All articles filed in Long Read

Over a decade of conflict has battered the Syrian arts and cultural scene that once flourished, but a Manchester-based charity still recognises the need to celebrate Syria.

The last few months have seen innumerable upheavals in the cultural sector. Culture was once centred on shared spaces: clubs, galleries, theatres, community buildings and city centres. Memories of such hustle and bustle now seem increasingly distant.

Passport: Back to Our Roots initiative was devised to support independent grassroots venues that are the lifeblood of the UK music scene.

Manchester International Festival (MIF) has occupied the city for 18 days every other summer since 2007. In seeking out Manchester’s creatives and hidden spaces, it has premiered up-and-coming artists and given them a global platform.