sustained theatre

Zion Arts Centre 100 Years old

Dear friend,

I’d like to invite you to a very special (once in a centenary!) event.

Zion Arts Centre, a building that has stood firm amongst all the changing years of Hulme, is celebrating its 100th birthday.

Hopefully you will have already enjoyed some of our countdown activities marking each decade with a special event, from showing films of the Crescents to the fabulous 1940’s-themed ‘street party’ as part of Hulme Festival in July.

We are now fast approaching our grand finale!  The Pleasant Sunday Afternoon Society is on Sunday 9th October.  Named after the Society that that first created Zion as a “place for local people to renew their body, mind and soul”, we’re celebrating how Zion has played this role in different ways over the last hundred years.

The whole of Zion will be transformed into a performance space, and the audience will be taken on a journey through time and a journey through the building.  As you go through each room you’ll encounter activities reminiscent of things that have happened at Zion over the last 100 years.  You’ll pass through ballet rehearsals, the blitz, a punk squat, a choir from 1911 and lots more besides. Over 100 young people from all across Manchester and as far away as Dundee have helped create the show, working with professional artists on script, costume, film, songs and performance.

Tickets for The Pleasant Sunday Afternoon Society must be booked in advance, and slots are available at 2.15; 2.30; 2.45; 3.00; 3.15; 3.30; 3.45; 4.00; 4.15; 4.30pm.  Call the box office on 0161 232 6089 to book your ticket or 0161 226 1912 for any further formation about any of Zion’s activities and how you can get involved.

Attached to the show is an exhibition in Zion’s gallery.  Local historian Terry Wyke from Manchester Metropolitan University has unearthed some fantastic historical images of Zion and Hulme (it even has an accompanying book!).  The Zion 100 Exhibition launch is at 6pm on 26th September.  The exhibition then runs until 21st October and the gallery is open 5-9pm weekdays and 10am-4pm Saturdays.

We’re not only celebrating the past, we’re looking to the future as well, so we’ve taken this opportunity to launch a

new snack bar in Zion, with coffee, cakes, snacks and healthy drinks (plus some not so healthy refreshments for the grown-ups!). From 11th October onwards the snack bar will be open from 12-8pm weekdays and 10am-4pm Saturdays, plus later for special events. 

I and all the Zion team look forward to welcoming you.

Yours sincerely,

Liz O'Neill

CEO

Zion Arts Centre

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Posted by miselo1@yahoo.co.uk, Monday 19th September, 2011