Museums and Galleries in Manchester
Manchester has a vibrant contemporary art scene and its museums hold collections of national importance. New gallery developments in Manchester include:
Cornerhouse
Manchester's international centre for contemporary visual arts and independent film. It is in the process of developing a new £19m venue in order to expand its work in contemporary visual art, film and theatre.
Gallery of Costume
Following a major £1million renovation project, Gallery of Costume at Platt Hall has recently reopened. The Gallery of Costume houses one of the most important costume collections in Britain, second only to the V&A in London. It contains over 20,000 fashion items from the 17th century to the present day.
The Lowry
A £127 million arts complex, The Lowry is adjacent to the BBC's new MediaCityUK in Salford Quays. It houses the largest collection of works by LS Lowry and also originates and hosts a changing programme of exhibitions.
Manchester Art Gallery
The Gallery hosts a diverse programme of changing exhibitions, ranging from historic to contemporary art, photography, design, and decorative arts. Manchester Art Gallery contains an internationally renowned collection of paintings including work by Stubbs, Goya, Turner and the Pre-Raphaelites.
Whitworth Art Gallery
The Whitworth Art Gallery hosts an ambitious programme of contemporary and historical exhibitions of national and international importance. The Whitworth owns many important art works and has the largest collections of textiles and wallpapers outside London. Ambitious plans for redevelopment of the gallery is underway to allow a better connection to local communities and to meet the increasing demand for research use of their collections.
Other Galleries, Museums and Independent Contemporary Art Spaces in Manchester include:
- Blankspace
- Bureau
- Bury Art Gallery
- Castlefield Gallery
- Chinese Art Centre
- Cube
- Gallery Oldham
- Holden Gallery
- Imperial War Museum North
- Manchester Museum
- Museum of Science and Industry
- North West Film Archive
- Pumphouse Peoples History Museum
- Rogue Project Space
- Salford Museum & Art Gallery
Liverpool is a forty-minute rail journey and its museums and galleries include:
Regional Arts Festivals include:
The Lowry, Salford Quays
Academic Links
Visits to many of these institutions are arranged on a regular basis, and in addition we have established formal academic links with, for example, Manchester Art Gallery, North West Film Archive, Manchester Museum and the Whitworth Art Gallery.
Our links with institutions offer many exciting opportunities for our students, including opportunities for work placements.