Manchester International Festival 2017

Summary

Thank you for joining us this last 18 days and for making the festival a success. Scroll back to remember some of the higlights of MIF 2017 and see you in 2019!
Manchester International Festival ran from 29 June and 16 July 2017
Talk to us @mifestival on twitter & mcrintfestival on Facebook

Live Reporting

the Manchester International Festival team

Bonobo on his wanderlustpublished at 18:48 BST 5 July 2017
BBC 6 Music

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His new album is called Migration, and Bonobo wrote it while living between two places.
You can get tablets for that I think.
UK electro artist Bonobo popped in to see RadMac at their temporary home at the Manchester International Fesitval.
His new album is called Migration, and Bonobo wrote much of it while living between two places.
He tells Stuart and Mark about his nomadic lifestyle and the influence of other nations' music on his work.
Plus, what are the acoustic challenges of performing in Manchester Cathedral? Good backstage facilities we bet...
Take a look at our music installation - in a shopping centre lift?published at 18:31 BST 5 July 2017
Music For A Busy City

One of our Music For Busy City composers Anna Meredith managed to catch her own installation at the Manchester Arndale centre - playing every hour, 20 mins past the hour.
Can't make it down there? Well, have a listen right here, and be transported. Who knew lifts could be so.. uplifting?
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Learn more about Music For A Busy City, external
'It's a rollercoaster of emotions' - an audience member reacts to Home1947published at 18:15 BST 5 July 2017
Home1947

Looking for an unforgettable emotional journey this festival? There's only one place you can go.
Home1947, a brand new exhibition at The Lowry, external, invokes feelings of separation, of loss, of togetherness and of yearning for home - on the 70th anniversary of the Pakistan-India partition.
Created by Oscar-winning documentary maker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, it combines film, found objects, sound, smells and deeply personal stories of those who remember having to leave everything they loved, forever.
We recommend listening to this brilliant audience member review, to get a real sense of the action:
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Learn more about Home1947, external
Birds-eye-view of Festival Square: videopublished at 17:59 BST 5 July 2017
Festival Square

Get down right now, before those benches get filled... (plus, we can promise the pizza is truly amazing.)
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MIF GIF a day: What If Women Ruled The World?published at 17:52 BST 5 July 2017
#creative50
Tara Collette
MIF17 Creative 50

Brilliant #creative50 artist Tara Collette is creating a GIF every day during the festival in response to the shows in the programme: today's choice? What If Women Ruled The World, external
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See the whole MIF GIF series here., external
Journeys, togetherness, migration - shows about home, and of leaving itpublished at 17:33 BST 5 July 2017
The Welcoming Party, ToGather, Home1947

In a society currently obsessed with belonging, with the idea of national pride and of growing suspicion of those people seen as different or unwelcome, it's not surprising that several of this year's pieces tackle this head on.
For understanding, for history and a much-needed shot of pure empathy, you'll struggle to find a stronger collection.
The Welcoming Party, external
Image source, MIF
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The Welcoming Party
An interactive, immersive family piece taking place within the depths of an abandoned warehouse - The Welcoming Party combines performances and puppetry to tell the stories of those looking for a place to call home.
The creators Theatre Rites invoke tales of those from different cities and beyond, encouraging families to help its characters find the place for them. It's a piece that approaches migration in a playful, colourful but meaningful way.
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Trailer: The Welcoming Party
Home1947, external
Image source, MIF
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Home1947
70 years after the partition of India and Pakistan, Oscar-winning Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy brings a blistering new exhibition to The Lowry, telling the lost and forgotten stories of those who were forced to sacrifice everything to build a new nation.

Quote Message
The wounds of Partition will only heal when you talk about the experience of the individuals. About what they went through. And not look at it as a line that was drawn on a border, but actually hear it in the voices of the men and women who got up in the middle of the night, who walked for miles, who fled their homes never to return."
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Home1947
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Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy talks through Home 1947 #mif17
ToGather, external
Image source, MIF
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Togather
At once a new exhibition and a public outdoor performance piece (on Sunday 9th July, external) Susan Hefuna's ToGather explores migration, movement and a sense of togetherness.
Featuring and inspired by local Manchester residents, originally from fifteen different countries including Iran, Sierra Leone, Trinidad, Pakistan, Albania and Kuwait, the performance will focus on tracing individual paths through Whitworth Park - uniting many different nationalities in a celebration of togetherness.
Watch Women Rule MCR - and get a bold portrait of the women of Manchesterpublished at 17:11 BST 5 July 2017
#creative50
Megan Griffith
MIF17 Creative 50

Image source, MIF
Women Rule Manchester (#WomenRuleMcr, external) is a durational interview and live performance project created by one of our brilliant #creative50 artists in response to What If Women Ruled The World?
This stream captures the diverse identity and opinions of Manchester's women, their relationship to the city and their hopes for the future.
Over 30 women from different generations and backgrounds met last night to share their unique perspectives.
Want the inside scoop on Manchester's brilliant women? This is where to find it:

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This commission is part of our brilliant #creative50 series - local artists making work in response to our festival programme.
'What time is it now on the doomsday clock?'published at 16:45 BST 5 July 2017
What If Women Ruled The World - opening tonight

A fascinating new experiment opens tonight - What If Women Ruled The World?, external - a part performance, part lecture, part workshop exploring what exactly would happen if a group of female experts were forced to come up with new solutions to global issues.
Created by Israeli artist Yael Bartana, and promising a completely different show every night, What If Women Ruled The World? opens the lid on a question we should all be asking.
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In a war room, a group of 11 women will be confronted by some of the urgent crises facing the world today.
Inside the last party before the apocalypsepublished at 16:17 BST 5 July 2017
Party Skills For The End Of The World

You might not be lucky enough to attend the final party before the apocalypse, so the least we can do is sneak you a peek from the inside.
An immersive, interactive party - where you also learn skills to survive the end of the world - Party Skills For The End Of The World, external promises raucousness, martinis and a brief overview of how to play Smells Like Teen Spirit On The guitar. What else do you need to know?
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Explore our fabulous exhibitions onlinepublished at 15:50 BST 5 July 2017
You don't need to be in Manchester to experience the magic

Frantically checking train prices? Don't worry, there's a lot you can experience in full, right from the comfort of your lovely home.

Image source, MIF
Home1947
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's glorious exploration of migration, loss and a search for home focusses on the India-Pakistan partition of the 1940s.
You can experience every aspect of the exhibition right here - dive into gorgeous visuals and amazing stories, external.
Image source, MIF
Music For A Busy City
Though sure, in its essence its a musical treasure hunt across the city - you don't have to be in Manchester to listen to the original compositions. Take them all in here, external, accompanied by the visuals you need to experience it fully.
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Lostmemories.net: a new game commission for #mif17 from Nina Freeman
Lost Memories Dot Net
Our first ever game commission - a haunting, beautiful and utterly charming look at being young and curious in the early 2000s. Created by the brilliant Nina Freeman, you can play it right here. , external
Image source, MIF
ToGather
A groundbreaking new exhibition that brings together the unforgettable stories of over 30 local migrants - with backgrounds including those from KuWait, Trinidad, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
Twinned with a live performance in Whitworth park this coming Sunday - this site will be where you can watch the entire performance, external, as well as hear the personal stories for yourself.
Exclusive: Music For A Busy City composers in conversationpublished at 15:33 BST 5 July 2017
Music For A Busy City

Our amazing Music For A Busy City, external composers sat down to talk about their inspirations, their favourite Manchester locations, and how they went about composing for - among other places - a shopping centre lift.
Vital watching for composers, music-makers and Manchester lovers alike.
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Composers of Music For A Busy City discuss the project
Watch 'The City & The People': the best poem about Manchester you'll hear todaypublished at 15:10 BST 5 July 2017
#creative50
Cathy Wilcock
MIF17 Creative50

Composed and performed by brilliant local artist and #creative50 member Cathy Wilcock, The City And The People is touching, funny and insightful look at Manchester's hidden treasures - its residents - and their devotion to their city.
28 places in Manchester have been hidden inside the text of the poem and copies of the poem have been hidden around the city in geocaches. To find them visit www.geocaching.com, external and use the trackable codes TB7YVD2, TB7YVDP, TB7YVD1.
Come on, why not have an adventure, and go find one?
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Cathy Wilcock is a writer, song-writer, musician and vocalist. Find out more about her work at www.gymnastband.com., external
'This isn't about nostalgia, it's about looking forward'published at 14:40 BST 5 July 2017
Sneak peek of True Faith: our Joy Division & New Order exhibition

If you're looking for memorabilia, you've come to the wrong place. This brand new exhibition is all about the artistic legacy of Joy Divison and New Order - the art they have inspired, and the on-going impact they've had in the world of music, film and performance.
Take a look at this exclusive inside look at the exhibition, and sink into music past and future:
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True Faith explores the ongoing legacy of New Order and Joy Division
Learn more about True Faith, external
'I absolutely do think the world would be a better place if women ruled it'published at 14:13 BST 5 July 2017
Vicky Featherstone, Director, What If Women Ruled The World?

Image source, MIF
Opening tonight, What If Women Ruled The World?, external is a fascinating new experiment - throwing a combination of female actors and experts together in a war room, and seeing if they can come up with solutions to global crises' we haven't yet seen.
Speaking to the BBC's Ian Youngs, Director Vicky Featherstone talked about the mass gender equality she sees day to day, and how we need shows like these to push forward vital conversations about changing the system.
Quote Message
"At the moment, it isn't equal. It is men ruling the world. And I think it would be a better place if, in place of those men, if we can't have proper equality, if women were doing that - it would be better. There would be less war. There would be less arms being sold. There would be less of all those sorts of things. We'd be more nuanced and layered. Things would be able to co-exist in a more nuanced way rather than being so compartmentalised. Definitely."
Vicky Featherstone, Director, What If Women Ruled The World
Learn more about What If Women Ruled The World?, external
Salsa, portraits, henna and parmesan chipspublished at 13:46 BST 5 July 2017
And a lot more reasons to head to Festival Square

From public dance classes to tiny pots of deliciousness, from brilliant DJ sets to create your own art stands - if you're not at Albert Square this week, you're not doing Manchester right.
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Learn more about Festival Square, external
Listen to Jane Horrocks sing in the trailer for Cotton Panic!published at 13:22 BST 5 July 2017
Little Voice as you've never heard her

Listening to Jane Horrocks on 6 Music right now? She's always been known as a towering talent - from her days on Absolutely Fabulous to her staggering showcase on Little Voice - and we couldn't be prouder to open her new music-drama Cotton Panic! tomorrow.
Exploring the US civil war that created a Lancashire cotton famine, it's the tale of the north of England’s inspiring solidarity with the slaves of the American south. Listen to Horrocks right here, right now:
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#mif17 trailer for Cotton Panic!
Cotton Panic! opens this coming Monday, learn more right here, external
All our stars hit 6 Music - live in 10 minspublished at 12:56 BST 5 July 2017
Festival Square

Image source, MIF
From 1pm, Mark Radcliffe will be talking to the brilliant Jane Horrocks & Stephen Mallinder about new musical-drama Cotton Panic!, Everything Everything will review their fave things about the festival so far, BambinO director Phelim McDermott talks about making an opera for babies and Yael Bartana and Abi Morgan discuss What If Women Ruled The World?
Phew. Got all that? Listen right here, live, from 1pm.
Lift music from Anna Meredith - quite literallypublished at 12:36 BST 5 July 2017
BBC 6 Music

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Anna Meredith tells us about the 'Music for a Busy City' project
More from the Manchester International Festival now, where six leading composers are being taken out of the comfort of the concert hall and into public spaces in the city to make music for passers-by.
Music for a Busy City sees Matthew Herbet, Mohammed Fairouz, Olga Neuwirth, Philip Venables, Huang Ruo and Anna Meredith provide soundscapes for places around Manchester from shopping centres and train stations, to the town hall.
We can all agree that waiting for/in an elevator is one of the low points of one's day but Anna Meredith is helping to - ahem - lift the mood somewhat with a bit of music.
For her project she's selected a walkway between two department stores which have lifts either side. Her unique soundtrack is called Chorale for Lifts and is directly affected by the lifts movement as they travel up and down.
Elizabeth Alker of 6 Music spoke to Anna to find out more...
Watch the hypnotic magic of Available Lightpublished at 12:17 BST 5 July 2017
Available Light

Opening at The Lowry tomorrow, Available Light has been described as 'a landmark of American dance'.
Bringing together three powerhouses of dance: choreographer Lucinda Childs, composer John Adams and architect Frank Gehry - it's an absolute must for any dance fans in your life. Take a look, and get mesmerised below:
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#mif17 trailer for Available Light
Learn more about Available Light, external
"That's smacking a pick-axe against a shovel"published at 11:55 BST 5 July 2017
Simon Stephens & Simon Graham talk about Karl Hyde's Fatherland soundtrack

Listen to Simon Stephens, creator of Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time, talk about his brand new project Fatherland , external(which opens today!) with director Scott Graham - specifically, about how Karl Hyde's soundtrack has been created with 'found sounds' such as keys, axes, and shovels.
Not to mention how they have to try and stop Karl from dancing.
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Scott Graham and Simon Stepens discuss what it's like to work with musician Karl Hyde