Four of our #creative50 local artists Hira Nasir, Keith Myers, Shaquille Rayes, Jim Fortune took inspiration from our opening event What Is The City But The People, external, creating a beautiful video portrait of Manchester.

"What are the people but the city?" is an interview video montage focussing on cultural diversity in Manchester, with input from a whole range of locals: creative innovators; champions of community interaction, challengers of acceptable norms on abilities and emigres to Manchester.

Take a look for yourself, and be proud of the range of people who call Manchester home:

Produced & Directed by Hira, external: @hiranasir97 , external

Cinematography & Editing by Keith, external: @kmyersfilm , external

Music creation: Shaquille, external: Insta: @Shaquillerayes, external & Jim: @Jim_Fortune , external

An artist that defies categorisation, Colin Stetson has found international acclaim with his gorgeous, ethereal and utterly unique blend of metal, electronic and classical music - all performed, somehow, on a saxophone.

We've lifted a few of our very favourite tracks in preparation for tonight's Dark Matter gig, external - his first ever in Manchester. Music nerds, lovers of soaring, haunting symphonies, those who want to see one man create an orchestra, this one's for you.

Musician Dean Jones - one half of Manchester duo OLA - has produced a new composition Exodus, as one of our brilliant local #creative50 artists.

Inspired by our ToGather event, it's a beautiful reflection on the themes of displacement, trauma, hope and migration of people across the planet in our current period of unrest.

We recommend plugging in, closing your eyes, and letting it wash over you.

Learn more about Dean Jones and OLA work on their Twitter (@onelittleatlas, external), Facebook page, external and website, external.

Image source, MIF

Young Identity poets (a collective of spoken word artists from across Manchester) have been responding to shows across the festival.

After seeing our anarchic, immersive party experience Party Skills For The End Of The World, external, they ended up with some pretty amazing things to express...

Party Skills for the End of the World

A crossbow for the crossroads

And Moonshine for the darkest

days

I’ve been hiding from the sun

Since dystopian prophecies were

born on the morning of the

summer solstice…or was it

winter,

Can’t remember-the embers of

the world’s end burn the same in

July and November.

Impending death gave me oranges and I peeled them,

didn’t practice surgery on their skin,

Extracted their juices,

coz I can’t sew and wince at wounds in the movies,

I’m useless,

Caressing bruises from all the times

I never made hours

for board games.

– Reece Williams

Read all the beautiful poems , externalthat have been created in response to Party Skills At The End Of The World, and learn more about the Young Identity, external.

What's Creative 50 again?

Well, we've commissioned 50 brilliant local artists to respond to ideas across shows in this year's festival. Many of them felt that migration, travel and issues of belonging really resonated, and have produced digital artwork inspired by these themes.

With that in mind, we're proud to present work from Elisa Morais, Cathy Wilcock and Chris Lyon, Keith Myers and Sal Mohammed.

Go Golden

"Navigate, don't dissipate. We belong to both."

“Go Golden” , externalis a collaboration between animation filmmaker Elisa Morais (www.soisdetraca.com, external) and songwriters Cathy Wilcock and Chris Lyon, aka Gymnast (www.gymnastband.com, external).

The animation draws on Elisa’s first memories as a migrant in Manchester; the significant walking paths and lasting impressions, slowly diluted and altered by time. It builds in layers combining drawn and stop-motion animation, paying homage to the MIF show ToGather.

In the song, Cathy’s lyrics further investigate ideas salient in ToGather, such as the meaning of home, belonging, and identity while in an unfamiliar situation or state of movement.

Learn more about Elisa (Sois de Traca:, external) on Twitter: @soisdetraca, external

Learn more about Gymnast, external: on Twitter: @gymnastband, external

ToGather 360 degree video

Artist Keith Myers created this time lapse of our ToGather event - meaning you can experience the entire show in just under a minute (and make sure you move your cursor around to experience the different angles!)

Shot and edited by Keith Myers: www.kmyersfilm.co.uk, external; twitter: https://twitter.com/kmyersfilm, external

Music created in response by Manoli Moriaty: https://manolimoriaty.wordpress.com, external; twitter: https://twitter.com/manolimoriaty, external

Hate

In response to the emerging themes of Migration and Home across the festival, Hate, by Sal Mohammed, external, explores the discourse around such themes the socio-political repercussions of them in Manchester, the contextual factors which control and quash, and the potential future events which may control them societally.

We were overjoyed to stream part of New Order + Liam Gillick, external, So It Goes last night, but hey, not everyone is free at 9:10pm on a Thursday, right?

For the more popular and busy among you, we're happy to present the full stream below, via our Facebook page, external. It won't be here forever, so fill your eyes and ears while you can!

But if you can't get enough of New Order, we're happy to do the honours and see out the night with it right here.

After all, it IS the best-selling 12’’ single of all time. Altogether now...

Image source, MIF

If you loved seeing New Order live tonight, make sure you get across to Manchester Art Gallery until this Sunday - we've got an exclusive exhibition, external celebrating the on-going legacy of Joy Division and New Order.

That's True Faith, everyone. No self-respecting fan can afford to miss it.

Thanks so much for joining us for New Order + Liam Gillick, So It Goes - we'd love to hear how you found the show, tweet us @MIFestival with #neworder.

Now, the night can't possibly end there - meet you all at Festival Square, external to carry on the festivities? #loveMCR

It's impossible to talk about New Order without talking about artist Peter Saville, responsible for so much of the amazing cover work that helped make them iconic. Here he is, external talking about creating the cover for Power, Corruption and Lies

Image source, MIF

Inspired dance track Plastic is from Music Complete, released in September 2015

If you're lucky enough to be near Manchester, you can check out our exhibition True Faith, external, dedicated to the ongoing legacy of New Order and Joy Division.

Curated by Matthew Higgs and Jon Savage, it's a beautiful exploration of the art that the bands inspired and continue to inspire, across many mediums. It's at the Manchester Art Gallery, and you can catch it until this coming Sunday.

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Everyone in the world, external has covered this song.

"Every time I think of you / I feel shot right through with a bolt of blue."

Pretty unbeatable opening line.

Bizarre Love Triangle has been covered by a whole host of artists, including The Black Eyed Peas, Even As We Speak, Sita, Vendetta and Anne Curtis.

Keep it up, send any tweets to @MIFestival , externaland you too might feature on this very page...

Sub-culture was the second and final single to feature on their third album Low-Life, as well as their tenth single overall.

From their eighth album Waiting For The Sirens' Call, released in 2005.