CityCo is working with Northern Quarter businesses on a number of projects to develop and improve the area including outdoor art projects, cycle schemes and street festivals.

Northern Quarter Street Festivals

CityCo is advising businesses in the N4 around celebrations for the 2012 Queen’s Jubliee, and has previously co-ordinated the logistics and delivery of two successful street festivals.

Thousands of people headed to the Northern Quarter in April 2011 to mark the Royal Wedding with a 1940s-style street party. Edge St and Thomas St were closed all day and stalls and bunting lined the streets. Bars opened their doors early and party-goers were entertained by a retro fashion show, swing dance lessons and music from the era.

September 2011 saw the launch of the N4LOVESU Festival, which was co-ordinated at short notice to support the city’s I Love MCR campaign.

Over 15,000 people attended the two day festival around Thomas St, Tib St, Edge St, Copperas St, High St and Oak St. CityCo helped to facilitate the planning and logistics, ensuring the streets were closed to traffic. Over 30 acts performed live on 3 stages throughout the event.

Outdoor Art

CityCo is assisting with an outdoor art collective’s revolving exhibition in Stevenson Square, N4. The initiative, developed with Outhouse Manchester, utilises an existing wall in the centre of the square and creates a blank canvas for artists. Every three months the blocks are reworked to unveil a new piece of artwork for the city.

For more information, and to view the artists at work visit outhousemcr.tumblr.com

The initiative is part of a series of projects designed to animate the streets of the Northern Quarter and increase the amount of outdoor public art – including a co-ordinated approach to enlivening disused buildings and shop shutters.

We are also exploring developing vacant N4 premises to host cultural events. CityCo recently assisted Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) art students’ move to the area to use studio space and the launch of new club, venue and art space NQ2022 on Dale St.

New city centre cycle racks

CityCo has worked alongside Keep Pedalling on a new initiative to bring cycle parking facilities to Stevenson Square and Hilton St.

The new cycle racks are free of charge and available for anyone to use. Work is also underway to encourage employers to offer in-house cycle parking facilities to employees.

This is the first in a series of projects to introduce similar facilities across the Northern Quarter, and supports a wider on-going strategy to encourage more people to cycle in to the city centre.