Manchester

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Nexus art cafe

Northern Quarter cafe-gallery with quirky charm and an ethical heart

The latest creative endeavour to join the Northern Quarter fold is a new basement café-cum-art-gallery on Dale Street. At street level, there’s not much to see, just a large window and a set of stairs. But a dingy cellar has been transformed, via a stairwell ‘gallery’ and a lick of paint, into a cosy café. As punters trip down the stairs, they can view a parallel art space that runs from the Dale Street window to the basement. Once in the café, there’s more art, as the walls of this deceptively spacious hangout have been turned over to large-scale paintings.

Nexus taps into the spirit of creative endeavour that makes the Northern Quarter more than just a collection of too-cool-for-school shops and bars. The café was originally set up back in 2005 by Methodist Minister, the Rev. Chris Acher as a place of sanctuary for weekend revellers. A year later, local artist Bex Melvin stumbled across the café during a night out and thought it would be a rather spiffing venue for a new gallery. This match made in heaven (sorry) was cemented by some National Lottery funding, enabling Acher and Melvin to create the stairwell gallery and run a changing programme of exhibitions.

As for the café, well, there’s nothing earth shatteringly new here. Cheery staff serve up Pieminster Pies and fruit smoothies, brew fresh, fair trade coffee and offer free wi fi to their style-savvy punters. Nexus takes a strong, ethical stance (unsurprisingly, given its connections to the Methodist Church) and is decked out in the mismatched furniture and quirky-student-bedroom style that’s become so popular. All in all, it’s very ‘Northern Quarter’ – but that’s no bad thing. In a city that sometimes feels as if it’s being taken over by global retail brands and, ahem, ‘world class’ corporate developments, it is independent, honest ventures such as these that ensure Manchester retains its unique charm. A snug, relaxing retreat from Oldham Street with a little culture chucked in for good measure – a welcome addition to the Northern Quarter pack.
Nexus Art Café Dale Street, Northern Quarter, M1 1JW (236 0100/www.nexusonline.org.uk). 10am-7pm Tue-Fri, 11am-7pm Sat.

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