Contact I What's On I Sep-Dec 2015 by Contact

What ’s On

Sep – Dec 2015

@contactmcr |

/contactmcr

Thank you Thanks to our Funders, Sponsors and Supporters, and all who have made donations to Contact online and in person. Core Funders:

Project Funders:

Project Partners:

Awards:

Creative Experts Clients: BBC, Business In The Community, The Co-operative Group, Crowe Clark Whitehill, Curious Minds, Electricity North West, GMCVO, Greenlight Computers, Heineken, Insider Media Ltd, North West Business Leadership Team, The National Deaf Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Society, NHS, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Salford University, Sharp Futures, South Manchester Enterprise Network, Tate Liverpool, Tyneside Cinema, The University of Manchester, St Johns Buildings, Siemens, Your Housing.

contactmcr.com tickets & info: 0161 274 0600

Welcome

Contact is the national contemporary arts organisation that places young people’s decision-making and leadership at the heart of everything. Young people aged 13+ work alongside our staff in deciding our programme, making staff appointments, and are part of our Board of Trustees. The result is a remarkable, diverse and exciting programme for everyone — whatever your age.

September to December 2015 at Contact Welcome to our new season of outstanding theatre, dance, comedy and music, for audiences of all ages, selected by our staff and young programming team.

Matt Fenton © Joel Chester Fildes

Highlights include exciting new shows from Forced Entertainment, Uninvited Guests, Stacy Makishi, Hetain Patel, Le Gateau Chocolat, Ursula Martinez, New Art Club, Ockham’s Razor and Rachel Goodyear, plus Contact Young Company (CYC) working with Common Wealth (No Guts, No Heart, No Glory).

We also have an important new partnership with London’s Southbank Centre — WHY? What’s Happening for the Young Festival. Taking place in London and Manchester, it features workshops and debates exploring the rights of young people today, and a very special Black Sound Series music event headlined by festival favourite Natty. Finally, back by public demand, we’re re-presenting two previous shows created by talented young performers: Young Identity’s Battle of the Minds is a powerful response to the reducing arts provision in our schools; while CYC’s acclaimed show Under The Covers breaks down taboos surrounding young people and sexuality. Matt Fenton, Artistic Director/Chief Executive

Did you know? • Contact

is a creative space for young people aged 13 to 30, providing workshops and opportunities, mostly for Free (see pages 26 to 27).

• Young

people work alongside our staff on programming, marketing and technical support, and deliver projects in business and community settings.

• Contact

is a charity dependent on our valued Funders, Trusts and Foundations, and the generosity of individual donors. To find out more about how you can support our work, please contact: lucygreen@contactmcr.com I 0161 274 0657.

Projects Proposed new exterior (initial artist's impression) © Sheppard Robson

Contact is changing... Contact is developing exciting plans to transform our building for the next generation of audiences, artists and young people. The project will cement our leading national role in nurturing young people’s creativity, and expand our iconic building. Designed by award-winning architects Sheppard Robson, the project will: • Create fantastic new performance

and community spaces. • Expand our café/bar, and make it easier

to navigate the building. • Create new facilities for young people’s

talent and leadership activity.

• Greatly improve access for those

with disabilities, and enhance our environmental sustainability. • Upgrade our media, technical and

digital equipment. We are now working up the detail of our design plans before a fundraising campaign gets underway to bring this exciting £6.2m project to completion in 2018. To find out more, get in touch with Shereen Perera, Capital Co-ordinator via ShereenPerera@contactmcr.com | 0161 274 0617.

contactmcr.com tickets & info: 0161 274 0600

Contact Produces Each year Contact commissions and co-produces up to 10 new professional shows. Recent shows include Rites (Yusra Warsama and Cora Bissett), The Spalding Suite (Inua Ellams and Benji Reid), No Guts, No Heart, No Glory (Common Wealth), Big Girl’s Blouse (Kate O’Donnell) and Summer (Quarantine). During October, aerial specialists Ockham’s Razor and digital experts imitating the dog will begin to develop a brand new Contact production combining contemporary circus skills and stunning digital projection. The finished show will premiere in 2016 with a cast that will include outstanding professional aerial performers alongside twenty young people from communities in North Manchester.

Get involved! We are now seeking young people from North Manchester aged 13–25 with an interest in physical performance or digital projection to join a week-long development process with Ockham’s Razor and imitating the dog. If you'd like to find out more, or know a young person who might, contact roxannemoores@contactmcr.com I 0161 274 0634.

Funded by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

Sep Wed 23 Sep, 8pm. £10/6. Over 16s.

Sex in the Afternoon Join inaugural Royal Shakespeare Company Poet in Residence Malika Booker, performance maker and curator Rachel Mars and special guest Yusra Warsama for a literary treat. Straight from the lip, these acclaimed writers share their poetry and prose, exploring and exposing sex in all its glory and complexity. Followed by an open and frank Q&A with sexology researcher Dr Jana Funke. Curated and produced by People Brands Events. Presented as part of Wellcome Collection’s Sexology Season. © NAOMI

| wellcomecollection.com/sexology Thu 24 Sep, 7:30pm. £6/3. Over 13s. Switchflicker Productions presents

Rachel Goodyear: Blind Spots Live soundtrack by Sam Weaver. Visual artist Rachel Goodyear will create a live drawing installation that invites you to step onto the edge of a waking dream, where images bubble up from the psyche only to distort and dissolve before they can be fully recollected.

Blind Spots is a unique experiment in the connections between visual art, music and performance. Part of the SAM Series supported by Arts Council, England.

| rachelgoodyear.com I #blindspots ‘Sight’ © Rachel Goodyear, courtesy Private Collection.

Oct

contactmcr.com tickets & info: 0161 274 0600

Thu 1 and Fri 2 Oct, 8pm. £13/7. Over 14s. Post-show talk Thu 1.

Hetain Patel: American Boy How do movies influence us? If you were asked to list the films, characters and scenes that have influenced your life, what would it reveal about you? Hetain Patel’s latest solo performance delves into American movie and homegrown TV culture to offer a personal and humorous take on identity shape-shifting. Through a playful synthesis of vocal and physical imitations, he conjures up film characters from his playground days: see Agent Smith from the Matrix get physical with Spider-Man whilst Eddie Murphy argues with Michael Caine.

★★★★ The Guardian ★★★★ The Times Co-produced and Commissioned by Sadler’s Wells, London. Co-produced by BDE London 2012 Consortium. Development supported by Mercy, Liverpool, and Penned in the Margins, London. American Boy is supported with public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

| hetainpatel.com

Oct

BSL

performance Thu 8 Oct, 7:30pm. © Joel Chester Fildes

Wed 7 to Sat 10 Oct, 7:30pm. £13/7. Over 14s. Post-show talk Wed 7.

Contact Young Company: Under The Covers Directed by Stacy Makishi. Following a sold-out run in Spring, Under The Covers returns due to popular demand. Developed through workshops with artists including Kate O’Donnell and Rosana Cade, Under The Covers examines young people’s contemporary attitudes to sex, questioning myths and breaking down taboos. The show is inspired by the Wellcome Collection exhibition The Institute of Sexology, and the recent National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles.

‘A delicate and sophisticated piece of work.' Dr. Rachel Morris, Psychotherapist, Writer & Broadcaster ‘Exhilarating' Jackie Stacey, Professor of Media and Cultural Studies, The University of Manchester Supported by the Wellcome Collection.

| #contactyoungco

contactmcr.com tickets & info: 0161 274 0600

Thu 8 Oct, 8pm. £15/10. Over 14s. Contact and Superbia present

Le Gateau Chocolat: I ♥ Chocolat I ♥ Chocolat is a glittery masterpiece from festival darling Le Gateau Chocolat. It’s an evening of decadent indulgence which will treat your senses through opera, musical theatre, jazz and rap. The theatre becomes a living jukebox and it’s up to the audience to decide how the delicious musical playlist will unfold. One of Time Out London’s Top 10 Cabaret Stars, Le Gateau Chocolat is a one-man musical phenomenon, complete with larger-than-life vocal talent all wrapped up in dazzling sequinned lycra. Don’t miss this high-energy evening of colour, music and endless costume changes. Go on. Treat yourself to a scrumptious slice of Gateau!

‘Big isn't just beautiful, it's utterly gorgeous’ ★★★★★ Metro ‘A baritone voice that makes the earth shake.’ Basement Jaxx Supported by Superbia — an annual programme of culture from Manchester Pride.

| legateauchocolat.com I #iheartchocolat

Oct Contact and the Whitworth present PME-ART New performance from Canada. I pme-art.ca

Wed 14 Oct, 7:30pm to 10:30pm. £9/6. Over 14s.

Thu 15 Oct, 7pm to 8:30pm. Free. Over 14s.

The DJ Who Gave Too Much Information (Hospitality 5)

Bring Your Own Record/ Listening Party

PME-ART have one hundred and twenty records in their collection, and stories about each one: facts about the bands, gossip, even things that have happened to them and their friends. Each time they perform, they play the records in a different order, discovering new connections between the music they love (and even a few songs they hate).

What is your strongest memory associated with your favourite piece of music? PMEART invite you to bring your memories and your music (in any format) along to the Whitworth and tell your own story as part of Thursday Lates.

Performed at Contact.

Performed at The Whitworth, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6ER. A PME-ART production, in co-production with FFT (Düsseldorf), in collaboration with Studio 303 (Montréal) and Noorderzon Festival (Groningen), with the support of The Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, The Conseil des arts de Montréal, The Canada Council for the Arts, and The Kunststiftung NRW (Arts Foundation of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany).

| pme-art.ca

contactmcr.com tickets & info: 0161 274 0600

Manchester Literature Festival at Contact The best in contemporary writing from across the world. manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk I #MLF15

Sat 17 Oct, 7:30pm. £11/6. Over 14s. Contact and Commonword present

Young Identity: Battle of the Minds

Young Identity, Manchester’s brightest young orators, present their own take on the curriculums of education and knowledge, teaching their lessons of life and sharing playground parables. Between lunchtime punch-ups, discovering self-worth and devising a failsafe plan to avoid PE, our poets think out loud about what they know and where they learned it from. | youngidentity.org | #battleoftheminds Tue 20 Oct, 8pm. £11/6. Over 16s. Three The Hard Way Poets present

Three The Hard Way: Part Two Join three powerful poets: Jean Binta Breeze MBE, a Jamaican; Lydia Towsey of Hungarian and Welsh descent; and Shruti Chauhan of Gujarati origin. Together they explore contemporary women’s issues and culture across three continents — Africa, Asia and Europe — and across three generations. Plus support from Young Identity. Supported by Arts Council England; in association with Writing East Midlands.

| 3thehardwaypoets.wordpress.com | #3TheHardWayPoets

Oct

Tue 20 to Thu 22 Oct, 7:30pm. £15/10. Over 16s. Post-show talk Wed 21.

Tue 20 Oct, post-show panel. Free with show ticket. Over 16s.

Contact and SICK! Festival present

Testimony and Trauma

Forced Entertainment: The Notebook Based on the award winning novel by Ágota Kristóf. Directed by Tim Etchells, The Notebook tells the story of twin brothers evacuated to the Hungarian countryside during World War II, to stay at their impoverished grandmother’s farm. Kristóf’s narrational language — bold, crisp and reduced — provides the basis for a compelling performance.

‘A dark fairytale about war and childhood.’ ★★★★ The Guardian | forcedentertainment.com I #thenotebook

SICK! Festival present a special panel discussion bringing together expertise from medical, social and cultural perspectives to reflect on the relationship between personal testimony, narrative and trauma. Speakers include Tim Etchells (Forced Entertainment), Professor James Thompson (University of Manchester) and Mike Diboll (University of Brighton). Co-produced by PACT Zollverein (Essen), LIFT (London) and 14–18 NOW, WW1 Centenary Art Commissions. A House on Fire co-commission with HAU (Berlin), Kaaitheater (Brussels), Teatro Maria Matos (Lisbon), LIFT (London) and Malta Festival (Poznan) with the support of the Culture Programme of the European Union. Development work generously supported by Lancaster Institute of Contemporary Arts (LICA). The Notebook is based on Le grand cahier by Ágota Kristóf, Éditions du Seuil, Paris, 1986. English translation © (1988) by Alan Sheridan.

contactmcr.com tickets & info: 0161 274 0600

Contact and Southbank Centre present WHY?

What’s Happening for the Young Festival

Sat 24 Oct, various times. Free. All ages.

Sat 24 Oct, 7:30pm. £14/8. Over 11s.

Southbank Centre and Contact present

The Black Sound Series: Natty

WHY? Festival

Contact and Southbank Centre join forces to present the second edition of WHY? What’s Happening for the Young Festival happening in both Manchester and London, inspired by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Join us for talks, debates, performances, participatory events and workshops examining the rights of young people today. Meet policy makers, social activists, and others who have influence over young people’s lives. Topics covered include young people’s rights to education, culture, and freedom of expression and thought. WHY? Festival was founded by Jude Kelly, Artistic Director of Southbank Centre, London in partnership with Mishcon de Reya.

| #WHYfest

Curated by BPM and Level Up. Singer-songwriter and producer Natty, and his band The Rebelship, headline a very special Black Sound Series as part of WHY? Festival, also featuring performers from Media Drop and Level Up, and an after-party with the trusty BPM residents. Signed to Atlantic Records in 2008, Natty’s first album Man Like I captivated the UK music press and provided him with his first international number one. Appearances on Later with Jools Holland, The BBC Electric Proms, and performances at festivals worldwide, have cemented his reputation as an artist not to be missed. Supported by Youth Music and using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

| #blacksoundseries

Oct

Family Friendly Events

Thu 29 Oct, 2pm and 7pm. £13/7. (£5 under 12s). All ages.

New Art Club: Hercules — A Dance Cabaret One extraordinary superhero, twelve impossible tasks…it’s the story of Hercules as you’ve never seen it before! Hercules is best known for his incredible strength. But who knew the guy could dance? This story of Hercules is told through hilarious dance routines and amazing speciality acts. It’s a modern cabaret the whole family will enjoy.

‘Children and big kids alike will love it.’ Left Lion

Co-produced in partnership by Dance4, New Art Club and Nottingham Playhouse. Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

| herculestour.co.uk

Get involved! Be part of Hercules! We’re looking for dance groups to join the cast! If you are over 11, part of a dance group in Greater Manchester, and would like more information on how to apply, please contact keishathompson@contactmcr.com Dance after the show at Mixed Movement! If you are in the audience and feel inspired, have a dance at our Free Mixed Movement dance party following the 2pm show.

Oct / Nov

contactmcr.com tickets & info: 0161 274 0600

Sat 31 Oct, 2:30pm and 7:30pm. £8/6. For children aged 6+.

Forced Entertainment: The Possible Impossible House Join a girl doodled in the pages of an algebra book as she springs to life and leads you on an enthralling night-time adventure, encountering a motley crew of characters along the way. Forced Entertainment collaborate with visual artist Vlatka Horvat to create their first ever work for children aged 6+.

Please note: this event will take place at Z-arts, 335 Stretford Road, Manchester M15 5ZA.

| forcedentertainment.com | #possibleimpossible Mon 2 to Fri 6 Nov, 7pm; Mon 9 to Fri 13 Nov, 7pm. £10/6. All ages.

Shakespeare Schools Festival Shakespeare Schools Festival works with secondary, primary and special schools all over the UK, making it possible for them to stage Shakespeare productions in their local professional theatres. Come celebrate the achievements of Greater Manchester schools with different abridged Shakespeare plays each night. | ssf.uk.com I #shakespeareschoolsfestival

Oct MMU and Contact present A Handful of Dust...

Fri 30 and Sat 31 Oct, 10am. £20 (2 day ticket incl. workshops), £15 (2 day ticket), £10 (day ticket). Over 14s.

A Handful of Dust... This exciting international 2-day event offers physical and vocal workshops delivered by theatre practitioners from Brazil and Germany, as well as talks and work demonstrations by prominent UK and Latin American artists. The event is a rare opportunity to discover ‘Third Theatre’, a community of practitioners who have all engaged with the inspirational theatre produced over 50 years by the renowned Odin Teatret. | thirdtheatrenetwork.com

Sat 31 Oct, 7:30pm. £11/6. Over 14s.

KILN: Lady GoGo Goch Part-cabaret, part-gig, Frankie Fox works with Portuguese musician Ricardo Rocha to electrify ancient instruments and create trance-like atmospheres. With a multicoloured voice that ranges from the growls of a bassoon to the peep sounds of a piccolo, and chameleonic costumes that include a harp built into a dress, Lady GoGo Goch takes an affectionate look at stereotypes and icons from Cymru/Wales.

‘Fluid, intense and ultimately trippy exploration of Welsh culture.’ ★★★★ The List

A Bristol Old Vic Ferment commission.

| kilnensemble.org | #ladygogogoch

Nov

contactmcr.com tickets & info: 0161 274 0600

Sat 7 Nov, 8pm. £15/10. Over 16s.

Upfront Comedy: Comedy Winterfest Upfront Comedy return with another cutting edge line up of very contrasting comedy talents. Headliner Curtis Walker (The Real McCoy ) is joined by outrageous 3 Non Blondes star Ninia Benjamin, fast rising local talent Marcus Hercules and host John Simmit. Expect enlightenment and belly laughs, but don't bring your gran.

‘The most enterprising black comedy promoters in the country.’ The Guardian

Nov

Contact and The Lowry present Tipping Point

New circus performed at The Lowry, Salford Quays

Wed 11 to Fri 13 Nov, 8pm; Sat 14 Nov, 2:30pm and 8pm. £18. All ages.

Ockham’s Razor: Tipping Point Award winning UK aerial theatre company Ockham's Razor create original and ground breaking physical theatre from the stories and relationships inherent in circus.

Tipping Point is set in the round, the five performers take simple metal poles and transform them into a rich landscape of images. The audience are drawn in, close to the action as the toppling poles veer from catastrophe to mastery. ‘Dazzling airborne routines.’ The Telegraph ‘Daring aerial theatre.’ The Independent Please note: this event takes place at The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays M50 3AZ. Produced by Turtle Key Arts. Co-commissioned by London International Mime Festival and The Lowry, Salford. Supported by Dance City, Harlow Playhouse, artsdepot & Lincoln Drill Hall.

| ockhamsrazor.co.uk I #ockhamsrazortippingpoint

contactmcr.com tickets & info: 0161 274 0600

BSL

performance Wed 18 Nov, 8pm

Tue 17 and Wed 18 Nov, 8pm. £13/7. Over 16s.

Wed 18 Nov, 2:30pm to 4:30pm. £10/6. Over 16s.

Contact and Word of Warning present

Contact and Divergency present

Stacy Makishi: Vesper Time

Workshop: Killing Time

Looking at loss and mourning, and Stacy’s one-time wish to be a missionary, Vesper Time weaves together the undercurrents of Moby Dick alongside 80s and 90s pop culture to offer up a ‘vesper’, a secular evening prayer. Shot through with her characteristic wit, this solo show draws on Stacy’s stand-up comedy roots and her theatrical sense of the uncanny.

Move faster than think, write quicker than edit, create faster than critique! Stacy Makishi, performer, director and teacher of international renown, leads a workshop open to all artists willing to try out new ideas and walk out into the unknown.

‘Charismatically witty yet painful and honest.’ Total Theatre

A Chelsea Theatre and Colchester Arts Centre co-commission, supported by the National Theatre Studio. Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, and produced by Artsadmin.

‘Genuinely moving.’ A Younger Theatre

| stacymakishi.com

Nov

Sat 21 Nov, 8pm. £13/7. Over 16s (contains nudity).

Ursula Martinez: Free Admission Directed by Mark Whitelaw. Olivier-Award winning performance provocateur Ursula Martinez is back on her dirty soapbox. In a social-media obsessed climate of self-promotion, Martinez brings her unique style of positive self-deprecation, baring her soul (and possibly more), in an attempt to understand the absurdity of modern living, and celebrate the difficulties of being human.

‘One of theatre’s most non-conformist talents.’ The Guardian ‘Martinez treads where few performers dare to go.’ Sydney Morning Herald Commissioned by Southbank Centre and Fierce Festival.

| ursulamartinez.com

contactmcr.com tickets & info: 0161 274 0600

Thu 26 Nov, 2pm and 8pm; Fri 27 Nov, 8pm. £13/7. Over 14s. Post-show talk Thu 26 (eve).

Uninvited Guests and Fuel: This Last Tempest This Last Tempest is a visual spectacle that immerses you in atmospheric sound. It begins where Shakespeare left off: Ariel and Caliban are left alone on the enchanted island, as Prospero's ship sails over the horizon and out of view... Part theatre, part gig, this radical take on The Tempest is for audiences new to the play, those studying the original text, and those who know Shakespeare well.

‘Crushingly superb.' Liverpool Sound and Vision ‘Beautifully crafted…a truly 4D experience.' The Fix Magazine Funded by Arts Council England. Commissioned by Battersea Arts Centre and Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal. Developed at the Other Place at the RSC, and with support from Tobacco Factory Theatres.

| fueltheatre.com I #lasttempest

Nov / Dec Mon 23 Nov, 7pm. £11/6. Over 11s. Triforce Creative Network and Contact present

MonologueSlam UK The industry showcase for actors returns. Following a lengthy audition process, 22 actors perform for a welcoming audience and an industry panel, bringing you the most exciting new UK acting talent. | thetcn.com | #mslamuk Auditions Sat 17 Oct, 12:30pm (11-16 year olds); 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm (over 16s). Free. Masterclass with Darren R L Gordon Sat 14 Nov, 10am and 2:30pm. £35. Thu 3 Dec, 7:30pm. £7/4. Over 14s.

Pen:Chant Ben Mellor hosts the very best local, national and international acts from the worlds of spoken word, live music, comedy, cabaret and performance. | benmellor.net | #pen_chant Fri 11 Dec, 8:30pm (8pm doors). £12/8. Over 18s.

Mother’s Ruin: Christmas Cracker The gloriously raucous alt-cabaret returns with a seasonal special of unique and unpredictable performance, featuring Cheddar Gorgeous and much more. Hosted by Timberlina.

‘Shambolic, insane…stylish and great fun.' ★★★★ The Public Reviews © Sly Hands

| mothersruin.co.uk | #mothers_ruin

contactmcr.com tickets & info: 0161 274 0600

Wed 16 to Fri 18 Dec, 7:30pm. Sat 19 Dec, 1pm, 4pm and 7:30pm. £13/7.

Contact Young Company: How To Be Better Directed by Common Wealth.

Be nice to people, don’t look at my phone as much, spend less money on crap, don’t mess up. Why do we strive to be better at this time of the year? The outstanding theatre company Common Wealth (No Guts, No Heart, No Glory; Our Glass House) and Contact

Young Company (our renowned ensemble of young actors, musicians, dancers, poets and MCs under 25) present a new seasonal show with a difference. Exploring the pressures and complexities of Christmas, How To Be Better asks how can we be our best — not someone else's best, but our own best. Working from interviews with young people, our main performance space will be transformed into a world the audience can explore. Choose who you follow and what you discover… | #howtobebetter

Exhibitions and Regular Events Hetain Patel and Tim Etchells: Filmworks Wed 23 Sep to Sat 12 Dec, open daily (not Sun). Free. Choreographer and performer Hetain Patel, and Artistic Director of Forced Entertainment Tim Etchells are artists from our performance programme with significant international reputations as visual artists. Each presents a selection of short film pieces, using time-lapse photography, staged and improvised performance, and found footage. I hetainpatel.com I forcedentertainment.com Contact presents

RAW (Rhythm and Words) Mon 28 Sep, 26 Oct, 30 Nov, 8pm. Free. Over 13s. An open mic for poets, vocalists, and MCs, also featuring the Freestyle Pyramid Competition with quirky prizes. Hosted by Martin Visceral with DJ Jomo. © Joel Chester Fildes

| #RAWMCR

Young Identity: One Mic Stand Fri 20 Nov, 7pm. £7/4. Over 13s. Join Manchester’s finest young spoken word performers for a boisterous night of poetry, music and visual art. Featuring an open slam and special guests. Email youngidentitymcr@googlemail.com to take part. © Saquib Chowdhury

| youngidentity.org | #onemicstand

Education If you are a teacher, sign up to find out more about our education activities via education@contactmcr.com or call 0161 274 0600.

Contact’s Education Newsletter Providing information about up-coming educational shows, workshops, participatory activities and projects, our education newsletter helps teachers to discover the many ways their pupils can engage with creative learning at Contact. Sign-up to receive regular updates, special offers, and invites to exclusive educational events.

Workshops Contact delivers bespoke, high quality, innovative educational workshops and participatory projects across a variety of live and digital art forms, as well as continuing professional development training and consultation.

Arts Award Contact is an Arts Award Centre with trained staff who are able to deliver bronze, silver and gold Arts Awards. We are also an Arts Award Supporter Organisation. As an Arts Award Supporter we can offer: • Involvement

in our free workshops and projects.

• Artist

meet and greets.

• Leadership

opportunities.

• Opportunities

to see and review live

performance. • Tours

of the building and backstage.

• Opportunities

to meet staff working in Contact’s various departments.

Groups It really couldn’t be easier to organise a group visit to Contact. Let us look after you: • Receive

advance information about shows; get great offers and occasional free stuff.

• Groups

of 10 or more make great savings on shows — every 10th person comes free.

Join in Young people are at the heart of everything we do. Don’t just watch, get involved!

Contact Young Company (CYC) Weekly, Free. Ages 15 to 25. Next Auditions: Wed 16 Sep, 6pm to 8:30pm. Book online or via 0161 274 0600.

Contact Young Company is our renowned ensemble recruited from a diverse mix of performers, actors, musicians, dancers, poets and MCs under 25. They create professional-standard public performances working with internationally acclaimed companies and directors, including the likes of Forced Entertainment, CAMPO/Victoria and Stacy Makishi. | #contactyoungco

Monday Drop Weekly, Free. Ages 13 to 19. Mon, 6:30pm to 8:30pm, 5 Oct to 7 Dec. If you’re interested in drama skills and acting then drop in to our regular Monday night sessions and learn from professional performers, actors and directors. No experience necessary. | #mondaydrop

Media Drop Weekly, Free. Ages 13 to 25. Mon, 6pm to 9pm, 5 Oct to 23 Nov. MCs, DJs, vocalists, poets and producers! Collaborate, build your skills, share tracks and material in person and online. | #mediadrop © Stephen Otosio

Supported by Youth Music.

contactmcr.com tickets & info: 0161 274 0600

Level Up: Music Project Weekly, Free. Ages 13 to 30. Tue, 6pm to 9pm, 6 Oct to 24 Nov. Develop music production skills working with industry professionals to arrange, mix, produce and record music. | #levelupmcr © Joel Chester Fildes

Supported by Youth Music.

Technique: Intermediate Course Weekly, Free. Ages 15 to 25. Mon, 7pm to 9pm, 5 Oct to 23 Nov. Eight week course focussed on lighting, sound and technical theatre for young people with some previous experience. | #techniquemcr © Joel Chester Fildes

*Please note you must be available to attend all sessions.

Young Identity Weekly, Free. Ages 13 to 25. Tue, from 8 Sep. 6pm to 7pm (beginners). 7pm to 9pm (some experience). Develop your poetry skills with Manchester's premier young spoken word artists. © Saquib Chowdhury

| cultureword.org.uk/young-identity | #youngidentity

Get involved! Book your slot online or via 0161 274 0600, or just turn up for Monday Drop, Media Drop or Young Identity. To apply for Level Up and Technique Intermediate please contact tundeadekoya@contactmcr.com

Contact Lounge and Space Hire Contact Lounge

Space Hire

Mon/Tue: 11am to 9pm. Wed to Fri: 11am to late. Sat: 3pm 'til late for performances.

Our building is available to hire for conferences, festivals, showcases, parties, meetings and more.

Contact Lounge is the perfect spot for meeting, chatting and general lounging. We serve a wide range of hot and cold beverages including Puro Fairtrade coffee (also available to take out) alongside a variety of wines, beers and spirits, and snacks.

Talented staff and excellent catering help make our unique spaces the perfect venue for your event.

The Veggie Café provides great vegetarian food and cakes from our Lounge every Monday to Friday from 11am to 4pm during term time.

All profits from our hires go towards supporting our work with young people.

You can also hire the Lounge for parties, graduations or meetings.

We also offer a ticketing service enabling you to sell events via our Box Office, online and over the phone.

For more info please contact: hires@contactmcr.com or call 0161 274 0628. | contactmcr.com/spacehire

All profits from Contact Lounge go to supporting the work we do with young people.

@contactlounge | #contactlounge /contactlounge

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UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER

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MANCHESTER ACADEMY

Cars: We do not have a car park but there are several nearby. Please check our website or call Box Office for details.

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MANCHESTER MUSEUM

Buses: run every few minutes on Oxford Road from the City Centre, train stations and South Manchester (Rusholme direction). The closest stop is near to Manchester Academy.

For the latest information and maps to help you plan your visit please go to contactmcr.com/visit

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Check out the map to see our local area.

RNCM

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Getting Here

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contactmcr.com tickets & info: 0161 274 0600

Visit / Access Tickets and Box Office Information • We don’t charge booking fees. • Hours: Box Office is open Monday to

Friday, 10am - 9pm, and from 3pm onwards on Saturdays. Our phone lines close an hour before the advertised show time.

• Concessions include: Senior Citizen,

Student, Unwaged, Disabled and Under 18s. Proof of concession is needed when collecting your tickets.

• Group offers: Buy 9 tickets and get your

10th ticket Free.

• Donations: We are a registered charity —

if you’d like to support us, please donate when you book a ticket online or in person.

Feeling Sociable? Please help us spread the word about Contact!

@contactmcr /contactmcr

/contactmcr

• Ticket collection: We can post your

tickets out to you. Certain performances also allow Print At Home ticketing. If you choose to collect from our Box Office, please arrive at least 30 minutes before the advertised show time.

• Advanced booking is always

recommended.

• Latecomers: Many of our shows

don’t allow entry once a performance has started.

• We do not offer refunds on tickets.

Tickets purchased are non-refundable. For more information contact us on 0161 274 0600.

Spaces 1  2 3 5  CONTACT LOUNGE

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BUILDING

/contactmcr

ON LOCATION

Access

This brochure is available in large print upon request. We have a flat foyer entrance, ground floor access to our main theatre space and Contact Lounge, lift access to our other spaces and accessible toilets on every floor. Guide dogs can stay with you, or be looked after by a member of staff. Just let us know when you book.

We sometimes have BSL interpreted performances — check out individual events for details or contact our Box Office to learn more. If you have any access requirements, please call or text the Duty Manager on 07970 094 069. For more information please go to: contactmcr.com/access

Season at a glance September Day

Event

Time

Page

Wed 23 Sep

Sex In The Afternoon

8:00pm

Thu 24 Sep

Rachel Goodyear: Blind Spots

7:30pm

Mon 28 Sep

RAW (Rhythm and Words)

8:00pm

Day

Event

Time

Page

Thu 1 Oct

Hetain Patel: American Boy

8:00pm

Fri 2 Oct

Hetain Patel: American Boy

8:00pm

Wed 7 Oct

Contact Young Company: Under The Covers

7:30pm

Thu 8 Oct

Contact Young Company: Under The Covers

7:30pm

Thu 8 Oct

Le Gateau Chocolat: I ♥ Chocolat

8:00pm

Fri 9 Oct

Contact Young Company: Under The Covers

7:30pm

Sat 10 Oct

Contact Young Company: Under The Covers

7:30pm

Wed 14 Oct

PME-ART: The DJ Who Gave Too Much Information (Hospitality 5)

7:30pm

Thu 15 Oct

PME-ART: Bring Your Own Record/Listening Party

7:00pm

Sat 17 Oct

Young Identity: Battle of the Minds

7:30pm

Tue 20 Oct

Forced Entertainment: The Notebook

7:30pm

Tue 20 Oct

Three The Hard Way: Part Two

8:00pm

Wed 21 Oct

Forced Entertainment: The Notebook

7:30pm

Thu 22 Oct

Forced Entertainment: The Notebook

7:30pm

Sat 24 Oct

WHY? What’s Happening for the Young Festival

All day

Sat 24 Oct

The Black Sound Series: Natty

7:30pm

Mon 26 Oct

RAW (Rhythm and Words)

8:00pm

Thu 29 Oct

New Art Club: Hercules — A Dance Cabaret

2:00pm

Thu 29 Oct

Mixed Movement

3:45pm

Thu 29 Oct

New Art Club: Hercules — A Dance Cabaret

7:00pm

Fri 30 Oct

A Handful of Dust...

10:00am

Sat 31 Oct

A Handful of Dust...

10:00am

Sat 31 Oct

Forced Entertainment: The Possible Impossible House

2:30pm

Sat 31 Oct

Forced Entertainment: The Possible Impossible House

7:30pm

Sat 31 Oct

KILN: Lady GoGo Goch

7:30pm

Day

Event

Time

Page

Mon 2 Nov

Shakespeare Schools Festival

7:00pm

Tue 3 Nov

Shakespeare Schools Festival

7:00pm

Wed 4 Nov

Shakespeare Schools Festival

7:00pm

Thu 5 Nov

Shakespeare Schools Festival

7:00pm

Fri 6 Nov

Shakespeare Schools Festival

7:00pm

October

November

contactmcr.com tickets & info: 0161 274 0600 Sat 7 Nov

Upfront Comedy: Comedy Winterfest

8:00pm

Mon 9 Nov

Shakespeare Schools Festival

7:00pm

Tue 10 Nov

Shakespeare Schools Festival

7:00pm

Wed 11 Nov

Shakespeare Schools Festival

7:00pm

Wed 11 Nov

Ockham’s Razor: Tipping Point

8:00pm

Thu 12 Nov

Shakespeare Schools Festival

7:00pm

Thu 12 Nov

Ockham’s Razor: Tipping Point

8:00pm

Fri 13 Nov

Shakespeare Schools Festival

7:00pm

Fri 13 Nov

Ockham’s Razor: Tipping Point

8:00pm

Sat 14 Nov

Ockham’s Razor: Tipping Point

2:30pm

Sat 14 Nov

Ockham’s Razor: Tipping Point

8:00pm

Tue 17 Nov

Stacy Makishi: Vesper Time

8:00pm

Wed 18 Nov

Stacy Makishi: Vesper Time

8:00pm

Fri 20 Nov

Young Identity: One Mic Stand

7:00pm

Sat 21 Nov

Ursula Martinez: Free Admission

8:00pm

Thu 26 Nov

Univited Guests and Fuel: This Last Tempest

2:00pm

Thu 26 Nov

Univited Guests and Fuel: This Last Tempest

8:00pm

Fri 27 Nov

Univited Guests and Fuel: This Last Tempest

8:00pm

Mon 23 Nov

MonologueSlam UK

7:00pm

Mon 30 Nov

RAW (Rhythm and Words)

8:00pm

Day

Event

Time

Page

Thu 3 Dec

Pen:Chant

7:30pm

Fri 11 Dec

Mother’s Ruin: Christmas Cracker

8:00pm

Wed 16 Dec

Contact Young Company: How To Be Better

7:30pm

Thu 17 Dec

Contact Young Company: How To Be Better

7:30pm

Fri 18 Dec

Contact Young Company: How To Be Better

7:30pm

Sat 19 Dec

Contact Young Company: How To Be Better

1:00pm

Sat 19 Dec

Contact Young Company: How To Be Better

4:00pm

Sat 19 Dec

Contact Young Company: How To Be Better

7:30pm

Event

Time

Page

Open daily (not Sun)

December

Exhibitions Day

Wed 23 Sep Hetain Patel and Tim Etchells: Filmworks to Sat 12 Dec

Find Us Contact, Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6JA We are open all days featuring programmed activity as follows Monday to Friday: 10am to late Saturdays: 3pm to late 24 hour online booking contactmcr.com Box Office (See P29 for full details) 0161 274 0600 Monday to Friday: 10am to 9pm Saturdays: 3pm to 6pm

Thank you

Thank you to our funders, partners and supporters, and all of the people who have donated online and in person.

Registered Charity Number: 501953 All info correct at time of going to print. Check contactmcr.com for up-to-date info. Cover image: Hetain Patel: American Boy Brochure design: markbrownstudio.co.uk