WITH the festive season in full swing it seems appropriate to flag up a very special gift coming your way soon. For looming just over the horizon is The British Art Show 6. Touring every five years to various cities in rotation, it returns to Manchester in January.

So you're lucky: you live in a city which will host this big, bold survey of contemporary art. The selected work comes from all ages and types of artist, and it aims to reflect current trends.

Local connections include Gordon Cheung, Adam Chodzko, Phil Collins and Chris Evans - amidst a smorgasboard of artists. In short it's arguably the best way to go and see some contemporary art, consider it, engage with it, enjoy it. It's the way I started…

Plague

Ten years ago, almost to the day, a beautiful plague descended upon Manchester.

It was the British Art Show, circa 1995. The plague I refer to was of butterflies not locusts. Blue butterflies had been taken from a contemporary work of art and used as the marketing tool for this touring show. So, ahead of the art actually arriving in Manchester, you could spot blue butterflies everywhere.

It captured my imagination enough to take a serious look at the visual arts arena: engaging and writing about it ever since.

TO read the rest of this article buy this week's City Life (issue 615). Out now priced £1.50.

The British Art Show 6 is on at various venues from Saturday, January 28 until Sunday, April 2.