Manchester City Council

The paintings portray woman as a Femme Fatale, a seductress, and in some cases, purely an object of beauty and each of the jewellers has responded individually, with astonishing results.

The jewellers have created an exciting body of work using a diverse selection of materials, from gold and garnets to concrete and broken glass. The Sting is an opportunity to explore an area of jewellery design rarely seen in the UK.

For more information go to the Manchester Art Gallery website

Please note: Manchester Art Gallery is closed on Mondays.

As the sun sets, a pulsating heart beat of African drums draws audiences deep into the woods where the witches' supernatural prophecy leads Macbeth and his wife on a power mad journey of ambition, greed, corruption and murder.

A unique and powerful ensemble company from Manchester and Zimbabwe will create a heart stopping show that fuses text, a capella singing, drumming into a dynamic contemporary drama that will haunt you long after the bloody night's business is over...

Tickets: from £9, call Quaytickets (external site) on 0870 428 0785.

More information about Macbeth (external site).

The mix includes absurdist comedies, dramas, physical theatre, dark comedies, storytelling and even a psychological thriller thrown in for good measure. 

Exploring current themes relevant to people today such as celebrity pop culture, home repossession and disjointed family relationships there's a rich tapestry of different genres explored in non-theatre spaces with subjects to suit even non-theatre goers!

This year's plays include:

• 5:30 by Alistair McDowall
• As We Forgive Them by Richard Vergette
• Blinded By The Light by Karl Voden
• CELL by Ailis Ni Riain
• The Coffee Hour by Michael Peacock
• Dancing to the Sound of Crunching Snails by Joe Graham
• Detaining Mr K by James Douglas
• Donal Fleet: A Confessional by Sean Gregson
• Exit Salford by Ed Jones
• Freshers by Steve Pearce
• Frontline by Victoria Ofovbe
• The Last Chair by Ian Townsend
• Lub You by Eve Steele
• Maine Road by Sarah MacDonald Hughes
• No Wonder by Claire Urwin
• Out of Dead Air by Mark Murphy
• Phys-Ed by Simon Carter
• Remember Me by Jason Crouch
• Temp/Casual by Steve Timms
• The Person Without by Jenny Yates
• Working Title by James Jowett & Adam Davies

For more information, the full list of shows and to book tickets, go to the 24:7 Theatre Festival website (external site).

With gigs throughout each day of the festival, most of which are free, it's the ideal opportunity to sample new, live music you won't come across every day.

Discover new creations and UK premières of European ensembles, enjoy free live music in sunny St Ann's Square and in other landmark venues, and let yourself be surprised and entertained by the finest musicians from the North West and around the world.

Improvise your summer!

For more information go to the Manchester Jazz Festival website (external site).