The special Cinemac showing will play host to a programme of the very best Joy Division and Factory films as well as hosting a panel of some of the UK’s foremost broadcasters, film critics and screen-writers. The panel will be led by celebrated film critic Mark Kermode and will include broadcaster and journalist Miranda Sawyer, Bafta nominated Control screenwriter Matt Greenhalgh, music writer and Unknown Pleasures curator Jon Savage, ex Joy Division drummer Stephen Morris and photographer Kevin Cummins.

Mark Kermode says: ‘Manchester and the northwest have a special place in my heart. It was here that I wrote my first film reviews for city life magazine - the publication which started it all for me. I came to Manchester to study at the university, but it was the music scene and the culture which surrounded it which really interested me. The films we’ll be looking at attempt to capture that very special time in the eighties when the whole world seemed to revolve around Factory Records. I think it’s going to be a great event, and I’m really looking forward to hearing what our panellists have to say.”

The event will feature:

• 2pm: Michael Winterbottom’s wildly popular 2002 story of Factory Records, Tony Wilson and Joy Division/New Order 24 Hour Party People starring Steve Coogan, John Thomson and Nigel Pivaro.
• 5pm: Introduction to Joy Division - the documentary. Jon Savage and Steve Morris
• 5:30pm: Jon Savage and Grant Gee’s insightful 2008 documentary Joy Division which takes a closer look at the band’s history.
• 7.20pm: Introduction to Control and preview the names who’ll be talking about it later in the evening.
• 7:30pm: The 2007 Bafta nominated biopic Control, directed by photographer Anton Corbijn (who documented the band in the 70s) and adapted by Matt Greenhalgh. Control starred Sam Riley, Samantha Morton and Alexandra Maria Lara and was adapted from Ian’s widow, Deborah Curtis’ book, ‘Touching from a Distance’.
• 9:30pm: Panel of expert commentators including Mark Kermode, Miranda Sawyer, Kevin Cummins and Matt Greenhalgh to discuss Control.
• 10:30pm: Close

The Cinemac will also be showing previously unseen live footage of Joy Divison and Ian Curtis from 11:30am to 1:30pm the following day - Sunday, August 1^st. Capturing the bands legendary performance at the 1979 Plan K concert in Brussels, this screening will give true Joy Division devotees the chance to experience one of the band’s defining moments for the first time.

Richard de Peyer, Director of the Silk Museum said: “It’s been fantastic to see the number of popular and critically lauded Joy Division films that have been released in the last ten years and the Unknown Pleasures festival seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring them together. Each of the films is very different, and explores the legacy of the music in a distinct way.

“Control was one of 2007’s most critically acclaimed films and we are delighted to see its screenwriter Matt Greenhalgh join a panel of some of the film industry most distinctive and celebrated figures, including Mark Kermode and Miranda Sawyer, to discuss what makes it so powerful.

“The event will provide a unique chance to see what made Ian Curtis and the films he inspired so special and will work with the Unknown Pleasures exhibition to demonstrate the continuing relevance of the band as we move into the 21^st century.”

Unknown Pleasures is the first exhibition featuring the music and lyrics of Joy Division and personal exhibits inspired by their music and is curated by the music writer Jon Savage.

The Exhibition includes unique and unseen exhibits and is on show in Macclesfield’s Silk Museum and will run from Jul 29 - Aug 7

Tickets for the Cinemac event are available for £15, please call 01625 613210 - there will be a late bar in the Mulberry Tree downstairs.

Tickets for the showing of  the previously unseen ‘Plan K’ concert film footage are available for £2.

Visit the website at www.joydivisionexhibition.com, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/joydivision2010 and join in the conversation with the Twitter hashtag #JD2010.

For media registration and information, contact Andrew Spinoza, Max Howard and Helen Partridge at SKV Communications 0161 838 7770 firstname.lastname@skvcommunications.co.uk

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The Centre, established in 1986, is the international agency for the development and promotion of contemporary Chinese artists. The charity specialises in raising the profile of various artists through exhibitions, residencies, artist support schemes, publications, agency work, commissions, festivals and tours.

The not-for-profit arts organisation also houses a gallery in its Manchester-based centre, showcasing contemporary Chinese art.

Chinese Arts Centre has appointed Beever and Struthers to ensure that they comply with charity accounting best practice.

This is the latest client win for the specialist not-for-profit division at Beever and Struthers headed by partner Maria Hallows.

Maria said: “The Centre is an integral part of the promotion of Chinese artists in the vibrant city of Manchester as well as much further afield and we are very pleased welcome it to our portfolio of charity clients. I am confident that the Centre will benefit from the vast experience of the Beever and Struthers’ not-for-profit team.”

Sally Lai, Chief Executive Officer of Chinese Arts Centre, added: “We were impressed by Beever and Struthers’ charity credentials and experience. Their understanding of the not-for-profit sector made them the obvious choice to help with our audit work. We are looking forward to a long-term relationship with the firm.”

For more information please visit www.beeverstruthers.co.uk or call 0161 832 4901.

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For further information please contact - Anna Asamoah, account executive, SKV Communications on 0161 838 7770 or e-mail anna.asamoah@skvcommunications.co.uk

Notes to editors:

Beever and Struthers was founded in 1898.  The firm has a strong reputation built on a long-established tradition of providing high quality accountancy services to the business community.

The firm is now ranked amongst the top independent accountancy practices and has 26 partners and over 160 employees spanning three offices in Manchester, Blackburn and London.

The practice has a significant not for profit, charity and social housing strength and ranks in the top five providers of audit and assurance services to the social housing sector in the UK.

Origin Housing provides essential affordable housing, and care and support services in north London and Hertfordshire, with the aim of improving communities and the lives of its customers. Its recent schemes include 164 one and two-bed affordable apartments for key workers as part of Vicarage Road, the home of Watford FC.

Origin - headed by chief executive Karen Wilson and chairman Colin Sherriff - appointed Beever and Struthers following a competitive tender to ensure that its audit meets housing association best practice and adds value to the organisation.

This is the latest client win for the specialist not-for-profit division at Beever and Struthers headed by partner Maria Hallows.

Nick Stevens, London office partner of Beever and Struthers, said: “We have more than 100 housing associations/clients and I’m confident that Origin will benefit from the vast experience of the Beever and Struthers’ not-for-profit team.”

Chris Trebilcock, Director of Finance & ICS of Origin said, “The maintenance of strong internal controls is vital to Origin and thus we are delighted to have appointed Beever and Struthers and look forward with confidence to receiving the input of Nick Stevens and his team.”

For more information please visit www.beeverstruthers.co.uk or call 0161 832 4901.

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For further information please contact - Anna Asamoah, account executive, SKV Communications on 0161 838 7770 or e-mail anna.asamoah@skvcommunications.co.uk

Notes to editors:

Beever and Struthers was founded in 1898.  The firm has a strong reputation built on a long-established tradition of providing high quality accountancy services to the business community.

The firm is now ranked amongst the top independent accountancy practices and has 26 partners and over 160 employees spanning three offices in Manchester, Blackburn and London.

The practice has a significant not for profit, charity and social housing strength and ranks in the top five providers of audit and assurance services to the social housing sector in the UK.

Attracting over 62,000 film-goers in 2009, Screenfields, located at Spinningfields will show a mix of classics, comedies, dramas and ‘dress-up’ films every Thursday evening from May to September.

This year’s film fest kicks off with Control - the critically acclaimed biography of Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis - on Thursday 20^th May at 8.30pm. This summer’s programme also includes 80s classic films Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Dirty Dancing and coming of age drama Stand By Me.

This summer’s biggest sporting events including Wimbledon and selected World Cup matches will also be shown on the 16.5 ft by 10 ft screen located in Hardman Square.

New this year is the Screenfields’ Family Film Club, screening family classics at 11am every Saturday during the summer holidays. Screenfields will also be showing a special one-off screening of Jurassic Park on Sunday 1^st August in partnership with the Family Friendly Film Festival.

Popcorn will be available for all film goers and the screenings can be enjoyed with a drink from Giraffe’s outdoor bar, food from Carluccio’s gourmet barbecue or a special hamper for two, costing £25 when pre-ordered 24 hours in advance from Carluccio’s at Spinningfields. Film-goers can hire summer deckchairs and picnic blankets for a small rental fee.

Spinningfields, situated off Deansgate, is ideally located close to the city’s main shopping areas and offers an array of quality family eateries including Giraffe, Nando’s, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Carluccio’s, Strada, Wagamama and Samsi.

For more information on Screenfields visit www.spinningfieldsonline.com.

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For more media information contact Anoushka Done or Mairead Rodden at Manchester PR Agency SKV Communications on 0161 838 7770 or email anoushka.done@skvcommunications.co.uk

Notes to editors:

Screenfields: Screenings are subject to cancellation in high winds or heavy rain. Please check www.SPINNINGFIELDSonline.com for updates.

Follow Spinningfields on Twitter www.twitter.com/spinningfields

Picnics at Screenfields: Enjoy any screening with a special £25 picnic for 2 people. Pre-order your picnic 24 hours in advance from Carluccio’s Spinningfields on 0161 839 0623.

Spinningfields: Spinningfields is the most significant Grade A office development in Manchester and the largest city centre office scheme in the UK. With a total investment of £1.5bn, Spinningfields comprises 427,450 sq m (4,600,000 sq ft) mixed-use development between the River Irwell and Deansgate - one of Manchester’s main thoroughfares. It has a combination of world-class architecture and inviting contemporary public space, with a vitality that comes from its exciting mix of offices, retail, restaurants, bars and living space. The next phase of Spinningfields will see a dynamic new energy with signature restaurants, a host of international brands, spa and gym services, art and live entertainment. Shoppers and workers will be able to relax and be entertained in an array of impressive eateries and restaurants making Spinningfields one of the most lively destinations in the North West.

As the first in-depth look at the life and work of the singer and band that shaped the future of popular culture, the exhibition is staged in Curtis’ hometown, Macclesfield, and is part of a wider community festival, the details of which will be announced soon.

It follows huge interest in the charisma of the band’s legendary label Factory, from tributes to the late Tony Wilson, the Control bio-pic about Curtis, and other Factory-related books, TV and films.

As part of the Festival activities in Macclesfield an exhibition will be held at Macclesfield’s 1813 Sunday School Heritage Centre building. The exhibition will run from Thursday July 29th until 7^th August and is timed to coincide a new wave of interest sparked by Rhino’s planned release of a boxed set of  7″ Joy Division singles in the summer.

The exhibition will feature a serial chronology and items from the late 70s including original record sleeves, posters and handbills, as well as set lists, collectable vinyl singles and albums, music business memorabilia, and letters from Tony Wilson and band members to manager Rob Gretton.

One item sure to be of special interest to fans is a handwritten letter from Ian Curtis unhappy at Closer, the group’s second album. He writes: “this LP is a disaster.”

Music writer Jon Savage is the curator of Unknown Pleasures. He says: “This exhibit brings together a wide range of material - posters, handbills, handwritten documents, and other memorabilia - for the first time. Much of it comes from the fans - a testament to Joy Division’s continued impact. It also provides a history of pop graphics, from punk through to the early 80’s.”

Director Richard de Peyer says: “Macclesfield has never had the opportunity to celebrate Ian Curtis’ work in a way which benefits the communities of the town and also attracts music fans from far and wide. This summer seemed like the right moment to do that.”

The remaining members of the band who went on to form New Order, Stephen Morris, Peter Hook and Bernard Sumner, are supporting the exhibition.

The show includes photography including a rarely seen image by Mark Reeder, as well as press cuttings from the time and film footage, including unseen glimpses of the band in concert.

The festival also includes a series of linked talks, screenings and tours in Macclesfield, including a special film screening on July 31st in the town’s independent cinema, Cinemac featuring the three Joy Division related films: 24 Hour Party People, Control and Joy Division and a celebrity panel discussion.

Visit the website at www.joydivisionexhibition.com, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/joydivision2010 and join in the conversation with the Twitter hashtag #JD2010.

For media information, contact Andrew Spinoza, Max Howard and Helen Partridge at SKV Communications 0161 838 7770 firstname.lastname@skvcommunications.co.uk

Les became a partner in the firm when Manchester-based Beever and Struthers merged with Blackburn based chartered accountants Waterworths in October 2009.

Prior to that in 2001, he purchased the Blackburn office of HLB Kidsons where he was managing partner and following its merger with Waterworths became a partner in that firm.

Before joining HLB Kidsons he was a partner in Bury Brothers which he joined when he left what was then Price Waterhouse.

Les specialises in providing business advisory services, strategic planning, advice relating to acquisitions and disposals, and is an acknowledged specialist in the setting up and use of trusts and the provision of tax advice.

He is a past chairman of the Lancashire Branch of the Institute of Directors, Round Table and Accrington Ex-Tablers Club. He is also treasurer of Clitheroe Golf Club.

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For further information please contact - Justin Strong, associate director, SKV Communications on 0161 838 7770 or e-mail justin.strong@skvcommunications.co.uk

Notes to editors:

Beever and Struthers is a UK Top 50 accountancy and business advisory firm with offices in Manchester, Blackburn and London and the largest independent practice in Greater Manchester. The firm recently merged with Waterworths, an accountancy firm in Blackburn.

The enlarged firm has 26 partners and more than 150 staff providing a full service offering in areas including accountancy, audit, tax, corporate finance, fraud, grants consultancy, financial services and business assurance.

It specialises in sectors such as social housing (is currently a Top 4 provider of audit and assurance services in the UK to housing associations), charity, not for profit and sport.

C-Probe Systems, established in 1994, specialises in the corrosion management of civil engineering and building structures.  Their objective is to provide the owner with knowledge, accountability and value in whatever solution is chosen for the corrosion control of reinforcement steel, transitional steel frames, historic metal components, pre-stressed or post-tensioned elements.

C-Probe Systems has appointed Beever and Struthers to assist with management accounts, corporation tax, annual accounts, company secretarial and payroll in addition to assisting with forecasting.

This is the latest client win for the specialist SME division at Beever and Struthers.

Shelim Rahman, Partner at Beever and Struthers, said: “C-Probe Systems is a specialist and growing organisation whom we are delighted to welcome to our portfolio of SME clients. Despite having complex and varied requirements, we have the experience to provide all assistance in-house. I am confident that C-Probe Systems will benefit from the vast experience of the Beever and Struthers’ team.”

Graeme Jones, Managing Director of both C-Probe Systems and Structural Healthcare, added: “We were impressed by Beever and Struthers’ range of services and what they offered us. Their experience made them the obvious choice to provide many of our services. We are looking forward to a long-term relationship with the firm.”

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For further information please contact - Anna Asamoah, account executive, SKV Communications on 0161 838 7770 or e-mail anna.asamoah@skvcommunications.co.uk

Notes to editors:

Beever and Struthers is a UK Top 50 accountancy and business advisory firm with offices in Manchester, Blackburn and London and the largest independent practice in Greater Manchester. The firm recently merged with Waterworths, an accountancy firm in Blackburn.

The enlarged firm has 26 partners and more than 150 staff providing a full service offering in areas including accountancy, audit, tax, corporate finance, fraud, grants consultancy, financial services and business assurance.

Mike Perls (MC2), Gez O’Brien (Stardotstar), Grant Windridge (Hemsiphere), Martin Carr (True North), Mike Ryan (Idaho), Sandy Lindsay (Tangerine), digital consultant Tony Tickle (tickle.co.uk), Steve Connor (Creative Concern) and Andrew Spinoza (SKV), are just some of the senior industry figures who have signed up to the Innovation Manchester Boardroom - an “ideas and action” cross-sector forum designed to tackle major issues facing Greater Manchester.

These issues include an ageing workforce, developing a sustainable low carbon economy, the future infrastructure of the city-region and other key social and economic priorities.

Around 200 Boardroom participants - two thirds of whom are in the private sector - are asked to apply their expertise and creativity to bring fresh and original thinking to the table through regular face to face workshop sessions and online collaboration.

Martin Carr, founder and managing director of design agency True North, said: “The creative and marketing industry in Manchester is obviously very competitive but many of us who work in the sector also share a common aspiration to create a positive and progressive place to live and work.

“High quality design, a culture of creativity and successful commercial growth all go hand in hand; and I’m happy to contribute whatever I can to help the region prosper via the Innovation Boardroom network.”

In addition to contributing ideas, insights and opinion, some participants with particular skills are encouraged to become ‘issue champions’; developing and driving forward the best ideas emanating from Boardroom sessions and turning them into tangible projects.

A pilot version of the Boardroom concept, that ran last year as part of M:KC’s Innovation Manchester programme, saw this aspect of the initiative spur a range of projects - including the Manchester Masters scheme (www.manchestermasters.com) aimed at tackling the challenge of graduate retention.

Behind the Boardroom concept is Manchester: Knowledge Capital (M:KC) a not-for-profit company which aims to make Greater Manchester a global leader in knowledge and innovation by bringing together businesses, policy-shapers and universities in new ways.

Commenting on the marketing sector’s support for the Boardroom, Kate said: “Getting some of the region’s most respected and influential media and marketing figures to commit both their time and their talent to help Greater Manchester prosper is a genuine coup and their participation is greatly valued.”

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For interviews with Kate Pickering, images and more information please contact Richard Bond at SKV Communications. Telephone 0161 838 7770 or email richard.bond@skvcommunications.co.uk

Notes to Editors

• Launched 18 months ago, Innovation Manchester brought groups of business and civic leaders together and asked them to identify new ways to boost the city’s capacity for innovation - and to take the lead in driving forward the best ideas.

• With M:KC’s help this process led to the establishment of a series of groundbreaking pilot programmes to support skills development and retaining talented graduates in the city, including Manchester Masters, Manchester Fab Lab, Creative Open Access and Innovate With Confidence.

• Manchester: Knowledge Capital aims to make Greater Manchester a global leader in knowledge and innovation. M: KC is a not-for-profit company that brings together businesses, policy-shapers and universities in new ways: connecting people and ideas, identifying strategic opportunities and radical solutions to city-wide challenges, catalysing new initiatives, and providing expert advice on innovation and the knowledge economy.

• For information on the work of Manchester: Knowledge Capital please visit: www.manchesterknowledge.com

Housing organisations fear that budget cuts planned from 2011will stall and possibly even reverse Government initiatives to occupy vacant properties in England - recent estimates of the number of empty homes range from 652,000 to as many as 784,000.

Under the KickStart initiative, The Homes and Communities Agency, the national housing and regeneration agency for England, has announced £83m to unlock 5,696 new homes nationwide, including 3,503 affordable homes - some £10.5m of this latest tranche of funding is for 805 homes in the North West.

But statistics for 2009 from independent charity the Empty Homes Agency (EHA) show almost 123,000 empty properties in the North West of England - representing 3.91 per cent of the region’s total housing stock.

In the North West, 3,714 of the empty homes are owned by councils, more than 64,300 are private homes vacant for more than six months and 4,721 are private homes vacant for more than six months for regeneration or housing schemes.

The figures for the North West contrast with those from the EHA for other regions in England such as 90,768 empty homes in Yorkshire and Humber (3.95 per cent of stock) and 69,002 homes (2.94 per cent of stock) in the West Midlands. There are almost 652,000 empty homes in England as a whole, according to the Empty Homes Agency.

Housing groups fear that expected cuts to the housing budget from 2011 will prevent empty homes being returned to use to contribute to a cut in the ever-lengthening housing waiting list - the latest total of those on the list stands at an all time high of more than 1.8 million.

Government spending on all housing hit £8.9bn in 2008/09 - its highest level for 15 years - and some 207,000 homes were built. But that figure was below the Government’s stated ambition of building 240,000 homes a year by 2016 and predicted cuts in funding will further reduce the number being constructed.

Empty properties blight both the private and public sectors - many buy-to-let apartments in major cities such as Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Birmingham stand empty because private developers misjudged the level of demand while not building sufficient numbers of family homes and housing associations and local authorities hold empty stock including properties vacated by residents for major regeneration schemes.

Housing associations are suffering because of the decline in the wider housing market in the longest and deepest recession since the 1930s - associations traditionally subsidised rented housing activities with profits from selling properties to people wanting to buy their home. But those profits have dwindled because homes have not been selling in the downturn and the funds are consequently not available for improvements to the social rental sector.

Chris Porritt, senior partner and head of the not-for-profit team at Beever and Struthers, said: “We obviously welcome the record level of investment in housing but predicted budget cuts from 2011 will saddle the North West with the stigma of having more empty homes than any other region in England.

“There’s an element of uncertainty caused by the looming General Election but whichever party is elected must make a renewed long-term commitment to maintain current spending levels to get people off the waiting list and into a place they can call home.

“We need radical thinking and relaxed regulation to make the best possible use of funding for empty properties.”

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For further information please contact - Justin Strong, associate director, SKV Communications on 0161 838 7770 or e-mail justin.strong@skvcommunications.co.uk

Notes to editors:

Beever and Struthers is a UK Top 50 accountancy and business advisory firm with offices in Manchester, Blackburn and London and the largest independent practice in Greater Manchester. The firm recently merged with Waterworths, an accountancy firm in Blackburn.

The enlarged firm has 26 partners and more than 150 staff providing a full service offering in areas including accountancy, audit, tax, corporate finance, fraud, grants consultancy, financial services and business assurance.

It specialises in sectors such as social housing (is currently a Top 4 provider of audit and assurance services in the UK to housing associations), charity, not for profit and sport.

The Trust, established in 1823, is a charity based in Cheadle Hulme which offers high quality services, provision and care for children, young people and adults with hearing, visual, multi-sensory and complex communication and interactional difficulties. The charity operates a school, a college, an adult residential home and a domiciliary care agency.

The Trust has appointed Beever and Struthers to assist with the payroll system for its 450 staff.

This is the latest client win for the specialist not-for-profit division at Beever and Struthers headed by partner Maria Hallows.

Joanne Harding, Senior Manager at Beever and Struthers, said: “The Seashell Trust is the oldest charity dealing with complex learning and communication difficulties in the north-west of England and we are delighted to welcome it to our portfolio of charity clients. I am confident that the Trust will benefit from the vast experience of the Beever and Struthers’ not-for-profit team.”

Susan Cohen, Financial Director of the Seashell Trust added: “We were impressed by Beever and Struthers’ depth and breadth of expertise in the not-for-profit sector. Their experience made them the obvious choice to provide our payroll services. We are looking forward to a long-term relationship with the firm.”

For more information visit www.beeverstruthers.co.uk or call 0161 832 4901.

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For further information please contact - Anna Asamoah, account executive, SKV Communications on 0161 838 7770 or e-mail anna.asamoah@skvcommunications.co.uk

Notes to editors:

Beever and Struthers is a UK Top 50 accountancy and business advisory firm with offices in Manchester, Blackburn and London and the largest independent practice in Greater Manchester. The firm recently merged with Waterworths, an accountancy firm in Blackburn.

The enlarged firm has 26 partners and more than 150 staff providing a full service offering in areas including accountancy, audit, tax, corporate finance, fraud, grants consultancy, financial services and business assurance.

It specialises in sectors such as social housing (is currently a Top 4 provider of audit and assurance services in the UK to housing associations), charity, not for profit and sport.