zombies + austen in ancoats? the cutting-room experiment

I'm currently intrigued by the buzz around The Cutting Room Experiment. This unique new project is “an attempt to create the world’s biggest user generated event in the world.” Taking place right here in Manchester on 20 June, it’s going to transform Cutting Room, a new public space in Ancoats, into a unique events space for a one-day, one-off “mass participation event” which the audience themselves will design and shape.

By logging on the interactive website here, anyone can submit ideas for events themed around everything from art, design and architecture through to music and film: once they are submitted, people can vote for the ideas they like best, and the twelve most popular events will make up the programme on 20 June. There isn’t much time left to suggest or vote for ideas though: this Friday 29 May is the deadline for idea generation and voting, and the final line-up for the “experiment” will be announced next week!

It looks likely to be an entertaining day: ideas already submitted range from space-hopper racing to lego art to guerilla knitting to experiments in relay film-making to a mass performance of Michael Jackson’s Thriller video. I’m particularly looking forward to finding out which of the literature events will take place on the day: will it be writing a collaborative novel, enacting Where’s Wally? around Ancoats, or (my personal favourite) fancy dress, Pride and Prejudice-meets-zombies stylee? Who knows what will happen - but there's no doubt it's going to be an interesting one - Ancoats may never be the same again! Check out the website here to find out more more.