenshulme Contemporary Art Centre (LCAC) activities start today with an exhibition at Bankley Mill (19.00) and a launch party at Fred’s Ale House (21.00). Even before that readings on the Village Green happen at 12.00 and 20.00.
Details are available HERE
There are loads of events and activities on over the next seventeen days from imaginary bike rides to a marathon reading of Das Kapital Karl Marx, discussions about regeneration, home and the urban environment, readings and discussions of work by Marxist geographer David Harvey, Communist era children’s games from Poland and a public intervention to highlight access to public services at the railway station: “To show our desire to use the station we will form a queue to fail to get up the stairs.”
Far from failing LCAC are showing what can be achieved with £2,210 funding from Levenshulme Market Fund to produce a packed programme of events by Levenshulme artists, philosophers and residents to revitalise our High Street and attract people to our community.
This is genuine local direct action and imagination at work and what fringe events should be all about during the Manchester International Festival. An explosion of creativity emerging organically from a vibrant, diverse, challenging and exciting community like Levenshulme.
The Levenshulme Contemporary Art Centre Summer Programme has been published. A packed series of events, readings and activities spread over seventeen days to coincide with Manchester International Festival.
The Fringe comes to Levenshulme courtesy of our own artists, philosophers and academics and enabled by a grant of £2,210 from the Levenshulme Market Fund 2015.
Highlights are listed below and a full interactive programme is available HERE
LCAC are also raising money for the Wood Street Mission by undertaking a live reading of all three volumes of Karl Marx’s Capital on Levenshulme Village Green.
LCAC Programme
Friday 10 July 2015 | Housing
Saturday 11 July 2015 | What is Money?
Monday 13 July 2015 | Us and the Banks
Wednesday 15 July 2015 | What Does Money Do?
Thursday 16 July 2015 | Making and Selling
Friday 17 July 2015 | Work and Technology
Saturday 18 July 2015 | Who Does What Job?
Sunday 19 July 2015 | Competition
Monday 20 July 2015 | Town Planning
Tuesday 21 July 2015 | The Rich and the Poor
Wednesday 22 July 2015 | Family Life
Thursday 23 July 2015 | What is Freedom?
Friday 24 July 2015 | Endless Growth
Saturday 25 July 2015 | Destroying the Planet
Sunday 26 July 2015 | How Will It End?
LCAC Market Fund 2015 Bid Summary
Levenshulme Contemporary Art Centre
LCAC Shop
Bidding for: £2210.00
FULLY FUNDED
The LCAC Shop will be a temporary, non-profit making hub of radical thinking for the Levenshulme community. It will open for two weeks during the Manchester International Festival (2nd-19th July 2015), with the aim of helping to seed the development of a future independent fringe festival. The Shop will function as an open social space, the aim of which is to create the possibility of imagining a new locality. It will serve coffee, sell radical texts and work/prints by local artists, and host free public talks, including connecting participants with other radically-minded individuals across the world via video-conferencing. It will be open to the public at varied times, including late nights for post-work discussions. The group are bidding for funds to run the shop, including rental and fittings, marketing and promotion of the space and paying/reimbursing visiting speakers and artists.
(Information from Levenshulme Market)
Photos courtesy LCAC / Gautam Narayanan
There will be a meeting for the campaign to have Levenshulme Library converted into a community centre (once the library service moves out next year. )
Wednesday 8th July at 6pm at Levenshulme Library
Following the public meeting on the 16th June at Inspire, it was agreed to form a constituted community organisation, that in time could develop into a management organmisation for the library building.
Initially it will be a simple ‘un-incorporated association’ that can open a bank account to hold funds, form a wide membership of local people and elect people to help the community govern the association. Based on a charitable constitution, that can be developed further as plans evolve.
If you wish to support this exciting development and back the campaign please come along to the meeting above. We will be adopting our first constitution.
At the last meeting a number of other proposals were made:
Please come along. Everyone is welcome. “Meet nice people who care about our community, have your say and show your support.”
Keep up to date on facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LLBSG/
(Message posted on behalf of Levenshulme Library Stakeholders Group)
The next meeting of Levenshulme Neighbourhood Planning Forum will take place on Thursday 16th July 2015, 19.00 at the Inspire Centre on Stockport Road.
The meeting will consider and agree the area defined for the Forum, constituting the Forum as a group and electing the first committee members to help take the idea further and make the Forum a reality.
Exciting steps to move forward and formally establish a Forum so that the people of Levenshulme can have a direct influence over what happens in our area.
Everyone is welcome.
Levenshulme often smells of warm biscuits thanks to the McVities factory on Stockport Road. That satisfies most people’s biscuity cravings. But it wasn’t enough for Josie Stripe who wrote to McVities proposing a drive-thru.
After presenting a strong case Ms Stripe concludes by saying:
“A McVities drive-thru would fill both the market and my stomach, and I would dearly love to see it succeed.”
The whole of Levenshulme, if not Manchester, is behind you, Josie.
The Levenshulme Youth Project AGM will take place at 18.00 on Thursday 25th June 2015 at the Inspire Centre on Stockport Road.
Drop in to find out more about their summer programme and if you are interested in volunteering.
Levenshulme Contemporary Art Centre (LCAC) will be holding a series of events and discussions this summer made possible by a £2,210 grant from the Levenshulme Market Fund. LCAC explain their aims as:
“Levenshulme Contemporary Arts Centre is an incomplete gallery that questions land use and relations of power within suburban Manchester. We are interested in expanding conventions of artistic display beyond the architectural limits of the gallery.”
“This summer we will be opening the LCAC shop. It will be a temporary high street hub of radical thinking, hosting meetings, discussions and a series of coordinated arts events that will work with different sectors of the local community to address the relationship between land use, constructions of community, accessibility to the arts and the possibility of an urban commons.”
The Levenshulme Market Fund grant will enable activities in a shop from 2nd-19th July 2015.
The LCAC Shop will be a temporary, non-profit making hub of radical thinking for the Levenshulme community. It will open for two weeks during the Manchester International Festival (2nd-19th July 2015), with the aim of helping to seed the development of a future independent fringe festival. The Shop will function as an open social space, the aim of which is to create the possibility of imagining a new locality. It will serve coffee, sell radical texts and work/prints by local artists, and host free public talks, including connecting participants with other radically-minded individuals across the world via video-conferencing. It will be open to the public at varied times, including late nights for post-work discussions. The group are bidding for funds to run the shop, including rental and fittings, marketing and promotion of the space and paying/reimbursing visiting speakers and artists.
(Levenshulme Market Fund bid information)
Plans for LCAC
Further Information
LCAC Website: HERE
LCAC Facebook: HERE
LCAC YouTube Channel HERE
Email: info@lcac.org.uk
LCAC Works
To get an idea of what LCAC does please see below for a link to LCAC Work No.1 (video) and extracts from LCAC Work No.2 (interview text).
LCAC Work No.1
View the YouTube video HERE
LCAC Work No. 2
(extracts)
Dr Joseph Kisolo-Ssonko
What is LCAC?
Director 1
Levenshulme Contemporary Art Centre is a gallery in Levenshulme, South Manchester, a suburb with a mixed population. It’s a gallery without walls and without anything much else other than the idea of an institution itself. We opened the gallery in a green space that had temporarily become a used car showroom in Levenshulme.
Director 2
We had a sign, we had an audience.
The sign started as an art object exhibited alongside paintings and other sculptures in an exhibition called A6 in Bankley Art Gallery.
It also had an attachment on the back of it which made it adaptable to become a sign. Then we took it for a walk down the A6, along with the audience from the exhibition, to a predetermined site on the corner of Pennington St – a patch of wasteland that was being informally used as a used-car and drugs salesroom.
Where this site met the A6 there was also an empty post. We erected the sign on this and invited people to walk from the pavement on to the wasteland.
Dr Joseph Kisolo-Ssonko
Did the wasteland itself become the artwork?
Director 2
We are interested the relationship between performance and actuality – the extent to which something is an x if you act as if it is an x and it is received as an x.
We explored the possibility of transformation that you describe through the strategic staging of an art opening on the site – champagne, speeches, gesturing at exhibits etc. In a sense it was a kind of social experiment.
Dr Joseph Kisolo-Ssonko
Was the idea that the space should be seen as empty of art that the found objects were themselves supposed to be seen as artworks?
Director 1
Actually when the launch happened we were surprised to find an exhibition ready made for us in a way. We had this idea of a marginal space and we were really excited about that but when we arrived there there were actually really interesting things to look at and – in a surprising way – I think that it did become a really rich visual experience. The burnt out caravan and discarded plush sofas were visually interesting.
Director 2
The site’s marginal but somehow multivalent functionality brought credibility to the suggestion that such things could be encountered as art. Playfulness seemed to have been in-built within materiality of the site by its recent history. We simply added one further mode of appropriation to the existing set of uses, the ‘as if’ that we have already spoken about.
Director 1
The site had a kind of awkwardness in this sense. We never found out who actually owned the space – it could have been quite a nice green space and but at the moment it was being used as a car lot as to sell drugs.
So, the space was replete in opportunity in the way that a predetermined gallery was not because it would have a predetermined function encoded within its architecture; a function that guides behaviour.
All photos and text of LCAC Works courtesy of and copyright LCAC
Manchester Evening News reported on the Levenshulme Food and Drink Festival.
“There will be more than 75 events across the village between Friday, June 12 and Sunday, June 21.
Fred’s Ale House owner and Levenshulme Pub Company director, Lawrence Hennigan, said: “It looks like another fantastic line up of events, the festivals organisers need to be commended on the huge variety of events they have managed to include in the celebration of the area’s diverse cultures.”
Read the full article HERE
Visit the Fadfest website HERE
Levenshulme Inspire Fun Day happens on Saturday 6th June from 11.00-15.00.
…and much, much more.
This event is FREE.
The Love Levenshulme website has now been relaunched. The website was originally developed with funding from Manchester City Council but it has now had a major revamp and been relaunched with a grant of £5,000 from the Levenshulme Market Fund. The site has evolved from a listings site to a blog and now a magazine format.
The new website “…is a celebration of the things that make our community great; from the famous Levenshulme Market, our award winning Naawab banqueting hall, to the renowned Bankley Studios and Gallery.”
“As it takes these first tentative steps we hope you will join Love Levenshulme on its journey of adaptation. We are here to help deliver real change to the high street, solidify the vibrant community spirit and boulder the energies of the people who live and work here.”
The project is coordinated by Pauline Johnson.
The Market Fund summary is provided here for reference:
“Love Levenshulme is a digital and high street community asset. It was first created as an online map in 2014 and resident Pauline Johnson is seeking funds to develop it as a resource that will support local businesses, improve our trading environment, expand as a “live learning facility” and promote Levenshulme as a visitor destination. It’s a consumer facing, trader focused online resource and high street brand. The funds, if allocated, will be used to develop the site itself, to support engagement activity with traders and to launch a pop-up high street “hub” for the site, allowing business owners, residents and visitors to make their own contribution to its workings.”
Have a look around the Love Levenshulme website HERE
An article from the Manchester Evening News on the future of Levenshulme Library and the work of the Stakeholders Group set up to explore options is available HERE
It is a little unfortunate the article advertises the fundraiser on Friday 29th in an article published on Saturday 30th but any coverage is very welcome.
Note also that there are a couple of factual errors in the article:
1 The new baths and library facility is scheduled to open in Spring 2016, not Autumn 2015.
2 Levenshulme High School never took over the building. The school simply rented the space to use for part of the week. Local campaigning was essential to ensure the library stayed open as a library until the new facilities open.
A public meeting is also scheduled for Tuesday 16th June, 19.00-21.00 at Levenshulme Inspire on Stockport Road. Further information and discussion is also available on a Facebook group at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LLBSG/
Photo courtesy of Manchester Evening News
The fundraising party for Levenshulme Library is on right now at the Klondyke (1 Burnage Range of Albert Road).
Come join the fun!
Following announcements of branch closures recently the Royal Bank of Scotland has confirmed that its Levenshulme branch will close this year.
Manchester Evening News article available HERE
A new Neighbourhood Planning Forum is being proposed for Levenshulme. This is a community group that develops a Neighbourhood Plan for our area that would identify our priorities and key concerns regarding planning and development in our area.
It is hoped that as many people as possible get involved in the Levenshulme Neighbourhood Forum. To help achieve this aim an Information Evening will be held as follows:
When
19.00 on Thursday 21st May 2015
(The event will last no more than two hours)
Where
The Inspire Centre, 747 Stockport Road, Levenshulme, Manchester, M19 3AR
Anyone who lives or works in Levenshulme is welcome to come along. There will be experts from Locality who will make a short presentation outlining the process but the bulk of the evening will be for people to ask questions and find out what this is about and how Levenshulme can benefit.
Leaflets
An information leaflet and feedback form (see below) is being distributed that provides initial information and asks for your views. If you haven’t received one yet they are available at Inspire on Stockport Road and Levenshulme Library on Cromwell Grove.
You can download a PDF version of the leaflet HERE
Further information
More information is available on a new website (new and under development) HERE
There will be a fundraiser to raise money and interest in the campaign to have Levenshulme Library converted into a community centre once the library service moves out next year.
Friday 29th May at the Klondyke club.
7.30-12pm.
Klondyke Club, Burnage range, Levenshulme (off Albert Road)
£5 entry… all proceeds to the campaign
There will also be a planning meeting to prepare on Wednesday 20th May at 7pm, also at the Klondyke…
Please come along, meet nice people who care about our community, have a good time and show your support.
Keep up to date on facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LLBSG/
Share the fundraising event with your friends and spread the word:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1578576752410405/
£2 million funding has been secured to resurface Stockport Road from the Appollo to McVities.
The stretch of Stockport Road running through Levenshulme in particular is in a dire state of repair and has been in desperate need of attention for some time so this is great news.
We understand the project will include new cycle provision and redesign of the road to improve access and usability. Residents’ groups and businesses will be included in consultation about the exact design.
The project is scheduled to start this summer (2015). Further details will be reported when available.
Shores Fold Community Farm (Cringle Road, Levenshulme, M19 2WD) are holding an Easter Open Day on Monday 6th April, 11.00-16.00.
£3 Adults, £2 Children
All money raised will be invested in improving the Farm for our community.
Easter and Spring activities at Levenshulme Market on 4th and 11th April. Prizes, special offers and free fun for kids.
Levenshulme Market is one of only three finalists in the prestigious BBC Food and Farming Awards 2015 market category.
The weekly market has been recognised for pioneering work as a social enterprise which helps to empower its community to take ownership of the high street in Levenshulme through its Market Fund, launched this year, as well as being providing a “diverse range of high quality traders, with a changing roster of 50 artisan traders, [including] a variety of fresh produce and street food” and developing the market into a quality destination for food and drink retailers that has changed the face of markets in Manchester.
Read the full story on the Levenshulme Market website HERE
The BBC press release announcing the 2015 finalists is available HERE
Photograph courtesy of Levenshulme Market
The LCA AGM this afternoon included elections with the following results:
Officers
Core Group Members
Sir Gerald Kaufman MP (LCA Honorary President) was generous in his praise of Levenshulme’s diversity, initiative and identity as a fantastic place to live and work. He was particularly impressed with the strength of the LCA and the many other community groups across Levenshulme. He stressed the importance of having active and engaged residents that form the basis of a cohesive and mutually supportive community.
The meeting identified key areas for the work of the LCA over the coming year including:
LCA Officers and the Core Group will develop these ideas into firm proposals and practical priorities for 2015-16.
We are grateful to the support and hard work of the many groups that we collaborate with in Levenshulme and look forward to another positive and productive year for the benefit of all Levenshulme residents.
