Cultureshock at the 2002 Commonwealth Games

Updated on Dec 11, 2024

Edit

Comment

Cultureshock was the 2002 Commonwealth Games Cultural Programme which ran alongside the Games themselves. The events ranged from images of the athlete as hero in sculpture and photography (Go! Freeze, which ran at Turton Tower in Bolton to a Zulu performance at The Lowry. There was an exhibition at the Whitworth Art Gallery called Tales of Power: West African Textiles, and a performance of the film Monsoon Wedding at Clwyd Theatr Cymru. The geographical range was from Cheshire in the south to Blackburn and Cumbria in the north, and included that year the various Melas that take place around the region.

The full programme for Cultureshock is detailed below:

March 2002

1 March – 15 October - Commonwealth Gold, Rochdale Borough Festival 2002

3 March - International Women's Day Festival, Manchester Town Hall

4 March - Celebrate Commonwealth Gold Rochdale Town Hall

9 March - Go Freeze, Turton Tower, Bolton

10 March - Urban Grooves from the Commonwealth, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester

11 March - Common-wealth, Manchester Metropolitan University

11 – 16 March, English National Ballet - Romeo & Juliet, The Opera House Manchester

12 – 13 March - 3 Shades, Bluecoat Arts Centre

13 – 18 March - Tara Arts - Journey to the West:The Trilogy, Contact Theatre

14 March - Trio Phoenix, Royal Northern College of Music

14 March - Manchester Stories New Forms Vol 3, St Annes Church

15 March - Rais Academy - Tales of the Past, Deeplish Community Centre

17 March - Phil Bateman, More than Gold, Salvation Army Rochdale

21 March - Trajets, Green Room, Manchester

23 March - Tony Allen's Afro Beat, Band on the Wall, Manchester

23 March - October - Tales of Power: West African Textiles, Whitworth Art Gallery

24 March - Opera Rara - Elisabetta regina d'Inghilterra, Banqueting House, Whitehall

27 March - The Mighty Zulu Nation - Africa Africa, The Lowry

30 March - Srijani Quartet, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

March onwards - Textile Identities:Littoral Textiles, Manchester International Airport

April 2002

1 April - Easter Bank Holiday Market, Castlefield

1 April - Burnley Blues Festival, Pinetop Perkins, Matt Schofield Band, Burnley Mechanics.

3 – 30 April - Project by Suki Chan: Mondays was Washday, Turnpike Gallery

6 April - Indian Association presents Cultural Journey Through Folk Dances of Bharat, Wythenshawe Forum Manchester

7 April - Gear up for the Games Exhibition Salford Museum and Art Gallery

8 April - Poetry in Motion, Wigan Library

11 April - Hanif Kureishi's "My Beautiful Laundrette", Cornerhouse

12 – 14 April - Festival of Bangladeshi Art & Culture, Bangladesh House

13 April - "Storm", a new play by Lemn Sissay, Contact Theatre

13 April – 27 October - "Moving Lives" exhibition at the People's History Museum

15 April - Neil Ardley's "Kaleidoscope of Rainbows", Royal Northern College of Music

22 – 27 April - "The Island" by Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Nishona, The Lowry

25 – 27 April - Spirit of Youth in Music Festival, Rochdale

25 April - Imagine Asia 2002 Film Festival, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

27 April - Music for the Mind and Soul, Liverpool Philarmonic Hall

27 April - Iqbal Poetry Evening, Pakistani Community Centre Manchester

27 April - Black Umfolosi, Burnley Mechanics

28 April - Sam Yo!, The Lowry

30 April – 2 May - Mira Nair's "Monsoon Wedding", Clwyd Theatr Cymru

May 2002

2 May - Tickle Bounce & Fun Time: Books for Babies, Tonge Moor Library, Bolton

4 May – 30 June - Gateway to the Commonwealth exhibition, The Promenade, The Lowry

9 May - Bradshaw and it's Textile Industries, Harwood Library, Bolton

9 – 11 May - Angela de Castro's "Yo Yo", Manchester Royal Exchange

9 – 18 May - Kevin Gilbert's "The Cherry Pickers", performed by Sydney Theatre Company, Manchester Library Theatre

10 May – 12 October - See It Live in Bolton Festival

10 – 11 May - The Guide Association Lancashire Border presents "Songs and Dance of the Commonwealth"", Victoria Hall, Bolton

11 May – 23 June - "Spectator Sport" exhibition, Cornerhouse

21 May - Author Ruth Hamilton at the Lecture Theatre, Bolton

16 May - Moniza Alvi reads "The Other Room", Manchester Central Library

16 – 17 May - Compagnie Flak present "Perfume de Gardenias", Contact Theatre

16 May – 22 June - Queer up North festival

16 May – 28 July - "Reading the Games", programme of eventsin Manchester Libraries

18 May - Trilok Gurtu and Nitin Sawhney, Contact Theatre

19 May – 14 July - A Season of World Music at the Lowry

21 May - Nitin Sawhney and MJ Cole, Barbirolli Room, Bridgewater Hall

24 – 28 May - Linton Kwesi Johnson at Everyman Theatre Liverpool, Picture House Hebden Bridge and Manchester Library Theatre

24 May – 1 June - Amani Naphtali's "Ragamuffin", Contact Theatre

25 May – 17 July - "A Wealth in Common" exhibition, Bury Art Gallery and Museum

26 May - Bolton Hindu Forum Community Festival, Bolton Indian Sports & Recreation Club, Darcy Lever

26 May - Indoor League Pub Olympics, Cornerhouse Cafe Bar

28 May - Mica Paris, Barbiroilli Room, Bridgewater Hall

28 May - Central Band of the White Russian Army, Tameside Hippodrome

28 May - Sibongile Khumalo, at the Lowry

30 May – 8 June - Com.art.02 at Zion Arts Centre, Manchester

31 May - Bolton Youth Concert Band Concert in celebration of the Queen's Golden Jubilee, Albert Halls, Bolton

June 2002

1 June - Streetlife, Bolton Town Centre

8 June – 20 July - "Spotlight:Paintings by the Singh Twins, Mid Pennine Gallery, Burnley

13 June - Bob Phillips book signing, Commonwealth Games Store, The Arndale Centre

13 June - Creative Commonwealths: Cinema Culture & Community in the Age of Globalisation, The Cornerhouse

14 – 30 June - An exhibition of the Postal History of the Commonwealth Games, Manchester Town Hall

15 – 16 June - Aqua-Pura Commonwealth Trials, City of Manchester Stadium

16 June – 3 August - Bolton's Festival of Cycling 2002

17 June - Andrew Motion In Conversation, Manchester Central Library

17 – 23 June - Literatures of the Commonwealth Festival

18 June – 20 August - Visible Cities exhibition, Cube Art Gallery

20 June - Jamaican poet Lorna Goodison, Manchester Central Library

20 June - Gay Commonwealth Panel, discussion including novelist and critic Paul Bailey, New Zealand poet John Galtas, Scots poet David Kinloch, fiction writer Adam Mars-Jones, Canadian poet Norman Sacuta and Egyptian-born Ghanaian poet Gregory Woods, Manchester Central Library

22 June - Design a T-shirt competition, Commonwealth Games Store Arndale

22 – 27 June - Carnival Messiah, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds

22 June – 2 October - "Swim" - an exhibition about the Culture of Moving in Water - Turton Tower, Bolton

23 June - Children's Workshop: Explore the Commonwealth, The Green Room

25 – 29 June - David Hermanstein's "A Caribbrean Abroad", Manchester Library Theatre

26 June - Prayer Network presents "Manchester: City of the Moment", The Lowry

27 June - A Taste of New Zealand, Museum Gallery, Bolton

28 June – 7 July - Commonwealth Film Festival

29 June - One World Festival 2002, New Mills

29 June – 21 July - Keyfest festival

July 2002

1 – 10 July - "Athletics Inspirations", Whitworth Park Manchester

2 July - Opening of Touchstones Rochdale

2 – 15 July - Mushaira Shakeup, Dynamic Poetry Showcase of South Asian Women poets (including Mansoora Ahmed, Gagan Gill, Parm Kaur and Shamshad Khan

3 July - Joe Pemberton reads "Forever and Ever Amen", Manchester Central Library

5 July - Cubanite at The Lowry

6 July - Barracudas Carnival Band, Ulverston Carnival, Ulverston

7 July - Working Woodlands Festival, Moses Gate Country Park, Farnworth

7 July - Westhoughton Show, Central Park, Westhoughton

8 July - Cauvery Madhavan, Levenshulme Library, Levenshulme

9 July – 14 September - "Shikor a phool (Roots and Blossom), Gallery Oldham

10 July – 13 September - Sri Lanka Crafty Thoughts, University of Liverpool Art Gallery

11 July - John Kinsella, Manchester Central Library

11 July – 14 September - Pakistan Threads Dreams and Desires, Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston

13 July - Rochdale Mela

13 July - recital by classic guitarist Neil Smith, St Katherines Church Horwich

13 July - East Feast Fringe Festival, Corpus Christi Social Centre, Miles Platting

13 July - Kakatsitsi:Master Drummers from Ghana, Chester Summer Music Festival

13 July - Bolton Symphony Orchestra concert, The Albert Hall Bolton

13 July - Youth Festival 2002, St Thomas's Park Stockport

13 – 26 July - "Pulse", Bridgewater Hall

13 – 28 July - Gloucester Summer Festival 2002

13 July – 1 September - New Indian Art, Manchester Art Gallery

13 July – 15 September - Conquer the Maize Maze, Redhouse Farm, Dunham Massey

14 July - Abdullah Ibrahim and the NDR Big Band, Bridgewater Hall

14 July - Rebecca Malope at the Lowry

15 July - Anoushka Shankar on the sitar, Bridgewater Hall

15 – 20 July - Commonwealth Bridge Championships, Whitworth Hall, Manchester University

16 July – 14 September - Bollywood greats, Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery

17 July - Evelyn Glennie and the Halle Orchestra, Bridgewater Hall

17 July - Stella Osammor presents African Fables for Children, Manchester Central Library

18 July - "Are You Waltzing? Matilda", Leigh Library

19 July - North West Steel Band Association Festival 2002, Zion Arts Centre, Hulme

19 – 22 July - 12th Commonwealth International Sport Conference, Manchester Metropolitan University

19 July – 3 August - Duke of Edinburgh's Award International Youth Exchange with Swaziland

20 July - Spirit-International Festival of Music & Arts, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham

20 July - A Common Wealth of Music, Birch Community Centre, Rusholme

20 – 21 July - Aquafest Commonwealth Angling Competition, Ashton and Rochdale Canals, Sport City

21 July - Abasindi and the National Dance Company of Ghana, RHS Flower Show, Tatton Park

21 July - Variety 2002 An Overture for the Commonwealth, The Lowry (inclucing Diane Modahl, Zingari Swing and The Sixties Tiller Girls

21 July - Together as One, Chester Tree Festival, Alexandra Park, Chester

21 July – 3 August - Bolton Town Centre Heritage Tours

21 July – 5 August - Commonwealth Games Special Guided Tours, Manchester

22 – 26 July - Traditional Chinese Art Exhibition, Central Hall Manchester

22 – 28 July - C-C- 2002, Heywood

23 – 24 July - Loud & Visible, Youth Arts..shock!, Zion Arts Centre, Hulme

24 July - Michael Nyman meets Indian Masters in Sangam, The Lowry

24 July – 10 August - Noël Coward's "Design for Living", Royal Exchange Theatre

25 July - Euforia 2002, Pierhead Liverpool

25 – 28 July - Catch the Spirit of the Games at BUPA's Mind Body and Soul zone at Cathedral Gardens

25 July – 4 August - Festival Live, various venues around Manchester City Centre

26 July - Spirit of Friendship Royal Gala Concert, featuring Kiri te Kanawa, Bridgewater Hall

26 July – 23 August - Chinwe - An Exhibition for the Commonwealth Games, Manchester Central Library

27 July - Oldham Mela

27 July - Kevin Davy's Commonwealth Jam, Band on the Wall

27 – 28 July - Littleborough Rushbearing

28 July - Bolton Mela Festival

28 July - Asian Literature & Arts Festival, Longsight Library, Manchester

28 July - Songs of Praise for the Commonwealth Games, St Ann's Church, Manchester

28 July - Songs from the Commonwealth by Renaissance, Bramall Hall, Stockport

28 July - Nelson Mela

28 July - Local & International Bands at Manchester Hard Rock Cafe

29 July - Catch the Spirit of the Games at BUPA's Mind Body and Soul zone at Asda Eastlands

29 July - "Going for Gold: A Spiritual Approach to Achieving Goals" with Lesley Gort, Christian Science Reading Room

29 July - Commonwealth Games show, Frog & Bucket Comedy Club

29 July – 2 August - Commonwealth Cafe, King's House

30 July - Special Sportsmans Dinner Meeting with USA Boxer Earnie Shavers, Swinton Park Golf Club

31 July - "Games Structures", photographs by Stephen M Smith, Simple Cafe Bar

August 2002 and later

1 August - Tony Kofi and his Afro-Jazz family, Band on the Wall

2 August - Nucleus Roots, Band on the Wall

2 August - Special Sportsmans Dinner Meeting, with footballer Martin Clarke, Swinton Park Golf Club

2 August - A Classical Evening in an Urban Park, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Longford Park

3 August - "G Percussion", Commonwealth Games Percussion, Castlefield

3 August - City Centre Secrets, Victorian Society guided-walk around Manchester City Centre

3 August - More than Gold Final Festival, Salvation Army Hall Rochdale

3 – 5 August - Flower Festival, Horwich Moor Methodist Church

4 August - Hyndburn Mela

4 August - Preston Mela

4 August - Mujo, the Big Band Sound for the Big Games Finale, Manchester Hard Rock Cafe

11 August - Rock in the Park, Queen's Park Heywood

11 August - East Feast Festival - Fire & Water Festival, Ashton Canal, Philips Park

11 August - The Comedy Store's Post Commonwealth Cabaret

11 August - Commonwealth Black Pudding Throwing Championships, Ramsbottom

12 August – 26 November - "Spirit of the Games", Manchester Museum of Science and Industry

16 – 18 August - Bolton Show, Leverhulme Park, Bolton

26 – 30 August - Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championships, Stirling

9 October – 9 November - "Swim" - an exhibition about the Culture of Moving in Water - Lancaster City Museum

References

Cultureshock at the 2002 Commonwealth Games Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

Contents