“Urs from Mancky” tells MCFly about a fun event in Alexandra Park next weekend…

On Sunday September 30th 2012, there will be a free art & film event in Alexandra Park, on the borders of Moss Side and Whalley Range, running from midday through until 10pm. ]

One Day wonder[ment] will feature a Bicycle-powered Cinema, a Tea Room, a Speakers’ Corner, a QR Coded Tree Trail and work by numerous artists, including acclaimed Habitat designer Claire Norcross and Michael Anthony Barnes-Wynters, whose Dutty Lingo film installation was commissioned by Tate Modern as part of the recent Tate Tanks launch season.

One Day wonder[ment] has been organised by Alexandra Arts, which was founded two years ago by artist Lotte Karlsen, with the aim of encouraging community use of Alexandra Park through arts participation. The wonder[ment] event is funded jointly by Whalley Range and Moss Side Wards, Arts Council England and the Community First Community Development Fund.
During the week prior to September 30th, performance artist Rosanne Robertson will be exploring How to Unlearn Being Scared of Climbing Trees, recording her experiences through film. She explains:
“I will then perform a magnificent tree climb on September 30th for the Wonder[ment] event.”

Meanwhile, the Speakers’ Corner will feature contributions from Birchfields Park Forest Garden, Moss Side Community Allotment, Moss Side Cider Project, MAAFA Commemorative Committee, slam poet Michael Mace Smith, artist Charlotte Newson (creator of the first commissioned portrait of Emmeline Pankhurst) and the Friends of Alexandra Park, among others.

The pedal-powered cinema will be showing a broad range of films, including a documentary about the Suffragette Movement (which was linked historically with Alexandra Park); a children’s film chosen by the children from nearby St Mary’s Primary School; award-winning short films by Howard Walmsley (808 State, Biting Tongues) and Mani Akbari; Dutty Lingo by Michael Anthony Barnes-Wynters; a film about the Inside Out Global Street Art Project, which was initiated by TED Prize Winner JR; and, to finish with, a fantasy feature film, The Fall, directed by Tarsem Singh.

Alexandra Arts are currently looking for “wonder[folk]” to help out on the day, and during the week leading up to Sunday September 30^th. They particularly need the assistance of DIY persons, painters (to paint alpona scenery onto the entry gate paths), wonder[folk] tea room staff, children’s storytellers and stewards. (Expenses paid.)
To get involved, call Hayley on 07743 684 698 or email:
alexandraarts@gmail.com or for more information, see Alexandra Arts’ website: www.alexandra-arts.org.uk

Disclaimer: Manchester Climate Monthly has a fifteen minute slot at the Speaker’s Corner, from 3.45pm.  We won’t talk that long, but do a mini-interactive workshop.  It’ll be fun, honest…