Awards Sponsors
HEADLINE SPONSOR
AKA North | north.akauk.com | @AKAUK_North
AKA North are experts in developing creative and integrated campaigns for theatre, museums and galleries, live events, education and visitor attractions, to name but a few.
Established for 20 years, AKA North are dedicated to helping clients reach the widest possible audience using a unique blend of intelligent analytics, local market knowledge and a bold, creative vision. Based in Manchester and with a core Northern client base, AKA North are thrilled to be celebrating the exceptional, innovative and vibrant culture that the Northern Soul Awards represent.
GREAT NORTHERNERS SPONSOR
Manchester Cathedral |manchestercathedral.org | @ManCathedral
Manchester Cathedral has been centre-stage in its city’s history for nearly 600 years. In 1421 Henry V signed a royal charter granting permission for a collegiate church to be built. There are medieval quires and ancient archives, bees on the roof, kangaroos carved on thrones, choristers running to practice and artists drawing in aisles. The cathedral hosts a wide range of events, from classical music concerts served with coffee to wine fairs set to jazz. Do not miss one of the most interesting churches in the land at the heart of one of the most exciting cities on earth.
WELCOME DRINKS SPONSOR
Alston Bar & Beef | www.alstonmanchester.co.uk | @alstonmanchestr
Mancunians, like Glaswegians, are spoilt for choice when it comes to great places to eat and Alston has raised the bar even further by serving the best steak the city has to offer.
Their Tweed Valley beef comes from accredited farms in the Scottish Borders, each renowned for producing quality beef, full of flavour and tenderness. The beef for Alston is selected from the top 1 per cent of the Scottish suckler herd and their butcher achieves this standard because his criteria is so refined. To top it off, Alston has a large selection on gins available in their bar, as well as a number of their own gin infusions, each individually garnished and served to perfection.
The original Alston Bar & Beef is located underneath Glasgow Central Station and is named after the long forgotten main street of Grahamston Village, which was demolished to make way for the station in the mid-1870s.
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR (1-50 EMPLOYEES) SPONSOR
The Co-operative Bank | www.co-operativebank.co.uk | @CooperativeBank
EVENT HOST
If you love the North, then Northern Soul is the website for you. Written in the North of England by Northern writers, Northern Soul is a celebration of culture and enterprise, from theatre, music, authors and art to heritage, small businesses, food and leading figures, as well as everything in-between.
Sponsor
Manchester Salon | www.manchestersalon.org.uk
The Manchester Salon was inspired after a trip to London for the Battle of Ideas in 2007, and a desire to bring some of the flavour of those very engaging debates to Manchester - at least in between the annual Battle of Ideas festival.
The Salon organises discussions that happily move from a problematic or tricky topic in current affairs one month, through a morally difficult subject of scientific research the next, followed by unpicking the tensions between the Arts and demands by Policy wonks. There's no interesting subject the Manchester Salon won't consider.
The aim is to capture the essence and nuances of the intellectual and moral problems facing society, challenge modern prejudices and debate solutions. With as many views as there are participants, discussions are often ongoing and carry on more informally in the bar afterwards.