2022NQ

Manchester's Northern Quarter is a hub of art and creativity, so it was no surprise when new gallery 2022NQ opened last week. The concept of the gallery is a little different to normal, however; the space is to be used for club nights, creative socials, and film screenings - plus Manchester Fashion Network will be using it for their annual recruitment fair (graduates and students, take note - speak to employers about junior positions and get feedback on your portfolio). You can even hire it out for events at the weekend, or simply treat it as a regular gallery and pop in for the exhibitions.

Saturday night was the first of the monthly guest DJ nights, with Horse Meat Disco. There's currently an exhibition on by fashion photographer Matthew Comer, which I was planning to see anyway, but was expecting to be shoved into a neighbouring room for the clubnight; fortuitously it was in the same space as the photographs, and taking a turn around the room to view the artwork was the perfect foil to the rest of the evening's debauchery.

Another pleasant surprise was the crowd. Extremely good-looking and fashionable, there didn't seem to be a drop of pretension, a problem many other Manchester venues are affected by. In fact, 2022NQ suffered only minor niggles caused by the venue being full to capacity, such as toilet queues and an overburdened cloakroom. I'm sure these will be ironed out quickly and the venue will excel in its various endeavours. 

2022NQ is always open and is at 20 Dale Street, Manchester.