Today 2006 AD
Why is Today like Today?
Industrialisation is moving east so more jobs today are service-oriented - therefore a better standard of education is required because manual labour is declining. Fluidity of movement between national borders is creating a multicultural society. There is more leisure time and a higher standard of living for the majority of people.
How Will People Remember Our Present?
Mad for the very latest communication technologies (which are all out of date in 6 months). Oddly-shaped iconic buildings made of glass and stainless steel. A whacking great hole in the ozone layer.
What Famous People Best Characterise Today?
Pope John Paul II - Nelson Mandela - David Beckham - Madonna - JK Rowling.
Can You Give Me Some Famous Quotes of Today?
We’re living in a material world and I am a material girl - Madonna
When seagulls follow the trawler they know it is because sardines will be thrown - Eric Cantona
She was the princess of all our hearts - Tony Blair on Princess Diana
What Recipes Can I Try?
Although we think foreign travel has broadened our tastes, British cuisine has always been internationally influenced - the Romans loved their Eastern spices, and they in turn introduced most of the herbs which are now naturalised in Britain. So fusion food, where ingredients from all the continents of the world appear on one plate, isn’t just food of today, but a centuries-old tradition. Something as simple as pizza topped with crispy duck - aubergine lasagne - couscous with carrot and coriander - baked bananas with rum and ice-cream - and anything with potatoes and tomatoes - are all a multicultural meltdown of flavours.
What's Currently Happening in Manchester?
The latest Lonely Planet guide hails Manchester as an equal of any of the great cities of Europe thanks to post-industrial regeneration, lottery funded building projects, plus the reconstructing of the city centre after the 1996 IRA bomb. The feel-good factor from the 2002 Commonwealth Games still remains, and now there is eager anticipation of the Manchester International Festival 2007. Manchester has always had a booming arts scene (music, theatre, visual arts, dance) and is further enlivened by the largest student population in Europe - and of course it is still unrivalled for its love of sports generally, and football clubs in particular.
What Pictures Characterise the Present Time?
Why not have a look on the internet to see what you can find?
A panoramic shot or aerial view of Salford Quays, which has been transformed since Trafford Park ceased to be one of the engine houses of the British Empire and the Manchester Ship Canal was a major destination for international shipping trade. Now the formerly poisonous and polluted quays are full of fish and host swimming and sailing events - the docksides are filled with offices, hotels, restaurants, shops and expensive housing - The Lowry receives world-class performing companies - Old Trafford is the most famous football ground in the world - the Imperial War Museum of the North is one of the architect Daniel Liebeskind’s greatest works. Yet you can still see steaming factories chimneys silhouetted against the skyline, and shipping passing under the Christiani and Nielson footbridge.
How Will the Present be Represented at the 7 Ages of Manchester?
Today Manchester is a diverse, vibrant, modern city. To mirror this, during the festival, present day Manchester is represented by a collection of groups. Although each group is involved in a variety of activities, they all have one common passion their pride for the city of Manchester.
By 2012 Manchester aims to be the greenest city in the UK. The 7 Ages of Manchester Festival supports this aim and is a fantastic example of how behaving in a sustainable way can also be creative and impactful.
The organisers of the 7 Ages of Manchester Festival have been working with The CarbonNeutral Company to calculate the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions or ‘carbon footprint’ that will be generated as a result of running the festival. It has been calculated by assessing the energy used during the show, waste generated by the show and the organisers travel to and from the location. These unavoidable emissions have been offset, or neutralised, through a forestry project in Manchester and a wind farm in New Zealand. These two projects which will save and absorb the equivalent amount of CO2 emitted.
Junkstoppers will be on hand throughout the festival to demonstrate an interesting way to collect rubbish and put it to a creative use. The team will provide a series of hands on workshops, which will involve festival goers in the transformation of the waste into useful and desirable products. Delivered through a series of demonstrations the four artists will be guiding people through different processes of their creations. This will allow them to learn how to extend the useful life of everyday waste, e.g. Bottle and cans, and encourage a fun alternative approach to recycling and re-use.
The 7 Ages of Manchester Festival has a dedicated environmental policy and suppliers, including the bus company used to transport school children to the event, have been chosen based on their environmental credentials. If you have any ideas on how to make the festival more environmentally friendly we would love to hear from you. Please contact fiona@organisethis.co.uk