Event type: Talk

He’s a legend and an icon, a revolutionary and an immortal. John Lydon – aka Johnny Rotten – changed the face of music and sparked a cultural revolution.

The frontman and lyricist of the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd (PiL) caused a political earthquake and transformed music for good. To coincide with the publication of his new book, the brilliant, funny and insightful I Could Be Wrong, I Could Be Right, he is touring the UK. Lydon will talk about how he sees life, along with his unique and extraordinary career, and take audience questions during a pyrotechnic, one-off tour. Lydon will be sharing his thoughts with audiences. He Could Be Wrong. He Could Be Right.

Signed copies of the book will be available.

Band A (front row Pit) includes a meet and greet package within the ticket cost and Band B tickets include a goody bag.

Viking Voices, a talk by Paul Atherton

“This talk looks at the history my first novel ‘Viking Voices’ (under the pen name of Vincent Atherton)  and describes the adventures of a group of Hiberno-Norse Vikings in Ireland and England in the 10th century. It culminates in the burial of the Cuerdale Hoard, the largest Viking treasure ever found in Western Europe.

My research into the history of the Cuerdale Hoard includes the Norse raids and invasions of Ireland and Britain (there’s no such place as England at this time.) The history follows the Great Danish Army in their conflict with Alfred the Great and then centres on the expulsion of the Norse from Dublin in 902AD and the impact this has on all the countries around the Irish Sea”

An Introduction to Art History through the Atkinson Collection with Art Historian Dr Anna Maddison

3 Sessions: Thursday 16 / 23 /30. 11am – 1pm.

Join Anna to explore the history of art through examples from the Atkinson’s rich and varied collection. This accessible course looks at different genres in art, such as history, portraiture, landscape and still life, and considers issues of form, subject, style and symbolism. Themes including academic art education and practice, the status of women artists, and changing fashions in the art world are also touched upon as we uncover ways to appreciate, understand and enjoy the selected works.

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of this iconic movie and join the original ‘Brad Majors’ Barry Bostwick, the original ‘Columbia’ Nell Campbell, and the original ‘Magenta’ Patricia Quinn for a special screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. After an audience Q&A with the movie’s stars, a Best Costume competition and other audience participation, enjoy a full screening of the film. The audience will be joined throughout the film by a shadow cast who will perform all the iconic dance moves and one-liners. 

U16s must be accompanied by an adult

Ocean Colour Scene guitarist Steve Cradock is responsible for some of the most distinctive riffs of the past 30 years. The man who gave us the signature riffs that ignited ‘The Riverboat Song’ and ‘Hundred Mile High’ and helped propel OCS to double-platinum glory with Moseley Shoals has been a mainstay of British rock since forming Ocean Colour Scene in 1989 with Simon Fowler, Damon Michella and Oscar Harrison.

OCS played record breaking gigs with Oasis at Knebworth for 250,000 people as Britpop reached its zenith in 1996. He joined Paul Weller’s band in 1992 and has appeared on all of his studio albums, while also joining The Specials in 2014. In his debut tour, Steve will be playing and singing hits from the OCS songbook, and much more.

Henry Normal and Dubliner Jan Brierton present an evening of poetry and laughs. Henry will be reading poems from his new book A Quiet Promise whilst Jan’s poems reflect on being a wife, mother, daughter, sister and retired raver. Expect a highly engaging evening.

Henry is a writer, poet, TV & film producer, founder of the Manchester Poetry Festival (now the Literature festival) and co-founder of the Nottingham Poetry Festival. In June 2017 he was honoured with a special BAFTA for services to Television. 

He co-wrote and script edited the multi-award winning Mrs Merton Show and the spin off series Mrs Merton and Malcolm. He also co-created and co-wrote the first series of The Royle Family.

Setting up Baby Cow Productions in 1990, Henry executive produced all and script edited many of the shows of its 17-and-a-half-year output during his tenure as MD. Highlights of the Baby Cow output during his time include the Oscar-nominated film Philomena, I Believe in Miracles, Gavin and Stacey, Moone Boy, Uncle, Marion and Geoff, Nighty Night, The Mighty Boosh, Red Dwarf, Hunderby, Camping and Alan Partridge.

Dubliner Jan Brierton is a mam, a fashion stylist and a poet. Her first collection What Day Is It? Who Gives a F*ck was published in 2021 after Jan’s first ever poem went viral during lockdown. Everybody Is a Poem: Midlife in Rhymes is Jan’s second collection. In this pocket-sized book, Jan riffs on menopause, midlife, the mental load, friendships, relationships, loss and self-acceptance. On its release, it made the top 10 paperback non-fiction book charts. Plain-speaking and completely relatable, each of these 52 poems are served with Jan’s signature combination of humour, wit, and poignancy.

This is poetry for everybody.

The Art of the Brontës, a talk by Dr. Anna Maddison

Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë – like their artist brother Branwell – delighted in creating drawings and paintings. Before achieving success as a writer, Charlotte considered becoming an artist, and all the Brontës took inspiration from the visual arts. This talk explores artwork by all four Brontë siblings, considers the art that influenced them, and addresses the role of art in the sisters’ novels.

Dr. Anna Maddison is a freelance university lecturer in Art History and English Literature, specialising in the Victorian era. Anna has enjoyed a special relationship with The Atkinson for over 20 years, researching and lecturing on the gallery’s art collection. She has lectured on the Brontë family and their works of art and literature since 2006 – a subject close to her heart as her favourite novel is Wuthering Heights!