What's On Northwest 5-12 May: Pilot Light TV Fest

Each week The Skinny team hand pick a selection of the best events from the Northwest cultural calendar to provide you with this here top ten guide to the most exciting goings on for the week ahead. From gigs, plays, and exhibitions, to spoken word, pop-up foodie events, and one-off film screenings, we give you the insider's guide to things to do in Liverpool, Manchester and beyond every Thursday morning.

Pilot Light TV Festival
Various venues, Manchester and Salford. Thu 5-Sun 8 May, times vary

In an age where Netflix brings unbridled bingery at the click of a button, we've never been more obsessed with TV. And yet often we're sat in our pants watching it alone. The inaugural Pilot Light TV Festival seeks to change that with a new communal celebration featuring screenings, discussions and more, paying homage to the past, present and future of television. Highlights include a Snuff Box 10th anniversary Q&A with Matt Berry, and a Nathan Barley retrospective with Corrie star Charlie Condou. Find out what else to expect with our preview.

Seymour Mace
81 Renshaw Street, Liverpool. Thu 5 May, 7.30pm

Comedian Seymour Mace bestows what he claims is likely to be the final outing of his Foster's Award-nominated show, Niche as Fuck, upon Liverpool. The self-proclaimed bitter old man has become renowned for his playful and experimental approach to comedy, and as such you can expect puppets, props and pure shambles – read our interview with Seymour to find out what else is in store.

Pankhurst in the Park Spring Showdown
Alexandra Park, Manchester. Sat 7 May, 2pm

Pankhurst in the Park draws to a climactic close this weekend, having spent the last couple of months celebrating women's art, music, film, photography and the legacy of Emmeline Pankhurst. For the final shebang, artists-in-residence Bunny Collective will host tours of their woodland exhibition before leading a Q&A with Sarah Gavron, director of 2015 film Suffragette. Things then bow out with a party at the pavilion with DJs Wondergupta, SNO and Andrea Trout.

South Liverpool Open Studios
Various venues, Liverpool. Sun 8 May, 10am

A new art trail event, South Liverpool Open Studios sees nine contemporary artists living and working in the area open their doors to visitors, giving them a unique insight into the creative hubs that exist outside of the city centre. Participating artists are ARTShub47, Beatnik Framing, Deborah Butler, Mary Delaney, John Elcock, Mike Greatbanks, Sandra Hepworth, Josie Jenkins and Rena Pearl – check out where you can find them here.

Image: John Elcock - Camp Hill, Woolton (2015), acrylic on canvas, 30cm x 24cm.

Karenn
Hidden, Manchester. Fri 6 May, 11pm

Hidden and Project 13 present none other than techno dream team Karenn (aka Blawan and Pariah), ready to prove that their individual credentials find their apex when fused together behind the decks. The rest of the bill's not looking bad either, with support from Berlin's Sigha, Project 13's Divided, Anton Fitz and other Hidden residents. It's among our clubbing highlights for the month; see what else is on the list here.

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ADVERTISEMENT | Manchester After Hours: Bad Language
Manchester Jewish Museum, Manchester. Thu 12 May, 9pm

Join Manchester Jewish Museum as they take part in the city-wide Manchester After Hours, with award-winning live literature night Bad Language. For this one-off event, you'll hear the 'Voices of the City', as new and established writers perform a series of short stories and poems inspired by archival footage of Manchester from the collections at North West Film Archive. Using footage chosen by the authors, the night will see new writing woven alongside historical shots that have inspired the piece. Tickets also include a free drink at the MJM museum – don't miss out.

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Last Supper
Ullet Road Unitarian Church, Liverpool. Thu 5 May, 8pm

Theatre collective Bearded Child present Last Supper, an immersive experience combining food, theatre, gallows humour... and the murky concept that is the end of the world. This dark, satirical cabaret comedy will be staged around a three-course meal, reflecting society's unwillingness to confront issues from greed, poverty and disease to overpopulation, pollution and online shaming. Prepare to face some hard-to-swallow questions while chowing down on some very easy-to-swallow grub.

Flying Solo Festival
Contact Theatre, Manchester. Thu 5-Sat 14 May, times vary

Celebrating the work of the solo artist, whose job it is to captivate an audience all on their own, Flying Solo returns this week for another 10 days of live art, spoken word, theatre, intimate performance and dance. Along with new commissions by Ria Hartley and Jenna Watt, there will also be performances from Ben Mellow, Cheryl Martin, Contact Young Company (Climate of Fear, pictured), Kate O'Donnell, Louise Wallwein, Matt Miller and Stuart Bowden.

Photo: Lee Baxter

Daniel Avery
Williamson Tunnels, Liverpool. Sat 7 May, 9pm

Helping 303 mark both the second instalment of their All Night Long series and, more importantly, their third birthday, Andrew Weatherall-endorsed Daniel Avery and his signature barnet head on over to Williamson Tunnels for a mammoth seven-hour set. Tickets are looking thin on the ground for this one, so get a move on if you want in.

Photo: Kate Johnston

Vessel and Immix Ensemble
Soup Kitchen, Manchester. Sat 7 May, 7pm

New music ensemble Immix (led by Aussie Daniel Thorne) have teamed up with Bristolian electronic composer Vessel for Transition, a collaborative release on Erased Tapes that focuses on the theme of technology. It'll be getting the live AV treatment this weekend, before Immix go on to collaborate with others for the three remaining commissions as part of their second season.

Photo: Andrew Ellis

Melt Yourself Down
24 Kitchen Street, Liverpool. Thu 5 May, 7.30pm

London-based Melt Yourself Down are an avant-garde troupe of saxophonists, drummers, singers, bassists and percussionists, whose sound takes on various influences from North Africa along with jazz, funk and punk styles. They're heading to Liverpool in support of their second studio album, Last Evenings on Earth, the follow-up to their eponymous debut album of 2014.

Photo: Cat Stevens

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Read more news from across the Northwest cultural scene at theskinny.co.uk/news
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