Global Grooves - Manchester

02/09/2026

Reminder of our Artist callout 🚨 Applications close 7th September. We are inviting artists to respond creatively to the oral histories and research gathered through our Dancing Threads project 💃 🧵

This opportunity is centred on a series of micro-commissions and one extended commission, supporting artists to develop distinct visual responses to the material.

Final works from the micro-commissions will be presented across a series of large-format printed interpretation panels, forming a semi-permanent outdoor exhibition here at The Vale, alongside a smaller mobile exhibition touring local community heritage venues.

Dancing Threads artist commissions will run from October to December, applications close 7th September for consideration.

To register your interest, please complete the form on Global Grooves' website: https://www.globalgrooves.org/bring-the-stories-of-dancing-threads-to-life

Or send an email with ‘Dancing Threads Commissions’ in the subject line to Tor Lysaght at [email protected].

Featured artwork: Lizzie Rigby

The National Lottery Heritage Fund Paul Hamlyn Foundation Arts Council England Greater Manchester Combined Authority

31/08/2026

Great to have been part of The Big Play day at Egmont Str**t Park in Mossley yesterday! We loved helping bring the site to life with walkabout performances, Carnival flags and site dressing. We also trialled our brand-new 8m x 4m mobile Silent Disco Tent 🕺🪩 Complete with lighting, effects and 50 wireless headsets!

It was great to see our local community come together for this fab event! Thanks to for organising, and all the other organisations that took part.

Big shoutout to our GG crew and performers for pulling this together ❤️

30/08/2026

29/08/2026

Tomorrow, come down to Egmont St. Park in Mossley 🙌

28/08/2026

Afterglow at Chester Zoo 2026! We were there from 31st July until 16th August presenting a whole host of delights this year, it was bigger and better than ever! Puppets, Walkabouts, Str**t Theatre, Silent Disco and more 🐘🪩 🐝🦜🦚🐮🫧

Huge thanks to our amazing cast and crew for bringing even more magic to the Zoo this year, as well as all the team at Chester Zoo.

Shoutout to: No Eyed Theatre Full Stilt, OTW Oldham, Emma Mäřa Cruz and Simmeon, Tucum Capoeira Manchester, Granny Turismo.

📸 Chester Zoo, Harvey Jones.

26/08/2026

Join Holly this September for another Caixa Blast class! Following popular demand, our resident director and percussion teacher Holly Prest is offering percussion classes in Caixa (snare drum) every other month here at The Vale.

If you're thinking of coming, please book in advance.

🗓 Thursday 24th September
⏰ 7pm - 9pm
📍 The Vale, Vale Mill, Micklehurst Road, Mossley, Greater Manchester, OL5 9JL
🎟 £5 - £12 per session

Book here: https://www.globalgrooves.org/whats-on/caixa-blast-24th-sept-2026/

21/08/2026

I mean…how much of a great time did we have at Summer Festival take over last week at ?! 🌞

The festival brought together some of the UK’s most exciting QTIPOC and Global Majority artists and was a vibrant celebration of creativity, culture and community. There was circus, dance, live music, fashion, drag, interactive performances and joyful moments for all ages.

Shout out to our amazing puppeteers .andass and .kungu.dance, dancing Manny and Kaya.

18/08/2026

It was so beautiful to be part of Better Together Festival at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital last Friday, partnering again with our wonderful friends Songbirds Music UK. We’ve worked together since 2017 to bring Carnival magic to the hospital.

A HUGE shoutout to our incredible volunteer cast and crew for creating such a vibrant afternoon of music and movement both outside and inside the hospital.

Thanks as well to Cabasa for their beautiful butterfly wings 🦋

17/08/2026

After a fantastic taster workshop in July, we're really excited to be back exploring Cuban Carnival with Christian Weaver of La Timbala this October. Come join this brilliant short course:

Cuban Carnival: Introduction to El Mozambiqué
🗓 6 week short course (every Thursday eve)
🗓 15 Oct - 19 Nov
⏰ 7pm - 9:30pm
📍The Vale, Vale Mill, Micklehurst Road, Mossley, OL5 9JL

This short course is an introduction to the carnival music known as El Mozambiqué, developed by percussionists Pello el Afrokan in Cuba towards the end of the 1950s. El Mozambiqué developed the traditional percussions, brass and vocal music of carnival with new hybrid rhythms, mixed with existing parts to create a new style that swept the island!

Up for the challenge? These workshops will cover instrumental technique, basic parts and some variations for improvising, hearing the melody of the polyrhythm, and will work towards becoming familiar with the clave (the important organiser in Cuban music). We'll cover a number of short songs and eventually arrive at a full arrangement of a piece (percussion and vocals).

Sign up here: https://www.globalgrooves.org/whats-on/cuban-carnival-introduction-to-el-mozambique/

15/08/2026

We had a fabulous time at Refract Festival at in Sale in July! Everyone had a r**t good boogie with our Manny accompanied by our pals !

🎥