Two cult classics at Bluecoat in 2019

We’re delighted to be working with Bluecoat on two special film screenings as part of their current exhibition on Arts Schools of the North West.

A fascinating show including archive information and photographs on the art schools of the region, the people, ideas and cultures that blossomed within them, we’ve selected two films as part of the programme.

Directed by Tony Richardson, with a screenplay written by Shelagh Delaney, ‘A Taste of Honey‘ stars Murray Melvin as gay art student Geoffrey who sets up home with unmarried mother Jo, played by Rita Tushingham. Often referred to as a ‘kitchen sink drama’ the film is set in Salford, and is quite subversive. It’s part of a wave of films challenging the social norm and establishment, making us reflect on how those societal expectations affect us, both personally and culturally. The screening is on Friday 18 January, with an introduction in the Bluecoat gallery at 6.30, followed by the film screening from 7pm.

On Thursday 7 March we screen ‘Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs‘. John Hurt plays Malcolm Strawdyke who is thrown out of art college and form a political fringe group focused on male sexual dominance. Produced by George Harrison (and a film that played a role in the ‘Beatles Divorce’) it’s a story about male impotent rage, and in what feels quite fitting for our current political climate, it shows Malcolm’s almost fascist rants, his verbosity in shaming anyone who contradicts him and his war against conformity. It’s a rarely screened classic and this is a fantastic opportunity to see John Hurt in a full throttled performance.

Tickets are available through the Bluecoat. A Taste of Honey here and Little Malcolm here. Join us for, art, film and a possible post film chat if there’s interest.

The Art Schools of the North West is on at BLuecoat until Sunday 10 March. Read all about it here.