Today is World Bee Day – and one of Manchester’s top entertainment venues has unveiled a lineup of “buzzing summer” events to celebrate.
Printworks is dedicating the month of June to the 100,000 honey bees that live on its rooftop.
As well as announcing the packed lineup of events on the annual UN-designated World Bee Day – which is all about raising awareness of the importance of bees, the threats they face, and their contribution to sustainable development – Printworks is also launching new pollination stations around the venue especially for the rooftop bees to enjoy.
The venue will be getting itself a fresh new look, with planters of flowers for pollination stations, three honeycomb-inspired sculptures installed outside for Mancs to take pictures with, and four wildlife-friendly planters.
On top of all the fresh flowers ready for the 2022 Manchester Flower Show, these seven installations offer a little bit more than just some colourful content an Instagram feed.
Throughout June, anyone who uploads their photo with the honeycomb planters to Facebook and Instagram tagging Printworks will be in with a chance of winning a bee-keeping experience, as well as a meal at one of Printworks’ venues.
Printworks has unveiled a lineup of “buzzing summer” events for next month / Credit: Supplied
What’s more, is that each planter contains a QR code, which can be scanned to adopt a Manchester Bee for just £2 – with 100% of the donation going to local charity, Forever Manchester.
Forever Manchester and Printworks work closely together to look after the bees that live on the Printworks roof.
Then, from 1-7 June, fans of a tipple can also take part in a cocktail trail for The Manchester Flower Show, as selected venues inside the Printworks have put their own “sting” on The Buzz cocktail – which will be decorated with unique floral garnishes and bee-themed toppers, and again, a portion of the cost donated to Forever Manchester.
Head to Frankie & Benny’s, Treetop Adventure Golf, Floripa, Hard Rock Café, Bierkeller or Cargo to check them out.
Forever Manchester and Printworks work closely together to look after the bees that live on the Printworks roof / Credit: Forever Manchester
“The worker bee embodies Manchester and its people,” said Jason Shay – Centre Director at Printworks.
“We’re excited to give a little love back to our bees and our people to offer this incredible experience, while also helping our local community through our partnership with Forever Manchester [and] we’re looking forward to all the competition entries and putting the cocktails to the taste test.
“There’ll be plenty of fun for everyone with the bees being the buzz for families and our cocktail trail offering something exciting for our visitors.”
Featured Image – Printworks
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Hit theatre production set at a house party to visit Manchester on UK tour
Daisy Jackson
Alright then, 24 hour party people, we’ve found a theatre production you might like the sound of – it’s called The House Party, and it’s set in (you guessed it) a house party.
This smash hit production by pioneering theatre company Headlong is set to land at HOME in March as part of the arts venue’s 2025 theatre season.
It tells the tale of a wild 18th birthday party, where Christine is trying to pick up the pieces of her best friend, a newly-dumped Julie (who happens to be the birthday girl).
Themes of class, power and privilege are all explored with a raw intensity as the cast on stage plough through shots and dive head-first into a night that will change everything they know.
The House Party, which has received glowing reviews from previous showings, is filled with ‘privilege, desire and destruction’.
When it stops off in Manchester, its cast will include Bridgerton’s Sesley Hope as Christine, Synnøve Karlsen (Miss Austen, Last Night in Soho) as Julie, and Tom Lewis (Gentleman Jack, Patience) as Jon.
The ensemble of Frantic Assembly performers includes Ines Aresti, Oliver Baines, Cal Connor, Micah Corbin-Powell, Rachael Leonce, Jaheem Pinder and Jamie Randall.
The House Party is written by Laura Lomas and is a reimagining of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie for today’s generation.
It’s directed by Headlong’s artistic director Holly Race Roughan, who directed the Royal Shakespeare Company’s world premiere of David Edgar’s major new political play The New Real.
The House Party. Credit: Ikin YumThe production will be at HOME. Credit: Supplied
Movement direction will come from Frantic Assembly’s Scott Graham.
Prior to the UK tour of The House Party, Headlong celebrated its 50 year anniversary, including the hit production of A Raisin in the Sun which played nationwide.
The House Party will be at HOME in Manchester between 25 and 29 March, 2025 – you can get your tickets HERE.
Greater Manchester’s annual Repair Week is back to make you fall back in love with your stuff
Daisy Jackson
If you’re not a handy person, when something breaks, the temptation is often to abandon or bin it straight away.
But that’s just not how we’re gonna do it here in Greater Manchester any more, with the return of the annual Repair Week to help you learn valuable repair skills and save money at the same time.
Whether it’s tinkering with your bicycle, fixing up your small tech items, or having your furniture re-varnished and upcycled, there are so many places and people who are on a mission to help you fall back in love with your belongings.
There are even workshops to help you put flat-pack furniture together.
Taking place between 3 and 9 March, Repair Week will be the chance to learn skills, fix your stuff, gain repair confidence and find local fixers.
Events throughout the week (and beyond) will be hosted by community groups, businesses and plenty more.
You can sharpen knives, fix zips, and un-wobble chairs with a little hand from local repair heroes.
JillyGDesign Jewellery in Heaton Moor will fix up your sentimental and special jewellery items, while Rag Revival will help you turn unusable textiles into new creations with basic sewing skills.
There are repair cafes popping up all over Greater Manchester where you can take your belongings.
Greater Manchester’s annual Repair Week is back to make you fall back in love with your stuff. Credit: Supplied
Repair Week will highlight schemes like the Manchester Library of Things, where you can borrow the tools and equipment you need for those repair jobs at home.
During the week you’ll also be able to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the incredible Renew Hub, the UK’s biggest reuse hub, where donated items are brought back to life.
Similarly, you’ll be able to get inside the textile recycling centre run by homelessness charity Emmaus Bolton, where you can choose your own fabric from the scrap store and turn it into a very handy draught excluder to keep costs down and your heat in.
Recycle for Greater Manchester’s Repair Week will take place between 3 and 9 March, with workshops, events and resources to help you revive your belongings.
Emily Sergeant -
20th May 2022 
