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Day Nine: With the first draft of the publication now complete, we all went through it as a group and made any changes that were picked up on the run through. A draft print was also done to determine which type of printer and paper we wished to use for the final product. Our work for the Soapbox events group was also completed and our work was added into the exhibition.
Posted 1 May 2018 12:14
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Day Eight: Final full day spent on the publication. The weekend will be spent curating all the final pieces of research together for the test print on Monday. Seen above is an image of an abandoned building in Detroit called the Fisher Body Plant which a spread of the publication will be dedicated too.
Posted 27 Apr 2018 22:18
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Editing: Today was spent inspecting all the ready elements for the publication. Editing, adjusting and testing the information on the proposed layouts that reflect the stylistic features found around the city.
Posted 27 Apr 2018 18:24
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Soapbox Collaboration: We have produced a poster fuelled by our research on Detroit. This is a sneak peek as to what it will look like within the structure assembled by Soapbox Team.
Posted 27 Apr 2018 18:24
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Friday: Today consists of testing the collages as well as clarifying the texts that students have produced as a response to their research topic. Each student has written no less than 500 words reflecting on their findings.
Posted 27 Apr 2018 18:23
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Compiling: Today, we are reflecting on everything that we have done this week. From the tour in the Norther Quarter, to the guided tour around the city centre, every aspect of learning this week is being mirrored in the publication.
Posted 27 Apr 2018 18:23
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Day Seven: Made good progress with the book as we are fast approaching 100 pages. The film is starting to take shape as well as the footage was starting to be cut together. Seen above is the album cover for the New Order single "Crystal" designed by Manchester based graphic designer, Peter Saville, who some of the research evolves around.
Posted 27 Apr 2018 10:50
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Day 7: The data collection continues. Everyone's working on a specific theme (i.e: music, art, architecture, industrial evolution, etc)
Posted 26 Apr 2018 15:53
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Film: Some of the themes covered in the film will be; Music, Art, Culture & Politics. As well as this there will be footage of the tours which took place and students conducting research.
The film will be 3-5 mins long.
Posted 26 Apr 2018 14:55
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Film: The aim of the film is for the students to collate both found and shot footage into a coherent film which reflects both what has been researched and understood regarding the relationship of Manchester & Detroit, and also what they have been doing throughout events week.
Posted 26 Apr 2018 14:48
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Film: As well as the publication, we are aiming to produce a film which reflects and summaries the research conducted into both Manchester & Detroit. Students have been collecting footage throughout the week during the tours and site visits which have taken place.
Posted 26 Apr 2018 14:43
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Day 08: Editing of the publication continues and all the works are compiled together and the layout of the magazine is being monitored, information of the topics chosen by the students are uploaded and editing texts has begun for the final publication output and the filming group continues to work on the tapes and its editing.
Posted 26 Apr 2018 14:42
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Experimenting: As the editing of the publication finally begins, all students are working on personal reflections inspired by their chosen research topic. From abandoned buildings to music, there is an array of topics that the students have covered, which would be a valuable aspect of our publication.
Posted 26 Apr 2018 12:04
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Getting It Together: On Day Seven, we are finally compiling the information together. Diagrams, photographs and text are being carefully edited. The information gathered during the 3 Tours are fuelling our reflections and research, making our response not only verbal but visual too.
Posted 26 Apr 2018 11:59
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Day Six: In the morning a small number of us worked on the book then in the afternoon a few more of us joined us on a visit to the museum of science and industry. This was a great way of getting first hand research for the industry section of our publication.
Posted 26 Apr 2018 11:50
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Day six: Visit to Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI)
This is one of the engines used for goods train during the Industrial Revolution.
Posted 25 Apr 2018 23:01
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Day six: Visit to Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI)
Comprises of 5 blocks, all the blocks house different theme and different exhibition. This is the Power Hall, where all the working engines and locomotives are exhibited.
Posted 25 Apr 2018 22:58
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Day six: Visit to Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI)
To trace Manchester's era of Industrial Revolution, there's no better archive than this museum.
Posted 25 Apr 2018 22:54
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Walking along Rochdale Canal Tow Path during the walking tour exploring Manchester, discovering Manchester from a different angle.
Posted 25 Apr 2018 01:29
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Visited Manchester Craft & Design centre; established to foster and promote the advancement of education of the public in contemporary visual art, craft and design. The centre houses a range of art shops ranging from painting, contemporary jewellery and etc. Such centre is significant to the art movement in Manchester and comparable to those in Detroit.
Posted 25 Apr 2018 01:22
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Day three: We joined a free walking tour around Manchester city centre to get to know more about the city. To my surprise, there are plenty of interesting facts about Manchester like, why worker bee is a symbol of Manchester, and why there's a huge Vimto monument commemorated in North Campus and the existence "The Six Apple Trees", the scions of the tree at Grantham under which Sir Isaac Newton is reputed to have conceived his Theory of Gravitation.
Posted 25 Apr 2018 00:52
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Day Five: Today the group formulated a style in which we would produce the film in, then a few students began montaging footage together to experiment certain ideas. The publication is starting to look promising as the students photography was presented and annotated. Also the research done into Art Deco and General Motors was also presented. The next task for the publication will be to present the work relating to the graphic designer, Peter Saville.
Posted 24 Apr 2018 18:15
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Day Four: Productive day which purely consisted of researching our assigned areas. The publication was started and populated with sample sheets which as the week progresses, will be filled with the students work..
Posted 23 Apr 2018 16:30
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Grafitti found at one of the small public squares in Northern Quarter, complimenting the white cherry blossom tree, giving life to the area.
Posted 23 Apr 2018 01:51
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One of the shops that I found particularly beautiful, a florist just at the end of Turner St in Northern Quarter. The blooming cherry blossom not only resembles the Spring season but also becomes a street art installation, an Instagram-worthy spot.
Posted 23 Apr 2018 01:46
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Day 2: Tour around Northern Quarter, the hub of art, music, hippies, graffitis. This tour was meant to trace the layers of art and to document relevant findings for the publication and the video. NQ which is famous for its graffiti will be hosting "The Cities of Hope street art convention" in Sept 2018.
Posted 23 Apr 2018 01:41
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Day Three: Spent the day on a walking tour of Manchester where the students got to learn more about the city. This was also a good way of acquiring more information for the final publication. When walking around the city we took more photos and videos which will provide the basis for our final outcome.
Posted 21 Apr 2018 11:33
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Day Two: Spent the morning in the Northern Quarter photographing the graffiti and street art which has become a prominent part of that area of Manchester over the years. In the afternoon we returned back to Chatham to continue our research and started to present some of our work for the publication.
Posted 19 Apr 2018 21:45
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Day One: This morning was spent introducing ourselves along with having a talk with our main collaborator Dominic Sagar. We split the tasks up into sub categories and assigned them to members of the group so they can begin their research. The afternoon was spent watching our first film as well as beginning our research in our specific areas.
Posted 18 Apr 2018 15:48
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Movie time//Motown Burning City: Setting the mood, immersing in Detroit rich-yet-ripped culture, music, social fabric etc
Posted 18 Apr 2018 15:21
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Kicking off the Events week with a talk from our very own Manc-troit expert, Dominic Sagar and brief introduction on what to expect for the next two weeks
Posted 18 Apr 2018 15:05
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A powerhouse of the industrial revolution, the centre of Britain’s alternative music scene and a pioneering university town. Manchester has been many things over the centuries, its fortunes rising and falling with each new era. Many of its booms have left relics behind; old, forgotten buildings and crumbling reminders of bygone glories. Poke around the nooks and crannies of this fascinating city, and you’ll uncover a wealth of modern ruins. Join us as we delve into the hidden history of abandoned Manchester.
Posted 18 Apr 2018 14:29
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The Heidelberg Project: An initiative from a Detroit based community organization with a mission to improve the lives of people and neighborhoods through art, by embracing its diverse cultures and artistic attributes in an outdoor art environment in the heart of an urban area as the essential building blocks for a fulfilling and economically viable way of life.
Perhaps mapping and pinpointing this kind of movement could be a starting point?
Posted 17 Apr 2018 15:12
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Collaborators: Having had a chat with the events group, Soapbox. There is a good chance we will be able to exhibit our work in their exhibition. This gives us the chance to showcase our weeks work. Another element we are considering adding to this is the idea of possibly running a competition within the events group. This will allow the best piece of work to get the largest allocation in the Soapbox exhibition.
Posted 20 Mar 2018 15:04
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Filmic Inspiration: We are starting to formulate a series of precedents for which our film could look like. Seen in the
image above is the poster for the popular anthology series, Black Mirror. If you find any videos you think ours should be presented like, make a note of them and we will go through them during our first meeting. Below is a link to a precedent for the recent trailer for the fourth season of Black Mirror. Notice the transition between archival and footage from the actual show for inspiration for our final outcome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjNhW2mR1lMPosted 20 Mar 2018 14:51
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Schedule: We have finalised our plans for the Events weeks! The schedule of key activities divides our team into two groups: Team A and Team B. Team A will be primarily focusing on the development of the magazine and Team B will be working on creating the short film.
Check your university emails and the Facebook group for further information on how the groups will be allocated.
Posted 20 Mar 2018 14:46
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Risk Assessment: We have just completed our risk assessment after having a very informative discussion with the technical staff at MSA. We want everyone to stay safe during the Events especially when we visit various sites in the city centre of Manchester.
Please check your emails for the Risk Assessment!
Posted 20 Mar 2018 14:34
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Through our own photographic analysis we will capture how modern art movement in Manchester hopes to continue to drive creativity within this very unique neighbourhood. We will also cross the invisible wall to Ancoats known as Great Ancoats Street and investigate how art and architects worked together to create a cohesive space for living in.
Posted 14 Mar 2018 21:57
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Excursion III: On this tour, we will learn about the creation of the Norther Quarter as we know it today. We will find inspiration in the lesser known heritage sites, public art and sculptures which are threatened by new developments.
“The best way to get to know a place is through its art and its artists.” - East Street Arts.
Posted 14 Mar 2018 21:55
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Excursion II: We will undertake a walking tour through the streets of Manchester and reveal how the power of the world has shaped the city. You are welcome to use photography, sketching and painting to capture the vibrant city. The outputs of the tour will be included in the final publication.
Posted 14 Mar 2018 21:55
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Excursion I: In order to obtain the necessary content for the publication, as a group we will be visiting archival collections at MOSI, People’s History Museum and the Central Library. The exciting tours will require you to collect archival footage, maps, statistics, historic photographs and written content in regards to the topics that we are exploring.
Keep an eye out for the upcoming detailed schedule that will have a clear introduction to the first days of the Events.
Posted 14 Mar 2018 21:53
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Motor City: Detroit’s automotive history starts in the 1890’s. Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, has helped Detroit obtain the nickname ‘Motor City’ due to the company’s vast success. Even today you can find Detroit’s historic automotive manufacturing facility amongst many of Manchester’s industrial buildings.
Prior to the Events Weeks, we will provide you with the exciting information to get started. Check your emails and the Facebook Group regularly for updates and the content that we would like to share with you.
Posted 14 Mar 2018 21:50
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King Cotton: Manchester’s cotton history starts in the 1830’s. In 1835, the French historian and social observer, Alexis de Tocqueville, visited the growing Industrial City – Manchester and recorded in his diary these words: “From this foul drain, the greatest stream of human industry flows out to fertilise the world. From this filthy sewer pure gold flows”.
We would like you to immerse yourself in the history of the Industrial Revolution and how in particular it has shaped Manchester to be the Industrial City it was considered to be.
Posted 14 Mar 2018 21:49
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Connections: Seen in the image above is the reflection of the Detroit Bridge in Salford. This is just one of the links connecting
Manchester to Detroit. Now with the recently created Facebook group, use this as an opportunity to discover more links between the two cities and if you wish, post them to the Facebook group for discussion.
Here is the link to the Facebook group to join; https://www.facebook.com/groups/1973582952716615/Posted 14 Mar 2018 12:11
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Facebook Group: Be sure to check your emails as we have just sent you the link to our new Facebook group to keep you updated
with everything that’s going on. The group is called; Detroit – Manchester - Zones of Urban Experimentation. We will be using this Facebook group to keep in contact with you throughout the Events week. Feel free to use it post any ideas you have before the Events week starts that could possibly enhance the 9 days.
Here is the link to the Facebook group to join; https://www.facebook.com/groups/1973582952716615/
Posted 14 Mar 2018 10:51
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Shrinking Cities: Seen in the image above is an aerial view of the city of Detroit. Classed as a ‘Shrinking City’, this notion will be heavily involved with the data we will obtain for the publication. Use this time before events week starts to look at trends and patterns in data surrounding Detroit. Is it still a shrinking city and if so, what makes it one?
Posted 12 Mar 2018 12:00
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Foreshadowing: Seen in the image above is the old Haçienda in Manchester, demolished in 2002. Founded by Tony Wilson, the Hacienda became famous in the Madchester years of the 1980s and early 1990s. The yellow and black stripes became a brand which is now associated with the Haçienda. We intend use this style in our publication to pay homage to this iconic building which is such an important part of Manchester’s history.
Posted 12 Mar 2018 11:59
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Publication inspiration: We are starting to formulate a series of precedents for which our magazine could look like. Seen in the image above is Issue 20 of ‘Hypebeast Magazine’, guest edited by Virgil Abloh. If you find any publications you think our one should be presented like, make a note of them and we will go through them during our first meeting.
Posted 12 Mar 2018 11:59
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Why not start now?: Once again, as part of the brief we have to create a short film as a group. The film is meant to act as a document to show the work we have done throughout the 9 days, however as most of the work we will do will consist of research and data, there is no earlier time to start. Think of the film as a documentary which could include footage you have filmed, archive footage, clips from documentaries etc. We intend for the film to work hand in hand with the publication, so see this as an extension both in terms of content and style of that publication.
Posted 12 Mar 2018 11:59
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Looking for inspiration? Start by exploring iconic photographers such as Corinne Day, Nick Knight, Mark Leckey and a legendary graphic designer Peter Saville. All artists carefully examine the contemporary artistic and stylistic representations of the north of England and the effect of geographical space on creative output and the importance of place.
Posted 5 Mar 2018 16:21
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The interior design of the Hacienda can be translated into the stylistic patterns that were used across posters, album design and advertising of the music that was played inside. “People’s Palace”- the space within the club was painted in cool blue, with brightly clad balcony supports and diagonal stripes painted on columns. The urban theme continued with bold directional markings, neon bar signs and cat-eyes that mapped the floor.
Posted 5 Mar 2018 16:20
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Publication inspiration: We are starting to formulate a series of precedents for which our magazine could look like. Seen in the image above is the "YOU CUT ME OFF" book by Virgil Abloh. If you find any publications you think our one should be presented like, make a note of them and we will go through them during our first meeting.
Posted 5 Mar 2018 15:52
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Why not start now?: A large amount of the final publication will involve photography taken by you and there is no earlier time to start. No need to be too fussy when taking photos of the city. A few things to look out for are Street Art, Graffiti and Industrial Architecture.
Posted 5 Mar 2018 15:52
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Factory Records: For those of you who are curious, the man in our Events poster is Tony Wilson. In 1978, alongside Alan Erasmus (right on the photo above), he started a Manchester-based British independent record label. The bands with the most numerous releases on Factory Records include Joy Division, Happy Mondays and New Order. The Hacienda (Mexican for ‘big beautiful house’) opened on May 21st 1982. This impressive new space acted as a music venue to record’s own musicians. The Architectural Review declared the club, “a pioneering interior”. On your first time Hacienda was an immersive experience in aesthetics of design which simply took your breath away. Ben Kelly, an interior designer of Hacienda realised a unique vision of how things should be – changing the expectations of UK club-goers.
Film Recommendation// “Control” (2007), shot entirely in black and white, it tells the story of Ian Curtis, the lead singer of Joy Division.
“24 Hour Party People” (2002) , the story of the emergence of Manchester as a major musical centre in the late- 1970’s and 80’s. The story is told through the eyes of Tony Wilson.
Posted 27 Feb 2018 19:52
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Northern Soul: The scene emerged in Britain during the late 60’s. The work of leading African-American recording stars on the Motown label was sought after by collectors in Britain. From the late 1960’s this was known as the ‘rare soul’ scene, and it grew substantially in the north of England.
Five principal venues were key to this growth: the Twisted Wheel club in Manchester; Blackpool Mecca (referred to as the ‘Mecca’); the Golden Torch in Stoke-on-Trent and most famously the Wigan Casino Club. It has been estimated that in the 1975 Northern Soul was attracting up to 100000 followers per week at it’s various venues. (Hewitt, 2000, p. 141)
Film Recommendation// “Northern Soul” (2014), an insight into 1970’s working class northern England. The film is a fictional story that authentically reflects the youth culture, as it depicts a story of two young boys whose horizons are opened up by the discovery of African-American soul music.
Posted 27 Feb 2018 15:48
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Greystone Ballroom: Around ten years ago, there was a global outrage when it was revealed that the then-abandoned old Motown ballroom was being demolished in order to be replaced by a parking lot. During the demolition of the infamous venue, the air was filled with invaluable old papers, some were invoices signed by various Motown stars. Within the Events week, we are going to be exploring how the extraordinary music history of Detroit has been allowed to crumble and be discarded as a result of political corruption.
Film Recommendation// “Detroit: Ruin of a City” (2005), an intriguing documentary about making a documentary about Detroit. The film looks back over the history of the city in the twentieth century: over the rise and fall of the social system identified by social theorists as ‘Fordism’.
Posted 27 Feb 2018 15:19
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Motown: A portmanteau of ‘motor’ and ‘town’, is a record company that was founded in Detroit in 1959 by a former boxer and an automobile worker, Berry Gordy. It played an important role in the racial integration of popular music as an African-American- owned record label and quickly became another Detroit factory. Berry Gordy claimed to have learned from working with Ford “how production can be efficiently organised and automated for the highest quality” and for a “highly consistent product”. Musicians and singers were configured as production workers, as opposed to songwriters and producers who designed the final product. During Events, we are going to be capturing the link between musical and motor industrial role in the city – the link that is present in the history of Manchester.
Posted 27 Feb 2018 14:44
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Splitting Up The Tasks: The intention for the 9 days is to split up tasks of the film, tours and magazine between us as a group and for us 5th years to lead each of the separate teams. The reasoning behind this is so that you can take part in which ever area you are most interested in or even rotate as the days go on. This will result in a better work flow as we will spread ourselves across different tasks as opposed to all working on one.
Posted 22 Feb 2018 18:53
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Magazine: The culmination of the film and tour will be a magazine which will document everything we found when doing research into Manchester and Detroit. The magazine will also include maps, data analysis, infographics and more which spot trends and comparisons into the two cities. If you are interested in compiling research, this will be a great opportunity to learn such software as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign.
For an example into the kind of publication we will look to produce. See the book; Living in the Endless City. “An in-depth and multidisciplinary examination of our rapidly urbanizing world.” Edited by Ricky Burdett and Deyan Sudjic.
Posted 20 Feb 2018 11:52
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Tour: One of the main activities for the first week will be a series of tours through Manchester delving into the Art, Industrial and Cultural aspects of the city. This will be an opportunity to enhance your photography skills along with improving your knowledge of this side of the city. In addition to this you will find out about the man, Tony Wilson. If you are interested in photography, this will be a great opportunity to learn such software as Adobe Photoshop.
Posted 20 Feb 2018 11:52
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Film: One of the main outputs for the events week will be to create a short 3-minute film. However, we will look to use this film to bridge our two other outputs together. The film will be made as a documentary, not only for our progress and work but the research and footage we have found over the course of the 9 days. If you are interested in filmmaking, this will be a great opportunity to learn such software as Adobe After Effects and Adobe Premiere Pro.
Posted 20 Feb 2018 11:51
