Contact, Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6JAJULY 9–15 20120161 274 0600 contactmcr.com/contactingtheworld

@contactmcr • @contacttheworld • #ctwmcr2012

Ten years ago Contacting the World was created to connect young theatre makers from around the world. Since then we have celebrated five festivals that have brought together thousands of young people from more than 30 countries. This summer we are proud to once again showcase the richness and variety of the world’s next generation of theatrical talent.

We hope that you can join us for a week of extraordinary and uplifting evening performances, workshops and matinees.

BABA ISRAEL ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, CONTACT, MANCHESTER

@babaisrael

Contacting the World provides young artists with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to collaborate on a global scale. Aside from inspiring brilliantly unpredictable performance and encouraging understanding across cultures, the festival has a meaningful legacy; I’m just one of a massive and lively community of past participants for whom this project has really opened doors.

SARA COCKER VOLUNTEER 2008, PARTICIPANT 2010 AND CYAC ASSISTANT DIRECTOR 2012.

Contacting the WordTue 10 Jul, 7.30pm, £10/6 A night of international poetry and spoken word theatre featuring Contacting the World alumni First Wave Hip Hop Theater Ensemble from the USA and TJ Dema, Kosal Khiev and Bewketu Seyoum from the South Bank Centre’s Poetry Parnassus tour.

You can see their progress so far at: contactmcr.com/contactingtheworld

Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/contactmcr

Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/contactmcr

CONTACTINGTHEWORLD Contacting the World is Contact’s biennial international festival for young people. Companies from around the world have been selected and randomly paired so that they can share and collaborate to create new pieces of performance. This year’s festival features work from the UK, Thailand, Nigeria and Trinidad and Tobago.

Poetry Parnassus (Below L-R): TJ Dema, Kosal Khiev, Bewteku Seyoum

Main Picture: First Wave Hip Hop Theater Ensemble

There are two sides to every story… or are there?

Inspired by the origins of carnival, the Trinidadian state of emergency and the UK riots, The Third Side explores themes of chaos, unrest and revolution, asking what exactly is worth fighting for?

Contact Young Actors Company (CYAC) are the host company for Contacting the World 2012. Aged 15 to 25 the company brings together a diverse group of performers including actors, poets, musicians and singers to create original pieces of work.

contactmcr.com/cyac

CYAC

The Third Side

WorkshopCreativity through DiversityThu 12 Jul, 2.30pm, £5

CYAC show you how they combine their versatile talents to create their own style of performance.

‘It’s not just an opportunity to experience cultures but to be changed by what I see’ Emma Obita (26)

Arts-in-Action WordsmithsSt Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago

50/25In Trinidad and Tobago numbers are powerful cultural and spiritual signifiers. Drawing on that energy via traditional Trinbagonian folklore, carnival skills, movement, and ritual this performance is an exploration of independence, festival arts and the experience of being a twin.

Wordsmiths was established by Arts-in-Action in 2008 as a public literacy and performance programme designed to mentor young people between the ages of 15 to 25.

Developing creative writing, poetry, spoken word and performance skills the programme seeks to teach leadership and create paths to academic and professional achievement.

“This festival is about meeting new people, and sharing ideas about theatre” Danielle (25)

WorkshopWhen Ah Dead Bury Meh ClothesFri 13 Jul, 4pm, £5

A workshop on physicality, improvisation and scene building,

using the Trinbagonian Kalinda dance-fight tradition.

wordsmiths.moonfruit.com

Manchester, United Kingdom

Wed 11 Jul, 7.30pm, £10/6 Wed 11 Jul, 7.30pm, £10/6

The year is 2022 and the world has been consumed by the computer. It truly is the digital age. The art of face-to-face communication has been lost and the handshake has been replaced with a ‘poke’. Enter Mel, she loves vinyl, lyrics and conversation. In a bid to find her sister in a world consumed by webcams and keypads Mel takes a plunge into the world of #FaceMe, but once inside will she have the power to log off?

YARD Youth Theatre was established in 2008 and is based at New Art Exchange, Nottingham. YARD Youth Theatre is diverse, not only in the makeup of its company but also in its unique approach to theatre. The group are fearless in their commitment to creating ground-breaking theatre that pushes the boundaries of work by young people.

YARD Youth Theatre

Nottingham, United Kingdom

#FaceMe

Moradokmai Theatre Community

Pak Chom, Thailand

Sudsakorn Meets Seven GhostsAdapted from a traditional Thailand fable Sudsakorn Meets Seven Ghosts follows a prince’s quest to find his father with the aid of a half-dragon and his faithful horse. Along the way he encounters the seven ghosts of love, greed, anger, jealousy, illusion, revenge and lust.

Moradokmai Theatre Community are a performance troupe, who live, work and create theatre together as part of a 50 strong self-sufficient rural community, in Northern Thailand. Their practice successfully fuses elements of traditional Thai theatre and contemporary Western art forms to create innovative theatrical shows.

‘Contacting the World will be fun, allowing young people from different cultures to live together and gain new experiences.’ Champ (18)

‘A unique opportunity to interact with other theatre companies and to share and explore each other’s work.’ Zara Zabair (17)

Workshop Traditional Thai Theatre SkillsWed 11 Jul, 2.30pm, £5

An exploration of traditional skills including classical movement and the philosophy of Thai story telling.

moradokmai.com

Workshop #NewsFlashFri 13 Jul, 4pm, £5

Devising performance through real-life stories using YARD’s signature style of ensemble, physical and object theatre.

yard.nae.org.uk • @YouthYard •facebook.com/YardProjects

Thu 12 Jul, 7.30pm, £10/6 Thu 12 Jul, 7.30pm, £10/6

A performance exploring the topic of struggle from both personal and public perspectives. Highlighting how challenges bring people together, especially in a world that pays so much attention to what divides us, Itiraka is a study of humanity.

Crown Troupe of Africa is a dance-theatre company of young artists who create new but socially relevant works.

Established in 1996 the Troupe explores genres including dance, drama, music, poetry and the visual arts. Balancing contemporary and traditional aesthetics their shows are performed in both conventional and unconventional performance spaces.

Workshop Storytelling using ObjectsThu 12 Jul, 2.30pm, £5

Participants shall be encouraged to bring items they consider important and asked to see how these items may be rearranged to tell a story.

crowntroupeofafrica.com

Crown Troupe of AfricaBariga, Nigeria

ItirakaStruggle?Why struggle when the fight’s never worth it? It’s time to listen, quiet the mind and explore the vast landscape of freedom.

Flip the coin, see beyond the dark clouds and reach for the silver lining.

The show will delicately fuse dance, original music, acting, singing and much more.

Welcome to our struggle…

Boundless Productions are a vibrant collection of performance artists who are committed to honing their skills to create innovative new art.

Developed at Studio 25, Boundless Productions always deliver high-quality, industry-standard performance.

‘Contacting The World has exposed us to other theatres and techniques. Now we can be as adventurous as we like in theatre making.’ Olusegun (20)

Sat 14 Jul, 7.30pm, £10/6Sat 14 Jul, 7.30pm, £10/6 Trust Your

‘It’s an amazing opportunity for young people to find their voice, to make a difference’. Alice (16)

Workshop Defying LimitsWed 11 Jul, 2.30pm, £5

A guide to creating collaborative performance through group sharing.

shockoutacademy.com

Boundless Productions Manchester, United Kingdom

TIMETABLE

Tuesday 10 July

7.30pm Performance: Contacting the Word — First Wave Hip Hop Theater Ensemble and Poetry Parnassus on Tour

10pm Performance: Open Mic Night

Wednesday 11 July

2.30pm Matinee: Idiotsinsync

2.30pm Workshop: Boundless Productions

2.30pm Workshop: Moradokmai Theatre Community

7.30pm Performance: CYAC/Arts-in-Action Wordsmiths Double-Bill

Thursday 12 July

10am Keynote Speech: Young People & The Arts Australia

2.30pm Matinee: Contacting the World Dance Showcase

2.30pm Workshop: Crown Troupe of Africa

2.30pm Workshop: CYAC

7.30pm Performance: YARD Youth Theatre/Moradokmai Theatre Community Double-Bill

Friday 13 July

2.30pm Matinee: 20 Stories High

4pm Workshop: YARD Youth Theatre

4pm Workshop: Arts-in-Action Wordsmiths

7.30pm Performance: Schools Showcase

10pm Performance: Mixed Movement

Saturday 14 July

7.30pm Performance: Boundless Productions/Crown Troupe of Africa Double-Bill

MATINEES

Idiotsinsync Tales From Under The CounterWed 11 Jul, 2.30pm, £5

A darkly funny look at life, loss and discovery from the perspective of some surreal shopkeepers.

Contacting the World Dance ShowcaseThu 12 Jul, 2.30pm, £5

Dance and movement from Crown Troupe of Africa, Boundless Productions and Clumsy Me.

20 Stories High Tales from the MP3Fri 13 Jul, 2.30pm, £5

Created in collaboration with 84Theater, Iran, a work-in-progress piece of verbatim theatre using dictaphones to capture real conversations.

All matinees will be followed by a post-show discussion with the cast and creators.

OTHER EVENTS

Open Mic NightTue 10 Jul, 10pm, FREE

The Contacting the World participants showcase their skills in a freeform event hosted by Baba Israel.

Young People & the Arts AustraliaThu 12 Jul, 10am, FREE

Contact’s artistic director Baba Israel gives a keynote speech to the Australia National Symposium via telepresence, plus a performance by the Contacting the World participants.

Schools ShowcaseFri 13 Jul, 7.30pm, £10/6

Over the last six months local schools have been working with Contacting the World’s international companies to create new pieces of theatre. In this special showcase they reveal the results of their relationships.St Ann’s School, Stockport, is twinned with Crown Troupe of Africa

Blessed John Newman RC College, Oldham, is twinned with Moradokmai Theatre Community

William Hulme’s Grammar School, Whalley Range is twinned with Arts-in-Action Wordsmiths

Mixed Movement Fri 13 Jul, 10pm, FREE

A special Contacting the World edition of Contact’s open stage dance event.

Contact, Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6JAJULY 9–15 20120161 274 0600 contactmcr.com/contactingtheworld

All info correct at time of going to print. Check contactmcr.com for up-to-date info. Design: www.markbrownstudio.co.uk

TicketsPerformances £10/6 Workshops £5 Matinees £5

OffersBring a group of 10 or more and every 10th person comes free!

DirectionsBy Bus: Buses run down Oxford Road every few minutes from the town centre, train stations and South Manchester. They stop just across the road.

By Car: Contact doesn’t have a car park but there is one next door that is open to the public from 4pm on weekdays and all day at weekend. It costs £2 to park.

contactmcr.com/visit

StaffProject Manager Jude Pratt

Festival Co-ordinator Shaunágh Keys

Social Media Volunteer Marcus Lilley

Administration Volunteer Ines Soria-Donlan

Artistic Facilitator Montse Gili

Artistic Mentor Adam McGuigan

@contactmcr • @contacttheworld • #ctwmcr2012

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