Internationally acclaimed band Everything Everything take over Manchester’s newly reopened Central Library as they present Chaos To Order, a week of curated events and experiments to challenge perceptions and test the limits of what a 21st century library can be from Monday 10 to Saturday 15 November.
"As a band we see Manchester Central Library as the brain of the city; the place where a vast collection of often contradictory interpretations reside and are presented impartially. When we discussed these thoughts with other artists whom we admire, the ideas snowballed and the result is a vibrant ‘chaotic’ week of extraordinary occurrences and performances that will bring the audience into the action."
Bringing an exciting mix of renowned performance companies, talented multi-instrumentalists, musicians, writers, a dance company and 13 emerging young musicians from across Greater Manchester, Chaos To Order will create new opportunities for library goers to indulge their curiosity and imaginations, whether using the library’s magnificent resources or attending one of the residency’s boundary pushing events.
Throughout the week Everything Everything will, in public view, compose new songs that directly respond to the iconic Grade II* listed building’s extraordinary architecture alongside working on material for their forthcoming album. Library goers, visitors and audiences can see first-hand how the Ivor Novello Award and Mercury Prize nominated band work together and with other artists in the surroundings of a working public library.
Themes surrounding Chaos to Order will be explored by the band, their collaborators and library users with a range of free drop in and ticketed events that will engage with all who enter. Dumblove Encounters’ 1 minute long intimate theatre performances happen daily in Central Library’s great glass elevators, the audience find themselves in on the act on Monday 10 November with a part-performance, part-installation from Matthew Bourne and Christophe De Bezenac, and Quarantine performance company will present a mass spoken-word choir under the magnificent dome of the Henry Wolfson Reading Room on Friday 14 November.
Emma Jane Unsworth, author of the Caitlin Moran-endorsed book, Animals, will be the Chaos To Order Writer In Residence and host daily readings of Frank O’Hara’s Lunch Poems and Q & A sessions with some of the most up and coming contemporary writers in the UK as well as hosting drop-in workshop sessions in one of the city’s newest social spaces.
In full view of the public BBC 6 Music’s Radcliffe and Maconie show will be broadcast live on Friday 14 November with guests including Guy Garvey, New Order’s Bernard Sumner and Everything Everything and BBC Radio 3’s In Tune will also broadcast live from the library on Monday 10th November with Violinist Lucy Russell and Harpsichord player Peter Seymour playing lost Vivaldi sonatas that were rediscovered in the Henry Watson Music Library. In collaboration with HOME and North West Film Archive singer-songwriter Josephine will perform on Thursday 13 November against a backdrop of historical footage from the archive collections and on Friday 14 November contemporary musician Kiran Leonard will perform an original composition of five movements specially commissioned for the residency entitled Derevaun Seraun.
The week’s residency, produced by Brighter Sound for LibraryLive, will culminate on Saturday 15 November in a free performance where Everything Everything will showcase their new compositions in the unique surrounds of Central Library as well as playing snippets from their forthcoming album. The finale event will be interspersed with performances from their artist collaborators throughout the week-long residency. Ticket registration for the finale event will open on Monday 20 October at 9am.
Whilst some Everything Everything present Chaos To Order events will happen in Central Library’s public spaces, certain events have limited capacity therefore booking is recommended. All events are free, register at LibraryLive.co.uk
