Friday 24 September, second La Soiree Performance

Benny Hui & David Tait (Piano, Poetry)

Starting at 7:30pm is the world premiere of a groundbreaking collaborative project between pianist Benny Hui and poet David Tait. This evening will celebrate 200 years of Chopin with a recital of his influential music and a reading of new poems inspired by his work. Programme to include famous Chopin piano pieces including Ballade in G minor, Scherzo in B-flat minor, selection of Nocturnes and Etudes. The venue is a hidden gem in its own right - Cross Street Unitarian Chapel, Cross Street, Manchester City Centre, M2 1NL.

Manchester Salon have a arranged a group outing price of £8 per ticket (usually £10).

A review by Yvonne Cawley of the first performance in this La Soiree Concert Series can be read by clicking on this Diaspora link.

This will also provide some good preparation for the January discussion we hope to organise on the relevance of poetry today as well as a great event in its own right.

Buy your Manchester Salon group price ticket via the Payl Pal buton on the left by paying £8.

Please donate extra towards the cost of developing the site when you're able to.

The Future of Transport: stargazing and guiding principles

Monday 25 October 2010

Michelle Di Leo, Austin Williams, and Yvonne Hübner will be in conversation with the Salon audience, chaired by Keith McCabe.

When Mancunians roundly rejected a new transport plan in 2008, Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester’s city council said 'There is no plan B, which is why we will have to have a period of reflection'. The plan would have made £3billion of funding available for transport improvements: much of it borrowed against future revenue from a proposed rush-hour congestion charge. The voters of Manchester, it appeared, were in no mood to have to foot the bill for improvements funded through a tax on driving.

Ferraris for all: is economic growth such a good thing?

Wednesday 24 November 2010

Daniel Ben-Ami will introduce a discussion about the scope for and limits to economic development in the developed and developing world.

Is economic growth such a good thing? Until the 1970s few would have even thought of asking this question. Yet today the West is often seen as guilty of overconsumption, while the rapid growth of developing countries such as China and India is seen by many in a highly negative light.

People who champion growth are accused of encouraging greed, damaging the environment and widening social inequalities. Daniel Ben-Ami, in his new book Ferraris for all, challenges these notions, arguing that society as a whole benefits from greater affluence and that we should celebrate growth. 

This discussion is still in the planning phase, and hoping to identify someone to speak alongside Daniel who will articulate the case for restrained development - any offers please get in touch. 

Planning the city: market or state?

February 2011

Alan Hudson will focus on the impact of state led planning at Shanghai Expo in 2010, whilst the second speaker will focus on the planned legacy of the London Olympics 2012.

Starting off with Alan talking about the way a dynamic economy can create cities, albeit with an authoritarian state force, and teasing out the impact on development as a basis for democracy. Then to have the second speaker talk about the legacy of Olympics 2010 and contrast the small scale impact, with hopefully a fruitful discussion of role of politics in UK and where the impact of a weak economy sits with that, perhaps using the example of proposed minimum pricing for alcohol in the Greater Manchester area.

We'll all then try and unravel how cities can best be developed.