Cultureshock was the Commonwealth Games cultural programme which ran alongside the Games themselves. The events ranged from images of the athlete as hero in sculpture and photography (Go! Freeze, which ran at Turton Tower in Bolton) to a Zulu performance at The Lowry. There was an exhibition at the Whitworth Art Gallery called Tales of Power: West African Textiles, and a performance of the film Monsoon Wedding at Clwyd Theatr Cymru. The geographical range was from Cheshire in the south to Blackburn and Cumbria in the north, and included that year the various Melas that take place around the region.
The full programme for Cultureshock is detailed below:
March 2002 1 March – 15 October – Commonwealth Gold, Rochdale Borough Festival 2002 3 March – International Women's Day Festival, Manchester Town Hall 4 March – Celebrate Commonwealth Gold Rochdale Town Hall 9 March – Go Freeze, Turton Tower, Bolton 10 March – Urban Grooves from the Commonwealth, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester 11 March – Common-wealth, Manchester Metropolitan University 11–16 March, English National Ballet – Romeo & Juliet, Manchester Opera House 12–13 March – 3 Shades, Bluecoat Arts Centre 13–18 March – Tara Arts – Journey to the West:The Trilogy, Contact Theatre 14 March – Trio Phoenix, Royal Northern College of Music 14 March – Manchester Stories New Forms Vol 3, St Annes Church 15 March – Rais Academy – Tales of the Past, Deeplish Community Centre 17 March – Phil Bateman, More than Gold, Salvation Army Rochdale 21 March – Trajets, Green Room, Manchester 23 March – Tony Allen's Afro Beat, Band on the Wall, Manchester 23 March – October – Tales of Power: West African Textiles, Whitworth Art Gallery 24 March – Opera Rara – Elisabetta regina d'Inghilterra, Banqueting House, Whitehall 27 March – The Mighty Zulu Nation – Africa Africa, The Lowry 30 March – Srijani Quartet, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall March onwards – Textile Identities:Littoral Textiles, Manchester Airport
April 2002 1 April – Easter Bank Holiday Market, Castlefield 1 April – Burnley Blues Festival, Pinetop Perkins, Matt Schofield Band, Burnley Mechanics. 3–30 April – Project by Suki Chan: Mondays was Washday, Turnpike Gallery 6 April – Indian Association presents Cultural Journey Through Folk Dances of Bharat, Wythenshawe Forum Manchester 7 April – Gear up for the Games Exhibition Salford Museum and Art Gallery 8 April – Poetry in Motion, Wigan Library 11 April – Hanif Kureishi's "My Beautiful Laundrette", Cornerhouse 12–14 April – Festival of Bangladeshi Art & Culture, Bangladesh House 13 April – "Storm", a new play by Lemn Sissay, Contact Theatre 13 April – 27 October – "Moving Lives" exhibition at the People's History Museum 15 April – Neil Ardley's "Kaleidoscope of Rainbows", Royal Northern College of Music 22–27 April – "The Island" by Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Nishona, The Lowry 25–27 April – Spirit of Youth in Music Festival, Rochdale 25 April – Imagine Asia 2002 Film Festival, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall 27 April – Music for the Mind and Soul, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall 27 April – Iqbal Poetry Evening, Pakistani Community Centre Manchester 27 April – Black Umfolosi, Burnley Mechanics 28 April – Sam Yo!, The Lowry 30 April – 2 May – Mira Nair's "Monsoon Wedding", Clwyd Theatr Cymru
May 2002 2 May – Tickle Bounce & Fun Time: Books for Babies, Tonge Moor Library, Bolton 4 May – 30 June – Gateway to the Commonwealth exhibition, The Promenade, The Lowry 9 May – Bradshaw and its Textile Industries, Harwood Library, Bolton 9–11 May – Angela de Castro's "Yo Yo", Manchester Royal Exchange 9–18 May – Kevin Gilbert's "The Cherry Pickers", performed by Sydney Theatre Company, Manchester Library Theatre 10 May – 12 October – See It Live in Bolton Festival 10–11 May – The Guide Association Lancashire Border presents "Songs and Dance of the Commonwealth"", Victoria Hall, Bolton 11 May – 23 June – "Spectator Sport" exhibition, Cornerhouse 21 May – Author Ruth Hamilton at the Lecture Theatre, Bolton 16 May – Moniza Alvi reads "The Other Room", Manchester Central Library 16–17 May – Compagnie Flak present "Perfume de Gardenias", Contact Theatre 16 May – 22 June – Queer up North festival 16 May – 28 July – "Reading the Games", programme of eventsin Manchester Libraries 18 May – Trilok Gurtu and Nitin Sawhney, Contact Theatre 19 May – 14 July – A Season of World Music at the Lowry 21 May – Nitin Sawhney and MJ Cole, Barbirolli Room, Bridgewater Hall 24–28 May – Linton Kwesi Johnson at Everyman Theatre Liverpool, Picture House Hebden Bridge and Manchester Library Theatre 24 May – 1 June – Amani Naphtali's "Ragamuffin", Contact Theatre 25 May – 17 July – "A Wealth in Common" exhibition, Bury Art Gallery and Museum 26 May – Bolton Hindu Forum Community Festival, Bolton Indian Sports & Recreation Club, Darcy Lever 26 May – Indoor League Pub Olympics, Cornerhouse Cafe Bar 28 May – Mica Paris, Barbiroilli Room, Bridgewater Hall 28 May – Central Band of the White Russian Army, Tameside Hippodrome 28 May – Sibongile Khumalo, at the Lowry 30 May – 8 June – Com.art.02 at Zion Arts Centre, Manchester 31 May – Bolton Youth Concert Band Concert in celebration of the Queen's Golden Jubilee, Albert Halls, Bolton
June 2002 1 June – Streetlife, Bolton Town Centre 8 June – 20 July – "Spotlight:Paintings by the Singh Twins, Mid Pennine Gallery, Burnley 13 June – Bob Phillips book signing, Commonwealth Games Store, The Arndale Centre 13 June – Creative Commonwealths: Cinema Culture & Community in the Age of Globalisation, The Cornerhouse 14–30 June – An exhibition of the Postal History of the Commonwealth Games, Manchester Town Hall 15–16 June – Aqua-Pura Commonwealth Trials, City of Manchester Stadium 16 June – 3 August – Bolton's Festival of Cycling 2002 17 June – Andrew Motion In Conversation, Manchester Central Library 17–23 June – Literatures of the Commonwealth Festival 18 June – 20 August – Visible Cities exhibition, Cube Art Gallery 20 June – Jamaican poet Lorna Goodison, Manchester Central Library 20 June – Gay Commonwealth Panel, discussion including novelist and critic Paul Bailey, New Zealand poet John Galtas, Scots poet David Kinloch, fiction writer Adam Mars-Jones, Canadian poet Norman Sacuta and Egyptian-born Ghanaian poet Gregory Woods, Manchester Central Library 22 June – Design a T-shirt competition, Commonwealth Games Store Arndale 22–27 June – Carnival Messiah, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds 22 June – 2 October – "Swim" – an exhibition about the Culture of Moving in Water – Turton Tower, Bolton 23 June – Children's Workshop: Explore the Commonwealth, The Green Room 25–29 June – David Hermanstein's "A Caribbrean Abroad", Manchester Library Theatre 26 June – Prayer Network presents "Manchester: City of the Moment", The Lowry 27 June – A Taste of New Zealand, Museum Gallery, Bolton 28 June – 7 July – Commonwealth Film Festival 29 June – One World Festival 2002, New Mills 29 June – 21 July – Keyfest festival
July 2002 1–10 July – "Athletics Inspirations", Whitworth Park Manchester 2 July – Opening of Touchstones Rochdale 2–15 July – Mushaira Shakeup, Dynamic Poetry Showcase of South Asian Women poets (including Mansoora Ahmed, Gagan Gill, Parm Kaur and Shamshad Khan 3 July – Joe Pemberton reads "Forever and Ever Amen", Manchester Central Library 5 July – Cubanite at The Lowry 6 July – Barracudas Carnival Band, Ulverston Carnival, Ulverston 7 July – Working Woodlands Festival, Moses Gate Country Park, Farnworth 7 July – Westhoughton Show, Central Park, Westhoughton 8 July – Cauvery Madhavan, Levenshulme Library, Levenshulme 9 July – 14 September – "Shikor a phool (Roots and Blossom), Gallery Oldham 10 July – 13 September – Sri Lanka Crafty Thoughts, University of Liverpool Art Gallery 11 July – John Kinsella, Manchester Central Library 11 July – 14 September – Pakistan Threads Dreams and Desires, Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston 13 July – Rochdale Mela 13 July – recital by classic guitarist Neil Smith, St Katherines Church Horwich 13 July – East Feast Fringe Festival, Corpus Christi Social Centre, Miles Platting 13 July – Kakatsitsi:Master Drummers from Ghana, Chester Summer Music Festival 13 July – Bolton Symphony Orchestra concert, The Albert Hall Bolton 13 July – Youth Festival 2002, St Thomas's Park Stockport 13–26 July – "Pulse", Bridgewater Hall 13–28 July – Gloucester Summer Festival 2002 13 July – 1 September – New Indian Art, Manchester Art Gallery 13 July – 15 September – Conquer the Maize Maze, Redhouse Farm, Dunham Massey 14 July – Abdullah Ibrahim and the NDR Big Band, Bridgewater Hall 14 July – Rebecca Malope at the Lowry 15 July – Anoushka Shankar on the sitar, Bridgewater Hall 15–20 July – Commonwealth Bridge Championships, Whitworth Hall, Manchester University 16 July – 14 September – Bollywood greats, Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery 17 July – Evelyn Glennie and the Halle Orchestra, Bridgewater Hall 17 July – Stella Osammor presents African Fables for Children, Manchester Central Library 18 July – "Are You Waltzing? Matilda", Leigh Library 19 July – North West Steel Band Association Festival 2002, Zion Arts Centre, Hulme 19–22 July – 12th Commonwealth International Sport Conference, Manchester Metropolitan University 19 July – 3 August – Duke of Edinburgh's Award International Youth Exchange with Swaziland 20 July – Spirit-International Festival of Music & Arts, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham 20 July – A Common Wealth of Music, Birch Community Centre, Rusholme 20–21 July – Aquafest Commonwealth Angling Competition, Ashton and Rochdale Canals, Sport City 21 July – Abasindi and the National Dance Company of Ghana, RHS Flower Show, Tatton Park 21 July – Variety 2002 An Overture for the Commonwealth, The Lowry (inclucing Diane Modahl, Zingari Swing and The Sixties Tiller Girls 21 July – Together as One, Chester Tree Festival, Alexandra Park, Chester 21 July – 3 August – Bolton Town Centre Heritage Tours 21 July – 5 August – Commonwealth Games Special Guided Tours, Manchester 22–26 July – Traditional Chinese Art Exhibition, Central Hall Manchester 22–28 July – C-C- 2002, Heywood 23–24 July – Loud & Visible, Youth Arts..shock!, Zion Arts Centre, Hulme 24 July – Michael Nyman meets Indian Masters in Sangam, The Lowry 24 July – 10 August – Noël Coward's "Design for Living", Royal Exchange Theatre 25 July – Euforia 2002, Pierhead Liverpool 25–28 July – Catch the Spirit of the Games at Bupa's Mind Body and Soul zone at Cathedral Gardens 25 July – 4 August – Festival Live, various venues around Manchester City Centre 26 July – Spirit of Friendship Royal Gala Concert, featuring Kiri te Kanawa, Bridgewater Hall 26 July – 23 August – Chinwe – An Exhibition for the Commonwealth Games, Manchester Central Library 27 July – Oldham Mela 27 July – Kevin Davy's Commonwealth Jam, Band on the Wall 27–28 July – Littleborough Rushbearing 28 July – Bolton Mela Festival 28 July – Asian Literature & Arts Festival, Longsight Library, Manchester 28 July – Songs of Praise for the Commonwealth Games, St Ann's Church, Manchester 28 July – Songs from the Commonwealth by Renaissance, Bramall Hall, Stockport 28 July – Nelson Mela 28 July – Local & International Bands at Manchester Hard Rock Cafe 29 July – Catch the Spirit of the Games at Bupa's Mind Body and Soul zone at Asda Eastlands 29 July – "Going for Gold: A Spiritual Approach to Achieving Goals" with Lesley Gort, Christian Science Reading Room 29 July – Commonwealth Games show, Frog & Bucket Comedy Club 29 July – 2 August – Commonwealth Cafe, King's House 30 July – Special Sportsmans Dinner Meeting with USA Boxer Earnie Shavers, Swinton Park Golf Club 31 July – "Games Structures", photographs by Stephen M Smith, Simple Cafe Bar
August 2002 and later 1 August – Tony Kofi and his Afro-Jazz family, Band on the Wall