Manchester Art Fair: proud supporters of creativity in the city
Creativity is rooted in many of our projects, and we’re proud to announce we’re sponsoring Manchester Art Fair.
As Manchester Art Fair prepares to take over Manchester Central and turn it into the North's biggest art gallery, we’re proud to announce we’re sponsoring the event for the first time.
Taking place over the weekend of 21-23 November, Manchester Central is set to transform into a vibrant gallery space with thousands of art works, a lively programme of inspiring talks from artists and curators, print demonstrations that bring traditional techniques to life and a series of hands-on art workshops.
For us, the fair represents so many things that we are about; true collaboration, creativity, innovation, being ingenious and pushing the boundaries.
It’s the latest creativity-focussed event we’ve supported over the years, after we supported Baltic Creative’s Bloom 2025 festival in Liverpool, and as previous supporters of Manchester International Festival (MIF).
Stephen O’Malley, our CEO at Civic, said: “Manchester Art Fair is an important moment in the creative calendar and a place to reflect on the city’s heritage and position as a global centre for art. The momentum Greater Manchester has built as an expanding, thriving urban settlement over the last few decades has been remarkable, and we’re proud to have been part of the fabric of that story in the city Civic was first founded in.
“The city is full of spaces, sculptures and works of art that chronicle and tell the stories of the people that have lived here, from the Engels statue and The Sentinels, to New Islington and Mayfield, that have creativity at the heart of their design. We see Manchester Art Fair as an extension of that vibrancy, gathering together brilliant talent and collaboration to solve problems and celebrate how we can deliver positive change.”
Creativity is rooted in many of our projects, too. We’ve been proud to shape many of the city’s renowned art pieces and sculptures, including:
Sentinels, Cutting Room Square
The Cutting Room Square ‘Sentinels’ are a series of five, 6m high precast concrete monoliths, each framing an extraordinary Ancoats image and the groups forms the backdrop to the public square. The high-definition photographic images set within the frames were taken by resident artist Dan Dubowitz, each depicting scenes from the cutting rooms within the derelict textile mills just prior to demolition. We provided structural engineering on the project, working in close collaboration with Dan.
Friedrich Engels statue, First Street
Unveiled in 2017, the statue of Friedrich Engels reflects upon the conditions of contemporary workers and the last century of change. The radical son of a German mill owner, Engels arrived in Manchester during 1842, documenting the plight of the city’s working classes during his 20-year stay. The Soviet-era statue was originally located in the town of Mala Pereshepina in The Ukraine before Turner Prize-nominated artist Phil Collins transported it on the back of a lorry across Europe to the city where he made his name. We provided structural advice for the installation of this aged and highly weather statue.
Glade of Light, Medieval Quarter
The Glade of Light is a memorial commemorating the victims of the 2017 terrorist attack at Manchester Arena. It honours the 22 people whose lives were taken, as well as remembering everyone who was left injured or affected. A white marble ‘halo’ ring stands at the heart of the memorial. The names of those who lost their lives are set in bronze upon it, with personalised memory capsules embedded within the stone. The memorial features a planting scheme designed to reflect the changing seasons while providing colour and maximising light all year round. We provided civil engineering services for the multi-award winning project.
The Flailing Trees, Whitworth Art Gallery
The Flailing Trees is a subversive pierce of artwork commissioned by MIF and CUBE. The artwork comprises a mass concrete slab with 21 inverted Willow trees placed in it. We were asked to design the concrete slab and its subsequent movement from the Peace Gardens to its permanent location in the grounds of the Whitworth Art Gallery at the conclusion of the Festival.
