AN exhibition celebrating a band formed in Bolton which went on to become one of the most influential in the country, will be on show in the very spot where members performed their first gig more than 40 years ago.

The Buzzcocks and the band's early years will be explored in the exhibition at the University of Bolton, which is celebrating the music and history of punk.

It is planned to be held in the atrium, the very spot where Buzzcocks performed their first gig 41 years ago on the April 1, 1976 in what was then the Bolton Institute of Technology.

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The University of Bolton is taking part in the Design Manchester Festival for the first time this year by hosting Time's Up exhibition.

A special masterclass is planned and speakers invited to the opening.

The university will also host the internationally recognised Punk Scholars Network Conference featuring speakers and icons of the punk movement.

And capitalising on the event, the punk theme is being incorporated through several of the art and design and media modules in the new academic year.

Sam Johnson, head of Bolton School of the Arts, said: "To contribute to the prestigious Design Manchester festival and to host the international Punk Scholars Network Conference in one semester is a fantastic opportunity for us.

"The series of events taking place throughout the autumn will allow students, staff and guests to engage with the highest calibre of professional practice and academic research investigating punk culture and its legacy.

"It is a real privilege to be involved in supporting these activities and we plan that this will be the first term of a rolling programme of events, exhibitions and symposia involving the School of the Arts, creative practitioners and arts organisations from across the region and beyond."

Professor Paul Hollins from the Bolton School of the Arts, added: "I’m delighted that the University of Bolton School of the Arts will host the Time's Up exhibition which covers the formative years of Buzzcocks as part of Design Manchester.

"The band was formed in the then Bolton Institute of Technology and the University was also the site of the bands first performance in 1976.

"The exhibition will run from October 12 to 22 and again in December as part of the Punk Scholars Network Conference 2017. One cannot underestimate the significance of Buzzcocks in the cultural landscape of the North West of England in 1976 and 1977."

Original band members Howard Devoto and Pete Shelley received Honorary Doctorates for their outstanding contribution to music from the university in 2009. The band was formed when they were students at Bolton Institute, now the University of Bolton.

Their hits include Ever Fallen in Love and What Do I Get.