21 May 2009
Ideas flood in for world’s first user-generated event
One week to go to come up with an idea for Cutting Room
Experiment
Just a week after Mancunians were invited to come up with
inspirational ideas for the world’s first user-generated event, the
newly launched website has been inundated with
ideas.
Flash mob style ideas submitted so far include a human beatbox
orchestra, a silent disco and a knitathon. People could take part
in building a mini Manchester, learning the Thriller dance routine,
space hopper racing, a table football tournament, or attempt a
world record for the biggest game of twister or the longest conga
line.
This will be the first event in the world where all the content
will be user-generated by an audience connected by Web, SMS, blogs
and social networks such as Facebook and it will take place in
Cutting Room Square, a new public space in Ancoats, east
Manchester.
‘Flash mob’ style events will take place on the hour every hour
and hundreds of people will be able to take part in the
activities.
People can visit www.cuttingroomexperiment.com
to submit an idea by 29 May. Winning ideas will be announced
on 4 June 2009.
Cutting Room Experiment will be an afternoon of activities on
Saturday 20 June at Cutting Room Square in the world’s first
industrial suburb, Ancoats, where every event will be created out
of an idea from members of the public.
Peter Mearns, Executive Director of Communications and Marketing
at the NWDA, said: “Manchester is known for its creativity and the
people of the City are coming up with many innovative and exciting
ideas.
“Some of these amazing ideas will be turned into a reality and
there is still time to get involved to make this into a day to
remember. This is something that has never been attempted before
and Cutting Room Experiment can only work if people get involved by
submitting their ideas or committing to take part.
“Ancoats has seen major regeneration over the last ten years and
Cutting Room Experiment will celebrate this stunning part of
Manchester’s history.”
Eddie Smith, chief executive of New East Manchester, said:
“People’s creative juices have really started to flow and I’m
really impressed with the some of the ideas that have been posted
so far. We’re very pleased with the level of interest and
delighted with the buzz it’s creating. The aim of this
experiment is to capture the imagination of Manchester’s creative
people and inspire them to come together for one afternoon in June
to help us celebrate a decade of regeneration in this historic
corner of the city. It looks like we’ll be seeing hundreds of
people enjoying the space for the very first time. It’s not
too late to come up with an idea and be part of this unique and
ground-breaking event.”
The event will take place in a new public square called Cutting
Room next to St Peter’s Church and will be funded by regeneration
bodies, the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and New
East Manchester, the public sector organisations behind the area’s
transformation over the past 10 years. The NWDA has invested £72m
into Ancoats and funded Cutting Room as part of this
investment.
The name of this newly created square, just off Great Ancoats
Street and next to St Peter’s Church, comes from the rich heritage
of the textile industry in this district in the late 18th and 19th
century. This outdoor space was where large swathes of material
were cut out.
Cutting Room Experiment is being held to celebrate the
completion of the new square and to mark the landmark of ten years’
regeneration activity taking place in Ancoats.
People are invited to submit ideas under 10 different themes or
categories that include art and craft, architecture and design,
dance, literature, music, sport and science.
People can choose something they have an interest in creating or
choose a group activity they would like to take part in themselves.
Whichever they choose, if it is selected, Manchester-based events
company Ear to the Ground will make it happen.
Ear to the Ground is the company behind D-percussion, the North
Pole bar and New Islington Festival as well as producing The
Warehouse Project, Snowbombing, Manchester Pride and the launch of
the European Capital of Culture 2008, Liverpool.
Visit www.cuttingroomexperiment.com
for more details and to submit an idea by 29 May. Winning
ideas will be announced on 4 June 2009.
Ends
Media Contact at NEM: Roz Hughes T: 0161 223 1155 M: 07967
800395
Media Contact at NWDA: Sam Shale 01925 400264 / 07717 427872
Notes to editors:
Cutting Room Square itself will accommodate around 500
people. In addition the adjacent street will be closed
allowing for extra capacity for larger events.
Around £402million public and private sector funding has been
committed to Ancoats. Plans are to provide 1,800 new residential
properties, 60,000 square metres of new commercial floor space,
accommodate 1,900 new jobs and transform eight hectares of derelict
or underused brownfield land.
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) leads the
economic development and regeneration of England's Northwest and is
responsible for:
• Supporting business growth and encouraging investment
• Matching skills provision to employer needs
• Creating the conditions for economic growth
• Connecting the region through effective transport and
communication infrastructure
• Promoting the region’s outstanding quality of life
For more information see www.nwda.co.uk/press
New East Manchester Ltd (NEM) is an Urban Regeneration Company -
a partnership between Manchester City Council, the national housing
and regeneration agency Homes & Communities Agency and the
Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA). It is NEM's
role to turn the Regeneration Framework into action, secure the
required public and private funding, lead on specific major
development projects, and co-ordinate regeneration and renewal
initiatives in the area.
For more details about New East Manchester visit www.neweastmanchester.com.