YEAR 2022, perhaps the year of consolidation, maybe the year of hope, quite probably the year of recovery.

Holding its collective breath, the arts and cultural sector is beginning to regain confidence to stimulate, entertain, excite and enrich lives across the world.

In north-west England, 2022 saw the re-emergence of festivals, art shows, dance and theatre productions which helped lift spirits.
 
Events such as the Manchester Jazz Festival returned with a loud, joyous and exciting band of excellent musicians getting audiences jumping and singing across the city.
 
This year saw some terrific theatre. Arti Banerjee’s magnificent re-working of Tennessee Williams’ Glass Menagerie for the Royal Exchange Manchester is the stand-out production of the year.

An astonishing piece of theatre that will live long in the memory and must be one of the best interpretations of the play. A fitting tribute to a great playwright.

In contrast to the quiet intensity of Glass Menagerie, the Exchange followed up with a beautifully scary Let the Right One In. A vampire with a heart, this was a gorgeous focus on love, loneliness and the danger of a restricted diet!
 
Elsewhere in Manchester, the revamped and legendary Band on the Wall has had some amazing gigs in 2022. In spring the personification of cool, Mario Biondi, set the floor alight with classics like This is What You Are, Jeannine and What’s Going On. A real icon for Northern Soul aficionados, Biondi didn’t disappoint.

Early summer saw the wonderful Cuban jazz man Roberto Fonseca take to the stage. His highly charged virtuoso piano playing dazzled and excited a hugely appreciative crowd.

2022 was the centenary of the publication of James Joyce’s masterpiece Ulysses. The momentous occasion was celebrated across the world. In Ireland Joyce-themed plays, songs, readings and art popped up in every nook and cranny. One of the highlights was a terrific re-working of Dubliners in the beautiful Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin.

Adapted for stage by Annie Ryan and Michael West, these eight vignettes captured the rawness of Dublin life immediately before the first world war. This production reminded us why Dubliners is probably the greatest collection of short stories written in the English language.
 
Although nothing can beat an in-person live event, the growth of streaming services is bringing art and culture from across the world into our homes. A rich and sensuous production of Prokofiev’s ballet Romeo and Juliet from the exquisite Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires, was beamed across the globe. It allowed a worldwide audience to enjoy a fabulous ballet but gave us a glimpse inside one of the great theatres of the world.
 
So what will 2023 bring? Who knows, but in these desperate times one thing is certain, we need a flourishing arts and culture sector. If the last few years have taught us anything, its that culture enriches our lives and collective gatherings are an essential ingredient for human existence.