On Saturday 1st October I will be performing as part of the Emergency Accomodation platform. Press release for the platform and for my show are as follows....
PRESS RELEASE
Seeking emergency accommodation…
In June 2011, greenroom, Manchester’s iconic theatre for all things new, contemporary and experimental closed its doors for the final time. Beyond the loss of one of the Manchester‘s ‘hidden treasures’, there is also the story of the creative community it nurtured over the course of its existence, as a ‘home’ for artists, giving opportunities to literally thousands of young people looking to take their first steps into an often precarious career.
For 13 years, a key way into greenroom was the annual emergency free micro-festival, showing upwards of 40 short experimental works in a crazy day and a half. Co-produced by hÅb, an independent production and development organisation, emergency has been responsible for kick-starting literally hundreds of careers and offering a free explosion of performance to thousands of audience members.
As the Autumn approaches and, with it ,the first full ‘season’ without greenroom, emergency is now seeing a re-birth in the shape of emergency accommodation (Saturday 1st October). hÅb has teamed up with Blank Media Collective, a group of visual artists producing their own work, for themselves, and with the ever supportive International Anthony Burgess Foundation, to create a new kind of micro-festival in new kinds of spaces.
hÅb’s Director, Tamsin Drury says of the event “We wanted to keep the legacy of greenroom alive and, more vitally, to continue to offer opportunities to artists and audiences to experiment with exciting new ways of making and seeing work. It will be an emergency like never before, 30 new pieces of work, crammed into one hectic day – ranging from an exhibition of installation and interactive live works, to a series of exciting new shows in a packed 9 hour free artistic marathon. We are incredibly grateful to the energy and enthusiasm of Blank Media Collective for making it possible to create emergency accommodation and to the artists and other supporters (Arts Council England, Contact and University of Central Lancashire) for their help.”
“I am genuinely really excited by the programme – with artists travelling from all over the country to take part. We have two venues: BLANKSPACE and IABF, 3 minutes apart on Hulme Street, and we are using every possible space, street, stairwell and cupboard to show striking installations, intense one-to-one encounters, playful strolls and raucous performances – you can even have your own private, shower performance!”
emergency accommodation is a free one day micro-festival taking place on Saturday 1st October 2011, at BLANKSPACE and IABF on Hulme Street, Manchester (bit.ly/EmergencyMap)
Full information at emergencymcr.org
emergency accommodation takes place Saturday 1 October, 12-9pm FREE at BLANKSPACE, M15 6AW and IABF, M1 5 BY (map at bit.ly/EmergencyMap)
emergency accommodation is co-produced by hÅb (www.habarts.org) and Blank Media Collective (www.blankmediacollective.org) and is supported by Arts Council England, The Burgess Foundation, University of Central Lancashire and Contact. It is a greenroom legacy project.
hÅb is a production and development organisation based in Manchester, UK, founded in 1996. Specialising in contemporary performance, live art and sited intervention, often working with regional, emergent artists. It was a long-term partner of greenroom producing a range of schemes and events including emergency, Turn, Hazard, Method Lab and SeedFund
Blank Media Collective champions emerging artists, writers, musicians and performers by giving them a unique platform to showcase their work. Established in 2006 it is run from its base at BLANKSPACE, Manchester by a dedicated team of volunteers.
Participating artists (subject to change) are: Anaïs Lalange, Andy Nizinskyj, angel club (north), Angst Performance, Chris Fitzsimmons, Cutteruption, Dani Abulhawa, {digame}, Façade Theatre, FallenWall Arts, Four Cats Theatre , GETINTHEBACKOFTHEVAN, Jessica Lee, Julieann O'Malley, Katherina Radeva, Krissi Musiol, Laura Bradshaw, Lowri Evans, Lucy Hutson, Matt & Nath, Nicola Canavan, Pinkorange Project, Rebekka Platt, Robin Sidwell, Shona Harrison/Nicola Ellis, Small Acts, Stella Dimitrakopoulou, Sturgeon's Law, Wayne Steven Jackson, Zoë Washington.
