New immersive audio-visual experience looks into the soul of our city

Inspired by a journey along a ruined waterway, Dark Days, Luminous Nights, which premieres in Salford in January, is part-exhibition, part-installation.

A tapestry of music, film, dance and photography, all the artistic content has been captured and recorded in Manchester and Salford during the pandemic.

Featuring the work of artists Simon Buckley and Blackhaine, alongside a dramatic score by Edmund Finnis, Béla Bartók, and Wojciech Kilar, the intoxicating new work by Manchester Collective looks deep into the soul of a city and asks: what have we lost?

Making his directorial debut for this project, in the film Simon Buckley traces a journey along the river Irk as four lone figures make their way through an urban hinterland.

“My work in Dark Days Luminous Nights stems from a project I began five years ago called Not Quite Light (NQL), in which I set out to reacquaint myself with the city I’ve known and lived in for most of my life, at a time of huge transition both for myself and for Manchester,” says Simon.

“I was interested in using dawn as a metaphor for change and this project has allowed me to translate my vision into a film – through themes of regeneration, displacement and isolation. 

“The NQL project was initially conceived in Angel Meadow, one of the locations for this new work, and so provides an opportunity to further examine the changes which are soon to arrive in this ancient area of the city of Manchester.

“The film, along with the photographs on display, could be seen as fragments of a disquieting dream, which sits in reality.”

Music underpins the visual experience, with three contrasting pieces – Béla Bartók’s Divertimento, Wojciech Kilar’s Orawa and The Centre is Everywhere by Edmund Finnis – reflecting the push and pull of urban decay.

 “In a time when we can’t physically be together, we wanted to shape an experience that contains humanity and creates space for reflection,” says Manchester Collective co-founder Rakhi Singh.

“Dark Days, Luminous Nights is the story of what we’ve all been going through, not as individuals but as a collective experience.

“When we met Simon Buckley, we discovered that he has a similar connection with cities that we have with music – looking for spaces that are passed by, in the darkness and ignored.

“He finds the beauty and personality in them, as well as the hidden stories.

“His work seamlessly blends the contrasts of the music with elements of dance, photography and film into a complete experience. 

“Most of all, this is a project about Manchester.

“It’s about our journey as individuals – as musicians, producers, directors, photographers… We are all part of these bricks and mortar, and it is our story to tell.” 

Dark Days, Luminous Nights launches on Tuesday 26th January and runs until Saturday 30th January 2021. Tickets on sale at manchester collective.co.uk.