MIF15 little blue book by Factory International

Little Blue Book 2015 Volume 1

An MIF Creative Publication

MIF.CO.UK

Contents

Introduction

MIF Creative

FlexN Manchester

Meet Paola

Meet Jack

Meet Bailey

The Tale of Mr Tumble

Meet Carol

Meet Tyoni

Meet Jake & Laura

Sacred Sounds Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Choir

Meet Beth

Meet Asha

MIF Learning

Meet Amy

Meet Tayah

Meet Eugenia

Facts & figures

Festival team & acknowledgments

official partners

silver supporters

public sector funders corporate members media partners

official providers

5plus Architects Addleshaw Goddard Arup Berg Bilfinger GVA Boutinot BuroHappold Engineering Cheadle Hulme School DAC Beachcroft Deloitte

Eclectic Hotels ferrious Great Northern Warehouse The Grove Farrow & Ball Hawkins\Brown Kuits Solicitors Manchester School of Art, MMU Marcus Worthington Group MC2

OMI Architects Panaz Pinsent Masons Seddon Shoosmiths Slater & Gordon stephenson STUDIO urbanbubble WHR Property Consultants

international circle

commissioning circle

patrons

Stavros Niarchos Foundation

Charles Asprey Ben Caldwell Tony & Jane Elliott Stephen & Jane Sorrell Richard Thomas (Founder) Martyn & Valerie Torevell

Tom & Jo Bloxham David & Julia Eventhall Anthony & Margaret Preston Caroline Younger

Peter & Judy Folkman Richard Gahagan & Vanessa Jackson Chris & Gayle Hopkinson Mike Ingall Jonathan & Ann Joseph Jonathan Levy Jack Livingstone John Maxwell Hobbs & Lauren Dyer Amazeen Jim & Joyce McNamara Alice Rawsthorn

John & Karla Robinson Raj & Reshma Ruia Andrew & Debra Sciama Andy Spinoza Rachel Sopher Paul & Juliet Stewart Roisin Timpson Nicky Unsworth Anne Webber John Williams Cathy Wills

additional public sector funders mif creative circle Bill & Julie Holroyd

trusts and foundations

gold supporters

mif pioneers Frances Anderson Simon & Shalni Arora Atul & Paulette Bansal Grant Berry Tracy Bosanko Brian Boylan Laura & Peter Carstensen Frank & Cherryl Cohen Nic & Jennifer Edmondson Brendan Finucane & Fiona Horlick Scott Fletcher

We would like to thank all our MIF Members and those who have kindly donated online or given anonymously.

Introduction Over the past 10 years, Manchester International Festival (MIF) has collaborated with an array of talented artists who have cared deeply about inspiring the imaginations of our city’s residents. Together with communities across Greater Manchester, these artists – who have included British composer Sir John Tavener, Turner Prize-winning visual artist Jeremy Deller and the incomparable Björk – have undertaken bold, ambitious and often challenging journeys, ending with powerful MIF performances and memories that will last a lifetime. More than 2,850 local residents joined our creative learning programmes for MIF15, taking part in everything from education programmes to over 70 Festival performances. From the wonderful signing schoolchildren in The Tale of Mr Tumble to the fabulous dancers in FlexN Manchester, the creativity of our city’s residents was an unforgettable feature of this summer’s Festival. This publication presents the Festival journeys of some of our vibrant participants – describing, in their own words, the impact of their experiences with MIF15. Our thanks go to everyone – artists, participants, partners and funders – who have helped turn these dreams into reality and made this year’s MIF Creative and Learning programmes the best yet. As we move into our second decade, we look forward to creating ever-stronger, deeper connections with, and for, our local communities. Jennifer Cleary Creative Learning Director, MIF Brooklyn’s Banks Artiste with FlexN Manchester dancer Yandass © Tristram Kenton

Trainee Producers programme, MIF09 © Tim Sinclair

Performance Capture, MIF15 © Jonathan Keeble

Amadou & Mariam and The Beating Wing Orchestra, MIF09 © Shaw & Shaw

Gorillaz: Demon Days Live, MIF Trailblazer 2005 © Mark Allen

The Difference Engine, MIF09 © Karen Wright

6 Candi Staton, Sacred Sites, MIF11 © Chris Thomond

Anuradha Paudwal & Dya Singh, Sacred Sites, MIF11 © Satvinder Matharu

7 Jeremy Deller’s Procession, MIF09 © Tim Sinclair

Victoria Wood’s That Day We Sang, MIF11 © Catherine Ashmore

MIF Creative International artists. Local people. Extraordinary experiences.

For each Festival, MIF commissions leading artists or thinkers to create ambitious new work in partnership with local people. These commissions, called MIF Creative, sit at the heart of the Festival, and share MIF’s principles of innovation, originality and internationalism while offering unique opportunities for residents to engage with the Festival in new and exciting ways. Since it launched in 2009, MIF Creative has seen artists as diverse as Victoria Wood (above), Abida Parveen and Amadou & Mariam working to create once-in-a-lifetime experiences with equally diverse Mancunians – from faith groups to schoolchildren, from ramblers to refugee and asylum-seeker musicians. MIF Creative’s projects are designed to have a lasting 8

impact in the local community, building engagement with the Festival and encouraging participation in the arts. At MIF15, MIF Creative’s work included FlexN Manchester, which paired local dancers with Brooklyn’s unique flexing dance community; The Tale of Mr Tumble, which featured hundreds of local schoolchildren singing and signing on stage at the Opera House; and Neck of the Woods, which saw the return of the Sacred Sounds Women’s Choir after its foundation for MIF13. You can learn more about all of these projects later in this booklet (pages 10 to 49) and on the MIF Creative website, where you can keep up to date with future activities. mif.co.uk/mif-creative 9

FlexN Manchester

MIF Creative’s first ever dance commission was an exhilarating transatlantic alliance that became the word-of-mouth hit of MIF15. In February 2015, MIF Creative started searching for talented local street dancers in schools, community groups, youth clubs, dance groups and arts organisations across Greater Manchester. After applications and auditions, 10 dancers were selected to join an extraordinary sixmonth dance exchange with 10 leading lights from the unique flexing dance culture of Brooklyn, New York, led by choreographer and director Reggie ‘Regg Roc’ Gray. The culmination of this collaboration, FlexN Manchester premiered at MIF15. Playing to packed and enthusiastic houses every night, this powerful show left a deep impression on all who saw it – and changed the lives of some of its stars.

‘ As a bringing together of two cities, it is splitting at the seams with energy and heart’ © Sodium

THE GUARDIAN

Supported by MIF Creative Circle.

Meet Paola Paola ‘PHLO’ Naembo, one of the local dancers in FlexN Manchester, talks to us about freestyling, storytelling and the fusion of two dance communities.

What made you want to dance? It wasn’t until I moved to the UK that I finally got into dancing. Little by little, I took classes – mostly hip hop and house – at my local studio in Manchester, and I found a love for it that just

Do you dance in a specific style? My heart lies in freestyle. Sometimes, when I was in college, I would just play music in the studio after everyone had gone. I would lock myself in there and just move. I wouldn’t say I was doing a style – I was just moving. It’s always ‘Without knowing any of different when you’re doing the Brooklyn dancers, I something in the moment rather than repeating a understood what they meant piece so many times it loses through their dancing.’ that organic feel. kept growing. After that, I did two years of technical training at college, which gave me a better sense of the dance world and what I could do with it. Right now, I’m doing a degree in Dance and English Literature at Kingston University. We have a lot of opportunities to work on technique and stage presence, and all the [other] things to help us make it professionally. 12

After you joined the project, all the Manchester dancers went to New York in early 2015 to see the Brooklyn dancers perform. How was New York? Incredible. The air smells different, the people are different, the different accents… I don’t know. You have to take a moment. We went to see the Brooklyn dancers do their show at the Park Avenue Armory, and I’d never 13

How does the Brooklyn dance scene compare to the Manchester dance scene? For them, it’s a lot of battling and challenging people, and that’s how they learn and grow. Any Right after the show, we got to chance the New York dancers get, meet them, and the whole time, they’ll go with that, which I think I was thinking, ‘We’re going to is incredible. They all get really get to work with these guys!’ excited when someone mentions There was a party afterwards a battle – it and we were ‘We had a voice and we were brings them jamming with them, and it part of the creative process. to life. I love that aspect was amazing We had to bring in our own of them. I because they think I’ve pieces every day.’ welcomed always been us – we were drawn to that way of dancing. part of their family and part of the crew at the party. I remember Did you know any of the they were doing their whole Manchester dancers? ‘circle’ thing – not a battle, but Jack, Joe, Andrew and Tom I’ve more like showcasing. A few of known for a while, so it was like us got in there, and they were seeing old friends. Then Dale, supporting us just as much as their own friends. It was amazing. Ayanda, Bailey, Wayne and Zeneca I met at the start of the project. I think that’s something that’s seen anything like it before. Without knowing any of them, or Reggie, I understood what they meant through their dancing. Seeing their show was just magic.

missing here – that community aspect. The Brooklyn dancers are supportive of each other because they’re proud of their friends and what they do. It’s a friendly and honest exchange of dancing, and that’s really cool. Reggie said that was what he wanted for FlexN Manchester, and I think we’ve definitely given that out. People can see that we’re all getting along so well. 14

When we were in New York, I thought, ‘I’m spending three days with these people. I’m going to hate them by the end.’ But it wasn’t like that at all. Reggie [‘Regg Roc’ Gray, Director] and MIF managed to pick the perfect people to work with each other. We all see eye-to-eye on everything, and there’s no pettiness. It’s a really comfortable environment.

How was the rehearsal process? every night after the show, we just sat on the stage and watched The first two weeks of rehearsals people. Eventually, they worked were just getting used to the out that they could come up to Flex way of working. In the us and talk to us and congratulate professional dance world, when us, or say thank you for the you get a job, they tell you what show. It’s really nice to have that to do and you’re just the body. connection. You learn this, you learn that ‘I’ve learned so many What will you and you execute things, and I feel I’ve take from it. Bang – you’ve the experience? grown as a dancer. done your job. I’ve learned so It’s shown me what’s This was a whole many things, turnaround out there.’ and I feel I’ve because we had grown as a a voice and we dancer. It’s shown me what’s out were part of the creative process. there. I’d thought that maybe I’d We had to bring in our own pieces follow a specific professional or every day. commercial route, but it’s shown Can you talk about the show? Every day and night was different: I always had something else on my mind, and that sparked another kind of reaction from me. Reggie gave me notes, like, ‘Make sure you’re looking up, otherwise it separates you from the audience.’ A lot of times, I get so into my own head and get so absorbed in the dancing that I forget there’s an audience there. I loved the nature of FlexN Manchester. In some shows, there are the dancers, there’s the audience and there’s this big divide between the two. With this,

me another option – that you can keep yourself as you are without compromising.

I’ve learned to create from a place – from ‘somewhere’. A lot of us get caught up in the purpose of why we’re creating a piece, but with this, it’s been so organic and so raw. Nobody felt that they had to show off or pretend to be something. I’m really excited to work with these guys again and I will try to make that happen. I’ve seen these guys every day, and I’ve made amazing bonds and amazing friends. MIF has definitely been the highlight of my year so far. 15

ÂŠ Sodium

Meet Jack Jack Bain, another of the Manchester dancers, describes his involvement in FlexN Manchester – and talks about what comes next.

together. And seeing creativity in What was your dance others gives me the confidence to experience before this project? Varied, but I’m not professionally think outside the box and create something brand new. trained. I was always a very energetic child and my mum had Tell me about the dance a friend who had a dance school, community in Manchester. so she sent me there for a year. It’s very young, but it’s definitely My time was spent in the studio growing. after school Watching and at the ‘Seeing creativity in others the studio weekends, gives me the confidence to spaces and in create something brand new.’ change six-week and intensive everyone growing up, I’m very summer camps. More recently, aware that a lot of my friends my friends and I saved money to go over to LA and take classes out are doing things. People are investing their money and time there, too. Dancing has always into it. Studio owners want been fun. There’s complete to give us more opportunities freedom. to work – and more teaching opportunities, too. People are What inspires you to dance? So many things, but people make trying to come together more, a huge difference. Not necessarily and they understand that if we in the way they move as dancers, do work together, as clichéd as it sounds, we’re clearly going to get but in the way they treat each other, or the way they go through the best results. The awareness of Manchester from the outside hardships, or the way they come 18

is growing, too, especially from people in the UK. What made you apply for the project? I’m part of an organisation called the Northside, UK. It’s a hip hop community, a hub where dancers, artists, graffiti artists and MCs can all communicate with each other. Kate Reynolds [Producer, FlexN Manchester] found our page on Facebook and sent us details of the audition.

together. At the airport, it became this tangible thing. The Armory show itself blew me away. I was completely speechless. That’s what I hope we’ve achieved in the shows, because I’ve seen some people’s reactions – like, ‘wow!’

How did you find the Flex way of working? It was alien to me. On the first day, Reggie asked what pieces everyone had. We were shocked because we’re usually just handed the piece and told to learn the steps. Reggie said, ‘I want to see Did you know the other what you have to say. I want to Manchester dancers? see what stories you have.’ The I’d never met Yandass before, or whole show was going to be Bailey, but created out of everyone these stories ‘ People [in the community] else I and the ones either understand that if we work brought over knew from New together, we’re going to get personally York. the best results.’ or I knew through a friend. It was nice to have the time to get to know each other properly. We’ll stay in touch – definitely. There are things that have happened in this process, and relationships that have been made, that won’t just go away. How was New York? It was great, because it was the first real moment all the Manchester dancers were 20

Some of us were not so good with the storytelling – we’d fall into the habit of acting, and then dancing, and then dancing and then acting again, instead of just expressing ourselves. It really was a learning curve. It was a huge opportunity: not only were we part of the project, but we were going to tell our own stories with movement.

I worked with Banks Artiste [a Brooklyn dancer] in my solo piece

I can personally say that the and we freestyled nearly all of it. That took some getting used Festival has really helped. They’ve to: that if given people of this you’re going community a chance ‘You can see that the to freestyle, to be involved with people involved in it’s always what we’re doing and going to MIF think creatively. keep us all together. be a brand That’s been huge. The Festival has new way of And through our really helped.’ expressing involvement and our the story. friends coming to see You leave it open for those us perform, I think it’s increased moments that you never would the awareness of MIF within our have been able to choreograph. community. Everyone’s mouths are open, and you know you’ll never be able to What will you take from make that again. the project? Every time I watched our show, How did the performances go? there was something that one The reception we got from of the dancers from either everybody was great, because I Manchester or New York did don’t think the audience had any idea what they were going to see. where I thought, ‘I never knew you could do that.’ That’s what I I felt as a cast, we connected loved about it – it’s not set and more during the show than there’s always the potential that ever before. Together, everyone someone will surprise you. gives 100 per cent, even if they’re exhausted, and through that fight you get the most randomly beautiful and incredible moments. Have you enjoyed working with MIF? You can see that the people involved in MIF think creatively, and the way that they express support for artists is so different.

What’s next for you? As a freestyler, I want to progress more with hip hop, house and popping, go to battle events around the world and win. That’s the aim. I want to work in theatre, and I love the idea of being on tour. I want to keep on expressing myself – really keep pushing my body and discovering new things. 21

Meet Bailey Stockport-based dancer Bailey ‘b-luxx’ Thaw reflects on his experience and discusses how the group’s transatlantic collaboration will inform his future practice.

Before FlexN Manchester, what had been your dance experience? Dance is in my blood. I’ve always felt music. Whenever I hear music, I can’t help but just dance. My dad was always dancing when we were growing up. He’d show

How did you find out about FlexN Manchester? I saw a call-out for dancers on Facebook, so I applied. They asked me to come back for the auditions at Studio 25: there was a cypher, a solo performance and a workshop, and then they taught us some choreography. I didn’t know anybody ‘ Being next to the stage during there, but it wasn’t the performances, it made the intimidating. I like that audience feel like we were part kind of stuff.

of them as well – like there was no division. We’re as one.’ me things, and then I’d teach myself. Me and my twin brother used to be competitive, too: we’d always be trying to do better than each other. I’m kind of both trained and self-taught. I went to college to do my Level 2 Diploma, and next year I’m going on to do my Level 3 Diploma. However, I’m not part of a studio or anything. 22

In early 2015, you travelled to New York to see the Brooklyn dancers perform at the Park Avenue Armory. How was that? Crazy. I never thought I’d go to New York in my life. We went through Times Square in a limo and I got to see the Armory show, FLEXN. The show was similar to the one we put on over here – everyone telling stories through dance, speaking to the audience through dance. 23

I learned so much from just being there. Tell us about the collaborative creation and rehearsal process. It was hard at first, especially learning all of the choreography. I’d only done a little bit of choreography at college, and it was more contemporary and jazz – not hip hop. However, after a bit, I got good. And every time I got on stage, I got better.

pieces, particularly during the bone-breaking… It’s funny. It made me feel good, too. And being next to the stage during the performances, I think it made the audience feel like we were part of them as well – like there was no division. We’re as one.

Have you benefited from collaborating with dancers who are older and more experienced? Definitely. I think you can learn My piece in the show was all something from everyone. I want about my story: I lost my mum, to stay in touch with the New and that’s what my piece was York dancers, and with Reggie. about. I’ve told a couple of stories Hopefully, as well, I can stay in to Reggie touch with the through Manchester ‘ My college has noticed a dance. guys, too. difference in me. Everyone’s It’s better They’re older that way been telling me that it’s not than me and because just my style of dance that’s they know I can feel changed – it’s been me, too.’ people in the it, and it’s dance industry. not just It was inspiring to work with Slicc dancing. I’m in myself, and it’s [one of the Brooklyn dancers]. like a form of meditation. I can’t It made me dance better. In our explain what it feels like. show, Brixx [another Brooklyn dancer] did a solo part, and then Did you enjoying performing as it was me, and then Slicc. I had to part of the Festival? be up to their standards. I loved it. I wanted to do more – I’d rather be performing than having a day off. Some audiences were definitely better than others, but when I saw their faces while everyone performed their 24

They’ve all taught me a lot: not just with dancing, but with life in general. Especially Reggie: he’s taught me a lot about the way I should live. Reggie’s impacted

How does your twin brother feel about your involvement in the show? He changed while I was working I’ve been pushed to be the best I can be because they’re all trained with the FlexN guys. He didn’t used to dance much, but he and I’m not. I’m very proud of started dancing every day. He where I’ve got to, and a lot of got involved, too: he came up other people are proud of me, on weekends and met all the too. Looking back at where I guys and he’s was two ‘I’ve changed the way I look friends with years ago them now as compared at things, and how I make well. They’ve to where decisions. It’s only going to shown him I am now, some moves get better from now on.’ I never and he’s been thought I’d be here: doing photoshoots, doing able to make his dancing better. This has helped him too. interviews, going to New York, my life already and I haven’t even known him that long. I’ve stopped messing about. It’s changed me.

dancing in a show.

How has the project helped you develop as a dancer? Reggie showed me that when you’re dancing, there should be some sort of feeling or something you’re trying to tell someone. It’s helped me become better, and to be more focused. My college has noticed a difference in me. Everyone’s been telling me that it’s not just my style of dance that’s changed – it’s been me, too. Slicc and Dre Don, two of the Brooklyn dancers, have taken me under their wing, as well as Reggie. They’re my kind of people. They know how important they are to me.

The D.R.E.A.M. Ring was the first time we’ve ever battled together – we’ve always battled each other, not other people. And my dad danced at the D.R.E.A.M. Ring, too. What will you take from the project? Flexing, obviously. A new mentality. I’ve changed the way I look at things, and how I make decisions. It’s only going to get better from now on. The show has opened my eyes to what I can do, because I think I doubted myself before. Now I know I can do it, so it’s going to get done. I’ve never felt part of a dance community before. This is a new thing, and it’s really good. 25

The Tale of Mr Tumble

In 2014, CBeebies star Justin Fletcher approached MIF about the possibility of a signing choir joining him on stage for The Tale of Mr Tumble. MIF Creative then enlisted 10 Manchester schools to join Justin – aka Mr Tumble – on a unique and inspiring journey to the Opera House. During rehearsals, pupils from six Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools shared their Makaton signing skills with children from four mainstream primary schools, with in-school vocal and signing workshops led by Beth Allen. Together, the children learned, rehearsed and eventually performed three songs live on stage. Alongside its work with the schools, MIF Creative created an activity day in partnership with the Seashell Trust aimed at children with very complex and severe learning and physical disabilities who were unable to attend the show in person – a day that ended with an appearance by Mr Tumble himself.

‘ What makes the production something extra-special is [Justin Fletcher’s] mass Makaton sign-along with a choir of kids from Manchester primary schools. No international arts festival can top that’ THE STAGE

Supported by Backstage Trust, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, players of People’s Postcode Lottery, the Reta Lila Howard Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, The Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust, The Oglesby Charitable Trust and MIF Creative Circle. In association with CBeebies.

Meet Carol Carol Powell, Head Teacher at Gorton Mount Primary Academy in Manchester, talks to us about her Year 4 students’ participation in The Tale of Mr Tumble.

Tell us about the school’s involvement in The Tale of Mr Tumble. I’ve had an interest in performance, music and art for a long time. For me, it’s an integral part of primary education that children get to sing, dance and perform. Not in a ‘Kids from Fame’ kind of way, but in an ‘I can play an instrument and I’m not scared to perform in front of everyone in assembly’ way. Nearly all of our junior children play a musical instrument and have free tuition. The children all know who Mr Tumble is. In fact, some Year 6 children, who are very grown up, came up to me and said, ‘Miss Powell, is it true that Year 4 are working with Mr Tumble? Really? Mr Tumble from the TV?’ They couldn’t believe it. The pupils practised Makaton signing in school and at home. We worked with Grange School, 28

a school next door to us for children on the autistic spectrum, which has been very exciting. This has really bonded us. There were around 75 children involved in the performance, all singing and Makaton signing. Some children who weren’t in the actual performance still took part in the Makaton training. What did it mean to you to see your pupils on stage? Any time you see children working hard and having a sense of achievement, that’s a very good feeling. School is about more than just learning to read and write: it’s learning to manage yourself in those situations, learning to persevere, learning to face your fears and do it. The sooner we get rid of any kind of anxiety among the children, the better. Any kind of outside experience that uses curriculum skills benefits the child. 29

good thing to have. Maybe the As a group of children, they’re quite confident. In school, we legacy is that parents will be more instil that in them in lots of inclined to get more involved. different ways: we have an emotional literacy curriculum that How have the children benefited teaches those very important skills from working with Grange School? of risk-taking and compassion and optimism. My Year 4 teachers We’re quite a complex pupil body, tell me they’ve gained confidence really: we’ve got children with in their a range of delivery of the ‘ This is an experience that needs from performance, the children will remember all over so that’s very the world, and it’ll be something that good. with lots of their parents remember.’ experiences I feel they’ve of the had the right world. We’re used to all being side of ‘fame’ shown to them, equal but different, so I don’t because they’ve learned that it’s think the children would think it not just about getting up there was anything special or out of the and being incredibly talented – ordinary to be with children who you have to work hard, too. In had different needs from theirs. an environment like ours where there isn’t much work, sometimes Saying that, in the future it may the only people leaving the have a greater impact for us as house in the morning are the schools because it’s opened up a children going to school. The different type of communication. idea that they are seeing lots of Before, we were communicating different jobs – someone with a because we had to, but this is camera, someone giving stage fostering a proper relationship. directions, someone selling We’re much more likely to stay in tickets – and then they get to be touch and do stuff together. the performer… They realise that it isn’t just about getting lots Do you think this experience of applause. might increase the children’s cultural activity in the future? This is an experience that the A lot of our children had never children will remember and it’ll been into Manchester before, be something that their parents hadn’t ever been on a train before, remember, and that’s always a 30

hadn’t been to the countryside before. So we’ve made visits, and this out-of-the-classroom learning experience is integral to our curriculum. The more opportunities you see are there for you, the more likely you are to want to pursue them. Whether or not you’ve had a culturally rich upbringing, whatever that might mean, appearing on stage with someone you see regularly on TV is exciting for any child, regardless of their background.

‘ Year 6 students were asking, “Is it true that Year 4 are working with Mr Tumble? Really? Mr Tumble from the TV?” They couldn’t believe it.’ The school recently hosted the Sacred Sounds Women’s Choir. How was that? The choir came to the school after I came across them in the Festival programme and asked if they would come and perform for our multi-faith parents. It was wonderful. Some of the parents were really moved by the lack of inhibition and the honesty that the choir had when they were singing – and the children certainly enjoyed it. It was a real highlight. © Karen Hewitt 31

ÂŠ Edward Brownrigg

Meet Tyoni Tyoni, age 9, from Manchester was one of MIF’s Makaton Signing Stars in The Tale of Mr Tumble.

What is your involvement in this year’s Manchester International Festival? I’m part of The Tale of Mr Tumble. We’ve been practising for Honk Honk Honk, Hello Hello and Something Special. We’ve been singing, and signing in Makaton. How were the rehearsals? Our choir teacher is Beth [Allen], and she makes the rehearsals really fun. To warm up our voices, she makes us go really high and then really low. She makes us do weird, fun stuff to get our voices ready. The rehearsals make a nice change to lessons. I do like school, though – my favourite subject is Art. What are you enjoying most about being in the production? We get to learn sign language and new songs. I like singing, and I actually go to a singing and dancing club after school every Thursday. 34

Have you enjoyed learning Makaton? Yes, I have. If one of my friends (or me) was to become deaf, I’d be able to communicate with them. My mum is proud of me. My friend Tilly, who doesn’t go to my school, knows Makaton too, and we do it together. We all like doing it. Is your family coming to watch the show? Yes, I think my mum will be. I might invite my little brother too. He might pretend that he doesn’t like it, but secretly he’ll be proud. In the future, do you think you might want to do a job like some of the people you’ve met while rehearsing? It might be difficult, but yes. It’s nice to meet people who do different things, not just teachers and parents. 35

Meet Jake & Laura Jake from Harpurhey, aged 11, was one of MIF’s Makaton Signing Stars in The Tale of Mr Tumble. Laura, his mother, joins Jake to explain why he loved being involved.

How did you both react when you heard about the school’s involvement with the show? Laura: I was quite excited, but Jake was unsure – he didn’t know what was involved. He has autism, so he often has anxiety when there’s an element of not knowing. But I could see from early on that he would benefit from being involved and enjoy the experience. How has Jake found the process? Laura: Initially, I could tell from his behaviour and his language that something was unsettling him, but he’s had a whale of a time. He has a YouTube channel where he makes his own videos, so he’s filmed himself singing all of the songs. Jake: Honk Honk Honk was my favourite song in the show. I liked the bit where Mr Tumble gets his shoe stuck in his bucket and when he goes, ‘Turn it, turn it, turn it.’ 36

How did it feel to watch Jake on stage? Laura: It was fantastic, honestly. I cried! It was such a big thing for him to be able to do. His autism prevents him from doing a lot of things. So to see how much this has helped with his confidence and watch him walk out on stage in front of all those people, I just felt proud of him. I really did. Jake: It was fun performing. I was on the stage and could see my mum, Hayley and Jess in the audience. Would you encourage schools to do projects like this? Laura: Most definitely. It’s good for breaking down those barriers in the community for children and young people with autism. I hope that by seeing children with SEN on stage in the show, both audiences and children see that they’re perfectly capable of doing things that any other child can do. 37

Sacred Sounds Women’s Choir Neck of the Woods

Drawn from the multitude of faith communities around Greater Manchester, the Sacred Sounds Women’s Choir was founded by MIF Creative for MIF13, where they performed a piece written especially for them by Sir John Tavener. Led by Artistic Director Beth Allen and supported by MIF Creative, the choir returned to the Festival in 2015 to give a very different performance – devising and performing a variety of natural-world soundscapes for Douglas Gordon’s dazzling Neck of the Woods. The work extended the choir’s repertoire in new and challenging directions, and added the names of eminent pianist Hélène Grimaud and incomparable actor Charlotte Rampling to the list of artists with whom they’ve collaborated. 38

‘ The soundscape is simply inspired, the human voices of the Sacred Sounds Women’s Choir convincingly moulding themselves into the noise of rustling trees, woodland wildlife and – of course – howling wolves’ MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS

Supported by the Foyle Foundation and MIF Creative Circle.

Meet Beth Beth Allen, Artistic Director of the Sacred Sounds Women’s Choir, is a busy lady – but we pinned her down for an hour to learn about her experience of the Festival.

March. At MIF13, we performed How were you introduced to Manchester International a piece that Sir John Tavener had Festival? written for us called If Ye Love Me [at The Bridgewater Hall], and we Two years ago, for MIF13, I helped set up the Sacred Sounds did a performance in the Pavilion Women’s Choir. I don’t take Theatre of songs from different jobs on willy-nilly – I take them faiths. because they feel right. I wanted to do interfaith work because I’m What has been your involvement in MIF15? really interested in spirituality, and I’m really interested in what I’m now Artistic Director of the we all share rather than what Sacred Sounds Women’s Choir, makes us and we were different. And part of Neck ‘The choir has been I love working of the Woods, part of my creative with women. Douglas Gordon’s journey as an artist.’ production at The choir has been part of my HOME. We creative journey as an artist. presented six soundscapes throughout the show and Jennifer Cleary [MIF’s Creative created the forest for Charlotte Learning Director] had Rampling and Hélène Grimaud, established strong contacts who were on stage with us. All within Manchester’s faith the soundscapes were different: communities for Sacred Sites at from an alarm call when the tree MIF11. In January 2013, a call collapses, which is very dramatic, went out to women of all faiths, and the choir was fully formed by to a beautiful fairytale woodland, 40

to a spooky wolf howl and owl hoot forest. There are 50 ladies in the choir, and some found it a real challenge – you can’t see your place in a soundscape like you can in a song. There’s a lot of trust involved, and there have been some magic moments. We went to a studio and listened back to the recordings we’d made, and they were absolutely beautiful. Some women have absolutely adored the process of communing with nature.

be trusted to do stuff on our own, to rethink and rejig. I think it’s something quite unusual.

Have you always taught choirs? I’ve been self-employed for a very long time, and my work depends on what opportunities arise. Originally, I worked with Scottish Opera. I qualified as a music therapist and became much more confident working with special educational needs, and have also been a television presenter doing live stage ‘We now show ourselves as performances, studio work a choir who experiment and filming.

I also worked to create the Makaton and can deal with a I did an MA signing choirs complex creative process.’ in Voice for The Tale in London of Mr Tumble. and learned more about There were four collaborative extended voice work and vocal choirs made up of children from improvisation. For a long time, mainstream primary and SEN I worked in schools, teaching schools, and they come on for a teachers how to work creatively big singalong with Mr Tumble as with voice. Then I was the creative part of the show’s finale. leader for a big national singing programme called Sing Up. I’m How has the Sacred Sounds passionate about wellbeing and Women’s Choir developed? singing, so I’m interested in the I think we now show ourselves body, I’m interested in the breath. as a choir who experiment and I’m interested in notation and can deal with a complex creative language and shared language. process. So although we all love singing and learning about each other’s faiths through song, I think we now offer something quite unique for a choir. We can 42

Before I took on this project, I looked at my favourite place in the world, the Centre for Voice in the South of France, and there

was a week on soundscaping. What does the choir mean The minute I stepped into that to you? rehearsal space and heard the I’ve fallen terribly in love with people in the next room rolling the choir and the ladies. It just and screaming, I knew I was in feels really important for us to heaven. We all wolf-howled a sing together and find material lot but there that we agree was also a on and that ‘ I’ve fallen terribly in love lot of silence, we can share, with the choir and the waiting and and put out listening ladies. Manchester is so positive and exploring mantras lucky to have a choir like all of the that can be the Sacred Sounds.’ corners repeated – of the voice. not just in the choir on a Wednesday evening, How confident do you feel but when they go home to their working with songs from kids, when they’re talking to their different faiths/languages? friends. I love the little stories For me, it comes from working people come back with when intensively in East Lancashire they’ve been on holiday. The schools. My interest in working story of a lady who’d sung a song with the Muslim faith has in Arabic they’d learned in the come from all the teachers and choir to someone on the plane, assistant teachers and kids. and he understood it. It’s those I’m quite comfortable with little things that make you think, being vulnerable and saying I that’s it! That is it. don’t know it all. Can we learn together? How do we notate each other’s music? How do we draw a Manchester is so lucky to have soundscape for people to follow? a choir like the Sacred Sounds. For me, it’s been part of a smooth, I’d like to think that people will get in touch and say, ‘What creative timeline. I realise that are you singing? What can we some of the ladies miss singing. I think that’s inevitable. But we’ve learn from you?’ All that stuff we’ve learned could be passed on, not stopped singing – we’re just and other cities can do the same. adding more strings to our bow. 43

Meet Asha A member of the Sacred Sounds Women’s Choir since it was founded in 2013, Asha Buch talks about the new challenges posed by Neck of the Woods at this year’s Festival.

How did you join the Sacred Sounds Women’s Choir? Before the full programme for 2013 was advertised, a friend of mine approached me and said, ‘MIF has invited people from different faiths and different cultural backgrounds to sing together.’ I couldn’t sing solo and had never sung in a choir, and my friend hadn’t either, but we decided to go and find out more. I was worried about whether I would enjoy being part of the group because ritualistic religion is not my cup of tea – I like a more broad sense of religion, and how to implement religion in real life. What I saw there was quite agreeable to my nature and my thinking, and so I stayed. Had you sung previously? Yes: in India, I had full classical training and played the sitar. My teacher had been quite strict, saying that if you want to play a musical instrument, you have to 46

learn to sing first and have the notes in your mind, in your heart and in your voice. I’m quiet about it in choir because I don’t practise anymore. I left the sitar for a bit when I had some adversities in my life, and unfortunately now, when I play, I sound like a beginner. How do you go about learning the pieces for the Sacred Sounds Women’s Choir? We have women following Buddhism, Sikhism, Paganism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam. Their chants and songs are always in their own language, so we always make sure we learn the meaning of each other’s songs first. Then we learn how to pronounce the words without singing. Once we’ve mastered the language, we then add the music. There have been times when we’ve been so frustrated when learning a new song, but 47

gradually we’ve become more confident and eager to learn. Now someone will say, ‘Shall we learn this language?’ And we’ll all jump up and say, ‘Bring it on. We’ll sing it!’

When we sang, everyone would have to listen very carefully. Beth would put plot dots on paper for us, which worked well – she accommodated our alternative ways of learning.

Because we remind ourselves Does religion play a large part in of the meanings of the stories your life? over and over again, we sing with Faith is important, but that understanding, passion and love. If we’re singing Sufi songs, we feel doesn’t necessarily mean practising faith. It’s the values as though we are that person. If and spiritual aspects that are we’re singing Shaker songs, we derived from my feel as faith that are of though ‘The group’s enthusiasm most importance we are and belief that we can to me. As I grew of that up and began to faith. The make a difference is Jewish understand other really out of this world.’ song faiths, I learned we sing that most of the was written by a young woman basic values and principles within who was captured and killed in a each religion are similar. concentration camp, and the song filled our hearts with emotion and Do you discuss faith within compassion for humankind. the group? It brought us all together. When somebody joins, we introduce ourselves and tell them For centuries, in Eastern music, what faith we follow, but it’s songs had been taught guru to through singing that we express shishya – teacher to pupil. That was the custom. A teacher would ourselves. It doesn’t matter which religion we are born into. sing or play and the pupil would repeat, without sheet music. At MIF13, how did you find Learning by heart is very much working with Abida Parveen ingrained in our culture. So when and Sir John Tavener? Beth [Allen, the choir’s Artistic For us to see them in person was Director] gave us sheet music, unbelievable. Even though they we were like illiterate people. 48

were such big names in their respective fields, they respected us too. Sir John Tavener was such a wonderful composer, and his personality and his views on music and faith were quite unique. To see him instruct us, it showed us how much he cared. After our performance, when he said that we did well, it was something that we’ll remember for the rest of our lives. How did it feel to perform on the stage at The Bridgewater Hall? Overwhelming. Some of us had never performed on a stage before, and so we supported each other. Gaining this valuable experience has expanded our horizons. We’ve all developed mutual understanding, not just of each other in the choir but of different faiths, different music, different voices. How has the identity of the choir developed since it was founded in 2013? We’ve had some highs and lows but we knew we would carry on, because we’ve become something very special. We now know each other and not just personally – we know each other’s thinking, ideologies, views on faith, religion, culture and music so well. That allows us to develop.

People were impressed in our earlier performances by the number of languages and faiths we took songs from. We’ve decided to keep those two elements: to sing from different faiths, and to sing in different languages. Tell me about the new challenge involved for Neck of the Woods. Initially, I didn’t feel comfortable. I can mimic people, but not animals or birds. However, I decided to stay involved with the project to get a different experience and learn more. Thanks to Beth [Allen] and Jason Singh, who ran a vocal workshop, we have the confidence to believe in our vocal cords and in our tongue and teeth and palate, and how to use them. What will the choir do next? We’ve performed with great musicians and actors, we’ve performed with the BBC Philharmonic and Sir John Tavener wrote a piece for us. Because of this, the ladies have started to believe that we could tour the world now. The group’s enthusiasm and belief that we can make a difference is really out of this world. We are ordinary women, but we believe we can spread the message of peace through our songs. 49

MIF Learning Sitting alongside MIF Creative but outside the Festival’s commissioning structure, MIF Learning devises and delivers skills development and engagement projects to local residents from all backgrounds. Our work is split into three programmes: Create offers local groups a chance to get inside new MIF commissions. For example, at MIF15, 90 students took part in digital workshops tied to Ed Atkins’ Performance Capture (above), and 10 local choirs performed in Richter / Pärt. Engage spurs interest in MIF and wider culture through discussions, masterclasses and presentations. This summer, for instance, Professor Brian Cox discussed The Age of Starlight at a special event for 11-16s. 50

Train is our programme for mentoring emerging artists and cultural leaders. For MIF15, the Festival offered 71 professional and career development opportunities, such as placements and internships. In the following pages, you can read interviews with three women enlisted by MIF Learning to work on MIF15.

‘ I want to become an animator. I know I can do it and it’s good to know I don’t have to move across the world. I can do it here in Manchester.’ STUDENT, PERFORMANCE CAPTURE WORKSHOP

mif.co.uk/mif-creative/mif-learning 51

Meet Amy Bolton-based theatre director Amy Liptrott embraced her opportunity to work with Douglas Gordon on Neck of the Woods. She spoke to us about her biggest challenge to date.

How did you hear about the opportunity at MIF? I met Lisa Spirling, who works with emerging and young directors as part of the JMK Trust, through workshops with the JMK Trust’s partner Direct North. Lisa had met with MIF about possible opportunities for emerging directors, and so she knew they were looking for someone with experience in theatre and a musical background. The JMK Trust was set up by the parents of a promising young director, James Menzies-Kitchin, who died very young. His parents set up the Trust to support one emerging director under the age of 30 to put on a show with the Young Vic, as well as supporting a number of placement opportunities for artists at the start of their careers. So last November, I was invited down to London for what I thought was going to be an 52

interview. I turned up at this posh hotel and was thrown into a full production meeting. Douglas Gordon [Director] was there, Alex Poots [MIF CEO & Artistic Director] was there, Tracey Low [MIF Executive Producer] and a few other people. Two hours later, I had to leave. I asked Alex if that meant I had the job, and he said, ‘Yes – if you hadn’t, you would’ve been out of here a long time ago.’ What were you doing before Neck of the Woods? I was freelancing and had done a Masters at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London. Before that, I was Head of Drama at a boys’ school in Bolton, and before that, I’d been a professional musician. I assisted David Thacker [exArtistic Director] at the Octagon Theatre on two productions, as well as the current Artistic Director, Elizabeth Newman. I’ve had my own production on the 53

Fringe, I’ve assisted at the Old Laundry Theatre in Bowness-onWindermere, and I’ve done some work with the Octagon’s youth theatre. I also do supply teaching – that’s how I keep a roof over my head.

How has it differed to your previous work? As a collaboration between an artist who mainly works in the visual arts and film worlds, an actress mainly known for her film work and a world-class pianist, it’s been a really interesting How did you find the experience amalgamation of everyone’s skills and preconceptions. The piece of working for the Festival? really challenges what theatre It was amazing. The team has is and how it works, and that, at been incredible. I was invited times, was actually quite hard. to Berlin for the scriptwriting I was the main person next to workshop in February, and went over with Tracey to meet Veronica Douglas all the time, and he was asking me, [Gonzalez ‘Why can’t Peña, ‘It’s been the best job I’ve had this happen? writer]. – it’s pushed me to all sorts of What’s Charlotte happening Rampling places where I never thought now?’ was there, I’d be able to go.’ In terms too. We of how then I’ve worked before, we weren’t had another workshop in Paris ever in the rehearsal room. We in April/May. I’ve done various were in the theatre, doing it. On things with the Sacred Sounds the day Douglas arrived, we set Women’s Choir as well, in terms off in a technical mode rather of making sure they knew what than running through the script was going on. first. We worked on the lights When the Festival started, it was and sound immediately, which very intense. We really did hit the is a different way of working for ground running. It’s been the best someone who’s used to having job I’ve had so far in my career three weeks of rehearsal and – it’s pushed me to all sorts of then a week of tech. However, it places where I never thought I’d was a great way to witness the be able to go and remain sane. It’s collaborative process because been good. Really good. everyone was in the room at the 54

What will you take from this experience? I’ll definitely think in a more visual way about what I create. I’m Did the production develop very text-based in my own work over the Festival? and always have been. Seeing Yes. That was the main time that Douglas work in such a visual way it did develop, I think, by getting and seeing how important it is everybody in the room. That to him in terms of the audience, time was always going to be the the story you can give through a most productive because I think visual that you can’t give through Douglas, working words – it in a very visual gives the ‘When the Festival way, needed to audience such see it. He needed started, it was very a different to know what experience intense. We really did could happen, and allows hit the ground running.’ how things would them to bring work on stage. something Also, those happy accidents that to it that you can’t predict or happen where everyone goes, control. That is really important. ‘Wow, we love that, keep that’ – you can’t imagine those things What’s been your highlight? ever coming about organically in There have been many. One thing, the talk-through. Seeing it rather and it happened every day in a than talking about it is the most very small way, was just making important thing. sure the crew were OK, and then having that reciprocated. I thoroughly enjoyed working Celebrating the three birthdays with Douglas and being part of in the crew was my personal the process. Had I been working highlight. Working with Charlotte with a theatre director, I don’t Rampling, too, when she’d say, think I would have had the ‘Amy, can I just go through that experience I’ve had now, so I with you?’ and I’d say ‘Yes, of do feel very privileged to have worked with him. I’m really proud course, Charlotte.’ And seeing of the product that’s come out of Hélène Grimaud sat at the piano. Getting to know her and her team it. It’s an experience that won’t leave me. – it’s just been phenomenal. same time, chipping in with ideas. No one was left out of the process.

Meet Tayah Salford resident Tayah Preece talks to us about her one-year paid traineeship with the Festival, hosted by MIF and made possible by the Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries programme.

How did the traineeship come about? I was shown the position by my lecturer. The Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries programme is a bursary created for graduates from a low-income background. MIF created and advertised the role, and Weston Jerwood will provide further support with training and opportunities to visit other host organisations that are part of the programme. I’m being employed for a year: after three months at MIF, I then go to the Royal Exchange Theatre, HOME and the Royal Northern College of Music [RNCM], each for three months. I’ll be working in lots of different areas, from a bit of everything at MIF to opera and concerts at the RNCM. It’s a great opportunity – I wouldn’t have the money to do a work placement in London, for example, and cover living and travel expenses. Weston Jerwood 56

is paying a ‘living wage’ so I can gain experience but not be out of pocket. That’s great – nobody else does that. What was your experience before working for MIF? I did a degree in Technical Theatre at Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts [LIPA] and learned all the basic skills before moving to production management, which is kind of where I want to be. I ideally want to work in a managerial role but it’s really hard to skip a step, and that’s why MIF has been really useful. What has your role involved at the Festival? I had a choice when I came in: I could either work with a specific project as a Trainee Production Manager, or I could work with Jack Thompson [MIF Technical Director] and Helen Gorton [MIF Technical Co-ordinator], who look 57

after everything and work out what each show needs. Because of the nature of the rest of my placements, I chose to work with them. I’ve been accompanying Jack to meetings and running things to different sites: I helped with the ‘get-in’ for Tree of Codes [at the Opera House] and watched some of the rehearsals, which was really interesting because they had a lot of challenges. I’ve also spent a lot of time at the Manchester Museum as part of High Tea in Wonderland as more of a Production Assistant. It’s been really lovely.

Has anything surprised you during the process? The biggest surprise has been the people. Absolutely everyone gets stuck in and no one really has a set role. They all have job titles, but everyone helps each other. The same goes for the artists – they’ll help out if there’s a section of time that needs to be filled. It all feels very local, too: local companies are involved, and everyone’s trying to be the best that they can be. What’s been your personal highlight? I’ve touched on it already, but definitely High Tea in Wonderland. Also, I was reading a programme for The Skriker after I’d watched it – that really was an awesome show. It made me feel really very happy that I’d vaguely contributed to this brilliant production. All the stuff we’ve done has been brilliant.

Has it been an enjoyable experience? Yes, the whole thing. The Festival is unique as it’s all new work. You have no idea what’s going to happen the moment you walk into a venue. And High Tea in Wonderland has been a particular favourite of mine ‘Local companies are because What are your it’s allowed involved, and everyone’s plans after me to do trying to be the best that this one-year so much they can be.’ traineeship? and learn a lot. Hopefully I’ll be Originally, I thought I’d like to able to go to another project experience a bit of everything as a Production Assistant or a – but High Tea needed help so I Production Manager, and that will went to help, and I’m so glad I did. carry me through as a freelancer. 58

But by the end of this year, my plans may have changed. MIF recently hosted a training event as part of the Weston Jerwood programme with Suzie Henderson [Head of Creative Development, Contact Theatre], and listening to her talk about her work with local communities, even though it wasn’t directly related to what I’m doing, was still really interesting. It’s still quite an open road. There are 40 of us in this programme, and we meet up at occasional training events. It’s really nice to be able to share our worries and concerns – and we often have the same worries. It’s difficult to differentiate between what we’re doing in our current

roles and a trainee-type role, where you become part of the organisation and end up with a job. I think that’s especially important for me, because I’m going to keep jumping between venues and I’m going to have to find a way of making that balance. What have you gained from your time at MIF? I got to see how the Festival runs, and the incredible amount of things that the team has to deal with that wouldn’t be needed when just working on a theatre show. The importance of figuring out public access and amenities, for example. This has been my first Festival and it’s been really fun. 59

Meet Eugenia A Producing Intern at MIF15, Eugenia Whitby talks to us about the great experience she gained by working on MIF15.

How did the placement with MIF originally come about? I chose to do a placement as part of my course at the University of Manchester [MA in Arts Management], and MIF was my first choice. I have previous experience with producing companies, having spent three months at Sonia Friedman Productions working on shows such as Jerusalem and Absent Friends, and I worked at the Salisbury Playhouse in their outreach department encouraging more creative and interesting community involvement, so MIF felt like the right fit. The placement started in the middle of March 2015 and ran until the end of the Festival. The things I worked on had the production, outreach and education elements combined, so I’ve been quite lucky. 60

What has the placement involved? It’s been incredibly varied. The first big task I had, after I’d only been here for a couple of weeks, was setting up the initial casting session for The Tale of Mr Tumble. I really was in at the deep end. I went down to London for the day and it was great, because I got to see the production come to fruition. I’ve also sourced props for High Tea in Wonderland and worked very closely with the Sacred Sounds Women’s Choir for Neck of the Woods. I definitely had more responsibility than I thought I would, which has been absolutely great. Until April, I was only in two days a week and so you would imagine that it would be really difficult to hand over responsibility to me, but MIF did it really well with Neck of the Woods – I got a nice bit of continuity and responsibility there. 61

have gone as smoothly as it did, At first, the placement was about looking after the choir in was a huge confidence boost. rehearsals, It’s the meeting the ‘Working on a production confidence in artists and the work that [at MIF] has reignited attending any I’ve done, and everything for me.’ of the trips the skills that they did. Then I’ve gained it became about being with them as I’ve gone along. Also, it’s at rehearsals, and explaining the deepened my appreciation of the process to some of the ladies skills that I already had. who’d never experienced the After my MA, my plan is to get a technical side of a theatre. I got to experience the full scale of the job – I’ve mainly been looking at Assistant Producer jobs. When I production from beginning to came to this MA course, I wasn’t end, and it drew on both aspects of my experience – producing and sure if I wanted to stay in theatre, but what’s really happened is that community engagement. at MIF, I’ve gone back to working Did you manage to see the performance or were you mainly on a production and it’s reignited everything for me. It’s been great, backstage? There has been a lot of backstage and I’m really looking forward to stuff, a lot of making sure that the going back to productions and theatre. That’s the hope. ladies knew the etiquette when they went backstage with the Stage Managers. The women did everything with such grace and patience, though. It was a real joy and they made it easy. What will you take away from the experience? It’s given me a lot of confidence, particularly the casting for The Tale of Mr Tumble. To have been here for such a short amount of time but to be given such responsibility, and for the day to 62

You’ve been working in theatre since you were 11? Yes – I fell in love with a production of My Fair Lady at the National Theatre when I was very young, and then did work experience there when I was 11. That came about through sheer determination and polite letters. Since then, I’ve done various backstage jobs, and different roles such as stage management and producing.

to happen. However, the choir What was your highlight handled it so well and not one while at MIF? person grumbled. We stayed in It was during Neck of the Woods. the rehearsal room and learned The choir was split in two, and dance moves and songs – it was we were supposed to do the a night all about dress rehearsal for one half of ‘I definitely had more community and friendship. the choir while responsibility than The choir has the other half I thought I would, adopted me as watched them an honorary perform from the which has been member, and I auditorium. It had absolutely great.’ even sang with been a difficult them when they week. The dress performed at the Whitworth as rehearsal was just being delayed part of Richter/Pärt (above). and delayed, and we eventually It’s all been wonderful. realised that it wasn’t going 63

Since 2009, Manchester International Festival has engaged nearly 12,000 local participants in new, artist-led commissions that help to develop and showcase their creative skills. Here, we take a look at some key figures from 2015:

2,868 PARTICIPANTS IN THE CREATIVE LEARNING PROGRAMME

EDUCATION PARTNERS

PLACEMENTS / INTERNSHIPS / WORK EXPERIENCE

1,482

YOUNG PEOPLE ENGAGED IN PROGRAMMES

8,145

PERSON ENGAGEMENT HOURS

MIF CREATIVE COMMISSIONS

90%

PERFORMANCES FEATURING LOCAL PARTICIPANTS

OF STUDENTS (AGED 12-17) RATED WONDER.LAND & THEIR Q&A WITH THE CREATIVE TEAM

‘EXCELLENT’ ‘GOOD’ OR

955 25%

PEOPLE ATTENDING LEARNING TALKS & PRESENTATIONS

OF TICKET BUYERS AT THE FESTIVAL CAME TO SEE AN MIF CREATIVE COMMISSION (21,506 PEOPLE)

98% OF YOUNG PEOPLE (AGED 15-18) FELT THE PERFORMANCE CAPTURE WORKSHOPS HELPED THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF A CAREER IN THE ARTS

Festival team & acknowledgments Alex Poots CEO & Artistic Director until the end of MIF15 John E McGrath CEO & Artistic Director Christine Cort Managing Director Jim Forrester Executive Director Tracy Longdin PA to CEO & Artistic Director and Executive Director Gemma Saunders Assistant to Managing Director Paul Clay Executive Producer* Jo Paton Executive Producer Christine Gettins Executive Producer Tracey Low Executive Producer Kate Mackonochie Senior Producer Katie Vine Touring Producer David Lawrence Producer* Pollyanna Clayton-Stamm Consultant Curator/ Producer* Conrad Lynch Producer* Jude Jagger Festival Square Producer* 66

Anna Moutrey Producer* Phoebe Greenwood Producer* Ella Byford Associate Producer* Tricia Coleman Assistant Producer Sophie Ignatieff Assistant Producer Patrick French Assistant Producer Tayah Preece Trainee Production Manager Jack Thompson Technical Director Helen Gorton Technical Co-ordinator* Tom Besford Head of Artist Liaison Rachel Down Deputy Head of Artist Liaison Kirsty Gbasai Accreditation Officer* John Ball Ground Transport Manager* Chloe Foy Artist Liaison Assistant (Internship) Sarah Rowland Festival Square Co-ordinator* Jackie Thompson Head of Guest Liaison Michelle Binieda Guest Liaison Co-ordinator

Henrietta Smith-Rolla Guest Liaison Assistant Francesca Ribolini Guest Liaison Assistant (Internship) Vanda Hagan Head of Finance David Fox Administration & IT Manager Hannah Clapham-Clark London Office Administrator Nadia Balfe Finance Officer Sue Jones Finance Assistant Marney Guy Administration Assistant Fiona Cariss Volunteer Co-ordinator** Ella Walker Assistant Volunteer Co-ordinator Kayleigh Harper Volunteer Administration Assistant (Internship) Jennifer Cleary Creative Learning Director Sarah Hiscock Creative Learning Manager Kate Reynolds Producer, MIF Creative* Kate Houlton Assistant Producer, MIF Creative

Rachel Green Development Director Jane Reynolds Development Manager Andrea Lowe Development Co-ordinator Emma Shiel Development Account Manager Emily Ross Development Account Manager

Lizzie Milne Ticketing Assistant (Internship) Ben Turner Community Engagement Freelancer* Will Fulford-Jones Publications Editor* Cathryn Ellis Senior Designer* Lee Baxter Designer*

Nadja Coyne Press & PR Director Jamie-Leigh Hargreaves Press Officer Jack Howson Broadcast Co-ordinator*

FESTIVAL BOARD Tom Bloxham MBE (Chair) Cllr Rosa Battle Keith Black Jeremy Deller Steve Downes Joyce Hytner OBE Sir Brian McMaster CBE Chris Oglesby Richard Paver Nancy Rothwell Peter Salmon Andrew Stokes Kully Thiarai Edward Pysden (Board Associate) Anna Hassan (Board Observer)

Janina Mundy Head of Marketing Cathy Gallagher Marketing Consultant* Billy Partridge Ticketing Manager Ben Williams Marketing Officer Eleanor Scott Digital Content Producer Tom Emery Marketing Assistant Caspar Stevens Digital Marketing (Internship) Sarah Eastaff Ticketing Assistant (Internship)

*Consultantâ&#x20AC;¨ **Secondment

ARTISTIC ADVISORS Michael Morris Hans Ulrich Obrist Peter Saville

AGENCIES Hemisphere Design Made the web Web Development ATG Tickets Ticketing The Corner Shop Publicity Bolton & Quinn Publicity Soup Collective Film Production Sodium Film Production Marketing Manchester Greater Manchesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tourist Board Morris Hargreaves McIntyre Research & Evaluation Thank you to our dedicated and talented volunteers, whose contribution helps to make the Festival a success.

Printed in Greater Manchester on FSC-certified stock using vegetable inks Published by Manchester International Festival Blackfriars House, Parsonage, Manchester M3 2JA Registered charity no: 1113902. 67

Contact us CREATIVE LEARNING TEAM Jennifer Cleary Creative Learning Director Sarah Hiscock Creative Learning Manager creativelearning@mif.co.uk mif.co.uk/mif-creative mif.co.uk/mif-creative/mif-learning Participant portraits and interviews by Rebecca Lupton rebeccalupton.co.uk Edited by Will Fulford-Jones. Designed by Cathryn Ellis.

MIF17 29 June – 16 July 2017

MIF.CO.UK

Mcrintfestival @MIFestival @MIFestival ManchesterFestInt @MIFestival @MIFestival 68