Manchester is a city which constantly feels on the verge of something exciting, revolutionary.
As one of the creative capitals of the UK film industry, Manchester prides itself as a city anyone can call home. Let us introduce you to some of our favourite parts of this Northern metropolis.
The Great Outdoors
Manchester offers a wide variety of shooting environments and backdrops, whether it’s amongst the striking architecture, or in some of the city’s open spaces and green areas- which are also ideally located to grab a break and enjoy some fresh air in. In the city centre you’ll find Piccadilly Gardens – a nice spot to hang out in the sunshine between lectures. A little further south, just off Canal Street, you’ll find Sackville Park, which is home to the Alan Turing memorial statue.
Look a little further afield, and you’ll find Manchester and its surrounding areas are teeming with numerous wide-open spaces to enjoy like Heaton Park, Alexandra Park and many others.
Where To Eat
Be sure to visit ‘The Curry Mile’ in Rusholme (past the universities up Oxford Road) for affordable, good quality Indian food. China Town (just off Portland Street) has a wide choice of Chinese, Thai and Japanese places to suit any budget. Close by, there’s also a fantastic fish & chip shop called Portland Plaice.
In the Northern Quarter, check out Sugar Junction for a quaint vintage tea-room. Almost Famous, Luck Lust Liquor and Burn are amazing for deliciously dirty burgers and quirky Mexican street food. If you’re after a bit of theatre with your dinner, look no further than The Alchemist: molecular magic served straight to your table in the form of experimental cocktails and foodie-delights, with a healthy dose of dry ice!
Nightlife
Manchester’s Gay Village caters for a vibrant LGBTQI+ scene and with four universities, Manchester has a huge student population and there are plenty of student club nights and events going on throughout the year to suit all music tastes. Manchester Academy 1, 2 and 3 are just a short walk from the City Centre, as are the O2 Apollo Manchester and Manchester Arena. Plus, venues such as Soup Kitchen, Gullivers, YES and Gorilla are the perfect places to catch the best new bands.
Festival Fun
Creating performance spaces from theatres and art galleries to live venues and car parks, Manchester International Festival (MIF) is one of the most eclectic and exciting biennial multi-media events in the UK, and just one of numerous regular festival events happening in and around Manchester.
Manchester Pride is one of the UK’s longest-running LGBTQ+ pride festivals. The 10-day celebration every August involves music, arts and culture, finishing with the moving Candlelight Vigil in Sackville Gardens.
Manchester’s Film Scene
With three main areas of the city where film production happens (in the East – Space Studios and the Sharp Project, in the city centre indie companies cluster between the Northern Quarter and Spinningfields, and the renowned Media City in the West) you’re never far from the UK’s next big TV or Film project. The BBC and ITV both call this exciting, innovative city home, and the industry here is set to grow even bigger, with Sky Originals, Netflix dramas and Hollywood movies now regularly shooting in the city.
Are you ready to tell your story?
Kickstart your career in film today!
