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What's on

Film buffs are in for a treat this month. Two major film festivals are taking place in the region. Plus, the usual exhibitions, concerts (including Herbie Hancock - pictured above), theatre performances and sporting events. Read November's listings below.

Festival

Salford Film Festival

Now in its fifth year, Salford Film Festival celebrates the city's cinematic history and thriving contemporary talent. From cutting-edge new shorts and international premieres to local community films and cult classics, there is something for everyone to enjoy. One of this year's highlights is Charlie Bubbles - a 1967 film written by Shelagh Delaney and directed by Albert Finney, which marks the screen debut of Liza Minnelli.

Various venues, Nov 15 - 23. www.salfordfilmfestival.org.uk

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Festival

Exposures

The UK's leading competitive festival for student filmmaking and moving image work is back. Exposures showcases the best student work and offers the chance to debate with some prestigious guest speakers from the film world.

Cornerhouse and Urbis, Nov 22 - 27. www.exposuresfestival.co.uk

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Festive events

Manchester Christmas Lights Switch-On

An evening of sparkling entertainment and family fun heralds the start of the festive season in Manchester. Expect special celebrity guests, live music, costumed characters and a firework finale.

Albert Square, Nov 7. www.manchesterlive.co.uk

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Festive events

Manchester Christmas Markets

Manchester celebrates ten years of Christmas Markets. More than 200 traditional wooden chalets and bustling stalls offer freshly made continental delicacies, festive treats and gifts to get you into the Christmas spirit.

Albert Square, Brazennose Street, St Ann's Square, Exchange Street, Exchange Square and New Cathedral Street, Nov 18 - Dec 21. www.manchester.gov.uk/markets

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Exhibitions

A Long Exposure: 100 Years of Guardian Photography

The Guardian appointed its first staff photographer, Walter Doughty, in 1908. A hundred years later, The Lowry celebrates the newspaper's distinctive pictorial style with an exhibition showing some of the most memorable images from the last century.

The Lowry, until March 1, 2009. Free. Tel: 0870 787 5794.

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Exhibitions

Black Panther: Emory Douglas and the Art of Revolution

The first UK exhibition by US graphic artist Emory Douglas - the official artist of the Black Panther Party and an unsung hero of the modern civil rights movement. Black Panther shows how Douglas's visual messages helped to encourage a largely illiterate community in the late 60s to challenge the police brutality, economic inequality and social injustice it was experiencing, against a backdrop of growing civil unrest.

Urbis, until April 19, 2009. Free. Tel: 0161 605 8200.

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Exhibitions

Putting on the Glitz

Whitworth Art Gallery showcases luxurious, metallic wallpapers from its rare collection.

Whitworth Art Gallery, Nov 8, 2008 - Oct 2009. Free. Tel: 0161 275 7450.

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Exhibition

cloth & culture NOW

Tapestry, knitting and embroidery appear alongside digital print, photography and fibre optics in this exhibition, which brings together inspiring new work by leading contemporary textile artists from around the world.

Whitworth Art Gallery, until Dec 14. Free. Tel: 0161 275 7450.

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Exhibition

Holman Hunt and the Pre-Raphaelite Vision

A major new exhibition, featuring more than 50 key works by Pre-Raphaelite artist Holman Hunt. This is the first ever opportunity to see all three versions of Hunt's iconic work The Light of the World together.

Manchester Art Gallery, Oct 11, 2008 - Jan 11, 2009. Free. Tel: 0161 235 8888.

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Exhibition

So You Want to be an Artist?

A hands-on family exhibition that gives youngsters the chance to create their own artwork in The Lowry's galleries. Budding artists can learn from renowned North West painters Liam Spencer and Ghislaine Howard, who share some of their trade secrets on screen, before creating and exhibiting their own drawings and paintings.

The Lowry, until Nov 2. Free. Tel: 0870 787 5794.

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Exhibition

Birth rites

An exhibition featuring a series of artworks produced as a result of collaborations between artists and childbirth professionals, exploring the politics and practice of childbirth in our society.

The Manchester Museum, Sept 20 - Nov 30. Free. Tel: 0161 275 2634.

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Exhibition

The Making of MOSI

It is 25 years since the Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) made its home at the former Liverpool Road Station, the oldest surviving passenger railway station in the world. Find out how the museum's collections reflect the changes in Manchester's science and industry - from the closure of printworks and mines to the rapid development of telecommunications - with this special anniversary exhibition.

Museum of Science and Industry, until Jan 4, 2009. Free. Tel: 0161 832 2244.

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Exhibition

Horrible Histories: Frightful First World War

A family exhibition based on one of the most popular books in the Horrible Histories series. Terry Deary's wonderful words and artist Martin Brown's vivid visuals, combined with the sounds, art, film, photographs and objects from Imperial War Museum's unrivalled collections, together tell the tales of the key battles and landmarks of the First World War, 90 years after its end.

Imperial War Museum North, May 24, 2008 - Jan 4, 2009. Free. Tel: 0161 836 4000.

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Exhibition

Lindow Man: a Bog Body Mystery

The naturally preserved body of an Iron Age man is going on display at The Manchester Museum, on loan from the British Museum. Known as Lindow Man, the mummified body was discovered in a peat bog at Lindow Moss, Cheshire, in 1984. Thought to have died between AD20 and 90, he is notable for the savage way in which he was killed, which is suggestive of ritual sacrifice.

The Manchester Museum, April 19, 2008 - April 19, 2009. Free. Tel: 0161 275 2634.

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Theatre

Antigone

Gripping Greek tragedy Antigone tells the story of one woman's defiance as she refuses to bow to her ruler and prospective father-in-law when her brother is denied the dignity of a burial. Written by Sophocles around 442 BC, the play brims with modern parallels as it takes its audience on an emotional journey.

The Royal Exchange Theatre, until Nov 8. £8.50 - £29. Tel: 0161 833 9833.

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Theatre

For the Love of Mrs Brown

Brendan O'Carroll returns as Mrs Brown - the Dublin matriarch whose hilarious antics will have you roaring with laughter. Having discovered the internet, Agnes Brown accidentally sets up a date with a man she knows only as HairyHarry 25. Despite her family's objections, she is determined to go through with it.

Opera House, Nov 4 - 8. £13.50 - £22.50. Tel: 0844 847 2484.

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Theatre

Independent Means

The Library Theatre celebrates the centenary of the establishment of Annie Horniman's Gaiety Theatre in Manchester, with the revival of playwright Stanley Houghton's proto-feminist comedy Independent Means. Set in the fictional city of Salchester (an amalgamation of Salford and Manchester) in 1909, the play tells the story of Edgar and Sidney - a young couple who find themselves faced with unprecedented choices as they try to adapt to the changing times.

The Library Theatre, until Nov 22. £10 - £18.50. Tel: 0161 236 7110.

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Theatre

Nico Icon Play

Stella Grundy, frontwoman of 90s band Intastella, uses live music, film and theatre to explore the life of artist Christa Paffgen - from the glamour of her Warhol years in the 60s to the squalor of her Manchester years in the 80s.

The Lowry, Nov 12 - 22. £5 - £10. Tel: 0870 787 5793.

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Theatre

Joseph

Craig Chalmers stars in Bill Kenwright's production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's family musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - a show based on the biblical story of Joseph, his 11 brothers and the coat of many colours.

Palace Theatre, Nov 24 - 29. £11.50 - £27.50. Tel: 0844 847 2484.

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Theatre

A Taste of Honey

Sally Lindsay stars as Helen in the Royal Exchange Theatre's 50th anniversary production of A Taste of Honey, by Shelagh Delaney. Set in Salford in the late 50s, the play tells the story of adolescent Jo and her relationships with those around her - her roving mother Helen, her mum's newly acquired drunken husband, the black sailor who leaves her pregnant and the homosexual art student who moves in to help with the baby. See interview with Sally Lindsay on page 14.

The Royal Exchange Theatre, Nov 12 - Dec 6. £8.50 - £29. Tel: 0161 833 9833.

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Theatre

The Wizard of Oz

International star Lorna Luft, Judy Garland's daughter, plays the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz - the show that propelled her mother to international stardom in 1939. The show boasts all the famous characters from the film - Dorothy, the Tin Man, Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion - singing hits like We're Off to See the Wizard, Follow the Yellow Brick Road and Over the Rainbow. It also promises magnificent special effects, lavish costumes and energetic dance routines.

The Lowry, Nov 29, 2008 - Jan 4, 2009. £15 - £27. Tel: 0870 787 5793.

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Music

Goldfrapp

Pop magicians Goldfrapp bring their thrillingly inventive live show to Manchester, as part of an autumn UK tour.

Manchester Apollo, Nov 2. £22.50. Tel: 0871 2200 260.

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Music

Royal Scottish National Orchestra

The acclaimed Royal Scottish National Orchestra makes its debut at The Bridgewater Hall with a showpiece programme conducted by its music director, Stephane Deneve. The concert features Berlioz's Roman Carnival Overture, Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto, and two pieces by Strauss - Suite from Der Rosenkavalier and Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks.

The Bridgewater Hall, Nov 2. £12 - £36. Tel: 0161 907 9000.

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Music

Neon Neon

Gruff Rhys, Boom Bip and band perform songs from their highly ambitious electro-pop album, Stainless Style.

Ruby Lounge, Nov 9. £10. Tel: 0161 832 1111.

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Music

Cardinals

US alternative country band Cardinals, fronted by Ryan Adams, kicks off a new run of headline dates in the UK at Manchester Academy.

Manchester Academy, Nov 10. £24. Tel: 0871 2200 260.

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Music

Herbie Hancock

One of the most revered and controversial figures in jazz, Herbie Hancock is still restlessly experimenting and pushing the genre forward.

The Bridgewater Hall, Nov 16. £25, £30 & £35. Tel: 0161 907 9000.

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Music

Kanye West

Hip hop icon Kanye West returns to Manchester for the final night of his Glow In The Dark UK tour.

M.E.N Arena, Nov 17. £32.50. Tel: 0844 847 8000.

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Music

The Feeling

The five-piece pop-rock band brings its hugely entertaining live show to Manchester, with support from Das Pop.

Manchester Apollo, Nov 17. £22.50. Tel: 0871 2200 260.

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Music

Hayley Westenra

New Zealand singing sensation Hayley Westenra zooms into town as part of her River Of Dreams tour.

The Bridgewater Hall, Nov 17. £24.50 & £27.50. Tel: 0161 907 9000.

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Music

Paul Weller

The Modfather returns to the M.E.N Arena to perform tracks from his brand new album, 22 Dreams.

M.E.N Arena, Nov 18. £30. Tel: 0844 847 8000.

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Music

Ida Maria

Norwegian punk-pop singer Ida Maria embarks on her biggest UK tour to date.

Club Academy, Nov 20. £8. Tel: 0161 832 1111.

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Music

McFly

The boys are back in town. Chart-topping pop quartet McFly return to Manchester as part of their Radio:ACTIVE UK tour.

M.E.N Arena, Nov 22. £16 & £26. Tel: 0844 847 8000.

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Music

Cliff Richard

Legendary performer Cliff Richard celebrates five decades of chart-topping music with a golden anniversary show at the M.E.N Arena.

M.E.N Arena, Nov 25 & 26. £40, £45 & £50. Tel: 0844 847 8000.

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Dance

Edward Scissorhands

The Lowry hosts New Adventures' production of Edward Scissorhands, choreographed by Matthew Bourne. Based on the classic Tim Burton film, the gothic fairytale tells the story of a boy created by a lonely inventor who dies leaving him alone and unfinished. With scissors for hands, Edward struggles to find a place in the strange suburban world outside.

The Lowry, Nov 18 - 22. £15 - £35. Tel: 0870 787 5793.

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Sport

British Open International Taekwondo Championships

Home-grown taekwondo stars pit their skills against the best in the world, in Britain's first ever taekwondo Open.

Sportcity, Nov 1 - 2. www.wtf.org

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Sport

Revolution Cycling

Let international road and track cycling stars entertain you with their skill, speed and showmanship in this action-packed alternative cycling event that storms into town again this month. Combining sporting action with music and lighting effects, Revolution is great fun for everyone.

National Cycling Centre, Sportcity, Nov 29. www.cyclingrevolution.com

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