This year’s Mews Fest will introduce an entirely new addition to the free May Bank Holiday programme, as the festival unveils its first ever Mews Fest Fringe inside Great Northern Warehouse.
Running across Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th May from 12pm to 7pm, the free Fringe event will transform Unit 5 inside the main warehouse into a laid back creative hub bringing together music, independent retail, live art and family friendly activities across the weekend.
Developed as an extension of Mews Fest’s grassroots ethos, the space will feature DJs soundtracking the day alongside seating areas, market stalls and pop ups from bands, artists, makers and collectors from across Manchester’s independent creative scene.
Visitors can browse vinyl and records from Hydra Vinyl, while local illustrator and printmaker cpdwg will showcase a range of quirky hand drawn fine art prints playing with scale and perspective. Manchester based artist Toni Miller Paints will also bring discounted and ex exhibition works to the Fringe, alongside Sally Marshall Art, whose mixed media creations span everything from painted skateboards and mirrors to drumskins, trainers and prints.
Plant lovers can stop by Rosedale Botanics for houseplants, pots and accessories, while artist Sarah Betts will host live speed portrait sessions on Deansgate Mews, giving visitors the chance to have hand drawn portraits completed in as little as five minutes. Elsewhere, urban sketch artist Sophie Nixon will be selling original sketches and prints celebrating Manchester’s iconic buildings, pubs and venues.
Alongside the market stalls, the Fringe will also host a number of interactive workshops and installations throughout the weekend. A free badge-making workshop and guitar-decorating sessions will run for both adults and kids alike, while the large scale Chaos Canvas installation invites visitors to contribute to a giant collaborative artwork by drawing directly onto the walls using thousands of crayons provided inside the space.
The Mews Fest Fringe will run alongside the wider Mews Fest programme across Deansgate Mews, with both events completely free to attend. Bag checks will be in operation upon entry to the festival with no drinks allowed to be brought in, in line with event safety legislation.