Manchester

Lets take a look at what is good in the North's other major city.
We at Test Space feel its important to find good ideas and see what is going on out and around. The city over the wrong side of the Pennines has a lot to offer it so we had a look.
Top of the list is Noise Lab is producing all sorts lovely art, sound and events all from the city's young minds. Look at the site and enjoy. Better still if you find yourself in the land of Bodingtons pay it a visit. Located at 42 Market Street, Manchester, M1 1PW, see if there is anything on, check out the exhibition space on the first floor, buy something you can not get anyway else or drink a coffee at the cafe. These guys have big plans so keep your eyes on them. We have a little 'in' with one or two of the people that run the place, so we were lucky enough to have a tour of it. I think you can tell we were impressed.
Another place we checked out is a sweet little place called Nexus. A great looking cafe, flowers on the tables, installations round the room. They do music, video work, food and comfort and have cool-cool people sitting there like they just don't care. It is linked to the methodist church across the road, which explains the lack of alcohol in a place that begs for European beers and Pims. It stays open until 5am, lovely but I want to have my beer. A true crime, even if it does love itself.
We only a few hours so we took a quick view in Cornerhouse. Now this is a professional approach. The gallery, shop, bar and across the road its cinema. I so want to go and see something there so much, I will be back, o yes. I'm thinking Leeds needs this, I love Hyde Park cinema, but we in the première city deserve a classic style cinema in the city centre. It makes me dream of the Screen on the Green in Islington. I'll running away from topic, so back I come.
Ideas, hopes and the future. These are gems that make Test Space think big. I won't go on about the ICA or the now lost to us Shunt of London. It makes me happy to know all these places are possible.

Floppelgangers

So.
Catching up on the Leeds scene has brought the Test Space team to the old T K Maxx shop in the old Bond Street centre (you may know it as Leeds Shopping Plaza).
We had looked at what Leeds is doing for art, design, fashion, any creative endeavour and seen Art in unusual spaces. A great initiative to put art in unused shop spaces in Leeds, excellent.
Inside the shopping centre there were a two exhibitions. One on the ground floor, this used the window fronts of about 7 shop units as spaces for artists. The installation piece with flickering light and origami hanging to create freaky, spooky bat at night feel.
Then came he Floppelgangers.
A fantastic exhibition created using mostly material left in the space. It is a big space and the artists have tried to use all of it. Performance, installations and hung work of all kinds. Particularly the lighting piece that used the ceiling lighting tiles. Most encouraging was the artists resourceful use of what was to hand. It felt light and friendly, even if we had to stand outside and wait for exhibition to open.
A good time was had by all.