What’s on in January?
13 Jan 2025
Welcome to January’s edition of ‘What’s on?’. Here you will find everything you can get involved in for free each month, ranging from cultural, extracurricular and celebratory events and activities.
Events
Starting Well in 2025
The University has organised a large programme of free wellbeing activities to encourage a focus on our physical and mental health with others. Activities include webinars and free fitness classes that are open to all colleagues.
Counselling and mental health events
Colleagues are invited to a series of breathwork, meditation and stress management workshops starting this month with the Counselling and Mental Health Service.
- Book your free place at one or more workshops
New Year Swap, Shop and Bake Sale
Buy a bake, swap any unwanted holiday gifts or buy an item for £3. All proceeds will go to the Cost of Living Support Fund and any leftover items will be donated to charity.
- Find the bake sale on Wednesday, 15 January at University Place, The Atrium 11am to 2pm
- More information
Townhall with Colette Fagan and Alison Fairclough
This Townhall is an opportunity to understand and discuss our global rankings, why there are important and the role we all can play in improving our performance as well as ask Colette and Alison any questions you may have.
- Book your place on Wednesday, 22 January 1pm to 2pm online or in person at Engineering B Blended Theatre 2
Blackboard Learn to Canvas by Infrastructure open meeting
This year, we say goodbye to Blackboard Learn and welcome Canvas by Instructure. Register to attend our January open meeting online to hear what we have achieved, what’s to come and what you need to do to prepare for the move to Canvas.
- Book your place on Thursday, 23 January 12pm online
Social Responsibility and Civic Engagement session
Chaired by Dr Julian Skyrme, the session will feature inspiring examples of public engagement shared by academic colleagues.
- Book your place on Wednesday, 15 January 12noon to 12.45pm online
Our cultural institutions
Jodrell Bank
All January: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Manchester Museum
All January: Wild exhibitions
8, 15, 22 and 29 January (2pm to 3pm): Belonging in Wild artist residency
8, 15, 22 and 29 January (12pm to 12.45pm): Introductory tai chi qigong sessions
14, 21 and 28 January (11am to 12.30pm): Wild Shared Reading
Wednesday, 15 January: Critical Conversations
Saturday, 18 January (10.30am to 4.30pm): Winter Wellbeing Takeover
Wednesday, 22 January (4.30pm to 9pm): Lunar New Year celebration
Thursday, 23 January (11am to 2pm): The Albatross Lecture 2025
Whitworth Art Gallery
All January:
Until Sunday, 26 January: Barbara Walker Being Here
Thursday, 23 January (6pm to 8pm): Connecting Threads Book Launch
Saturday, 25 January (1pm to 4.30pm): Purple Collective and the Whitworth present: ‘Recentring’
Thursday, 30 January (6pm to 8pm): Gary Younge and Sook-Kyung Lee In Conversation
John Rylands Research Institute and Library
Various dates (2.15pm to 3pm): Rare Reads
Various dates (11am to 11.30am): Printing Press Demonstration
Saturday, 18 January (11am to 11.30am): Rylands Discovery Tour
Our community
Religious celebrations and traditions
Monday, 6 January: Epiphany (Christianity)
Monday, 6 January: Guru Gobind Singh Birthday (Sikhism)
Monday, 13 January: Lohri (Sikhism)
Monday, 13 January: Maghi (Sikhism)
Tuesday, 14 January: Mahayana New Year (Buddhism)
Saturday, 18 to Saturday, 25 January: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Christianity)
Awareness days
Saturday, 4 January: World Braille Day
Monday, 27 January: Holocaust Memorial Day
Wednesday, 29 January: Lunar New Year
Groups and societies
Book club
For the new year our book will be Four Seasons in Japan by Nick Bradley. We will also share our recommendations from any additional reading we managed to do over the festive period.
You don't even need to have finished the book (although there will be spoilers!).
Why not head over to our Viva Engage (yammer) group for more reading inspiration!
- Contact Fiona.Lynch@manchester.ac.uk for the zoom link for Friday 31 January 12.30pm to 1.30pm
Want to feature your event next month?
If your event is free and open to all colleagues at the University, you can advertise it here next month!
Submit your suggestion to uninews@manchester.ac.uk by 25 of each month to feature in the following month. Please send us a short description (max 30 words) and any relevant links you may have too.
Please note that we unfortunately cannot guarantee your submission will feature, but we will do our best to feature as many as we can.
The deadline to feature in February’s ‘What’s on?’ is 25 January. Any questions, just drop us an email!