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

  1. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is asked "Why do you make dangerous work?"

    Interdependence: We Need To Talk About Power

    Danger is a very relative term these days. It's dangerous to look the way I look: the colour of my skin, the colour of my hair. You see what’s happening in the world, and it feels like, right now, you can never be truly safe anywhere. But if you want to look at the goodness of people, if more things bind us together than tear us apart, then you have to believe that essentially we all want the same things. That's got to keep us going.

    Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Curator, Home1947

  2. On film-making, and using film as a force for change

    Interdependence: We Need To Talk About Power

    I have always felt that film can be used as a tool to lobby, to campaign. When you show people things in a certain way, it has an impact. It has emboldened so many young women to speak up and speak out. The legacy of change happens like a ripple - when I look down and see all these other women speaking out and making a change, that's what excites me the most. It is sometimes difficult, it is sometimes lonely, but it is important.

    Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Curator, Home1947

  3. Why speak out? On being someone who has always rocked the boat

    Interdependence: We Need To Talk About Power

    Why do I do what I do? Because I want to be able to look in the mirror, and be proud of what I see. It's not easy, but we have to do it.

    Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Artist

  4. Meet our stars: David Olusoga

    Interdependence: We Need To Talk About Power

    In conversation with Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, David Olusoga is a broadcaster and writer known for his tireless work on black British history. He attempts to shed light on aspects of British history often not taught, focussed on, and mostly - and unjustly - forgotten.

    He tries to make sense of the current social and racial climate by examining black British history, its part in a global movement, and the way these stories are passed down.

    Take the industrial revolution: the stories about spinning jennys and water frames are all part of our heritage. But where does the cotton being spun in those machines come from? At school, we went to mills and factories and nobody at any point in my education pointed out that the cotton processed in those mills was made by enslaved black Americans. When we talk about the history of the industrial revolution, the missing people in that revolution are the 1.8 million enslaved people who made that cotton.

    David Olusoga, Broadcaster & Writer

  5. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy TED Talk: Inside A School For Suicide Bombers

    Interdependence: We Need To Talk About Power

    Want to know more about the incendiary, vital work of Sharmeen Obaid-Chinnoy? You can also take a look at her powerful TED talk from 2010, about how the Taliban trained its young suicide bombers.

  6. BBC Breakfast interview with Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

    Interdependence: We Need To Talk About Power

    You can also watch Sharmeen talk passionately about her Lowry exhibition Home1947 and its significance on yesterday's BBC Breakfast:

  7. "Home is not the four walls where you live, home is a sense of being"

    Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy talks about her new exhibition, opening today

    As you listen to Sharmeen debate during Interdependence: We Need To Talk About Power, learn more about her fantastic new exhibition opening at The Lowry today: Home1947, exploring the mass migration in Pakistan in 1947.

    Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy talks through Home 1947 #mif17

  8. Meet our stars: Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

    Interdependence: We Need To Talk About Power

    She’s a double Oscar-Award winning film director determined to shed light on events often hidden in the day to day. Her audacity, bravery and sensitivity to her often difficult subject matter has won her acclaim all over the world.

    We’re lucky enough to have a new exhibition - Home1947 - curated by Shareem on the subject of the mass migration from Pakistan, having been blown away by her earlier films exploring Pakistan’s honour killings and acid attacks.

    In short, we’re honoured to have her here at Interdependence, and at MIF17.

    It is very hard to be a woman in Pakistan and speak your mind. You know there will be an attempt to silence you. And the more people do that with me, the more I know I am being successful.

    Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Curator, Home1947

  9. Watching online? Make sure you're part of the debate

    Interdependence: We Need To Talk About Power

    We want to hear what you think about our series of Interdependence talks - reactions to speakers, new ideas, contrasting thoughts - tweet us at @MIFestival #interdependence, and we'll showcase your opinions right here on MIF live.

  10. The stage is set (and looking beautiful)

    Interdependence: We Need To Talk About Power

    Don't tell anyone, but we're happy to give you a sneak-peek of the action before we do live in a few minutes...

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  11. So, what is this morning all about?

    Interdependence: We Need To Talk About Power

    John McGrath
    Artistic Director, Manchester International Festival

    We're happy to let our Artistic Director John McGrath cover this one:

    In the last year, it's sometimes seemed that we can only shout at each other these days, trying to project our fixed opinions as loudly as possible at those who don't agree. We need less shouting, less trolling. We need to listen to each other for a change. We need to talk - to exchange ideas, and to discover that our opinions are only a starting point in our journey towards new, better thoughts, shaped through exchanges with others.

    With that in mind, let's talk about power. We'll be streaming live in half an hour - put the kettle on, settle in, and join us.

  12. Ready for some Saturday morning debate?

    Interdependence: We Need To Talk About Power

    Interdependence: PowerMIF

    And you lucky things, you don't even need to put your shoes on.

    We'll be streaming the entirety of our debate right here from 10:30am - with speakers including Oscar-winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Man Booker nominee Andrew O'Hagan and Turner Prize nominee Lubaina Himd.

    Talking about race, history, power and the place of digital in modern discourse - it's a vital conversation we all need to be part of. See you then!

  13. Get down to Albert Square, 8pm till late

    DJ sets, food, booze and more

    It's Friday night, and there's only one place to be - it's our opening night party Drunk At Vogue at Albert Square.

    Think amazing catwalks, drag spectacular and the brightest and best of Manchester - throw on something sparkly and we'll see you there.

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  14. New Order, Levelz & the people of Manchester (plus dogs)

    Video: What you missed on day 1

    No matter how much you might want to, you can't see everything going on at this year's festival.

    Luckily, our amazing video team can (just about) and they've condensed day one down into an eye-popping vid:

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    Still plenty left of Day 2! Holly Herndon, LaSharVu, and our fabulous opening party Drunk At Vogue - bring on Friday night!

  15. Over 30,000 people watched Manchester celebrate its people

    Thanks for watching What Is The City But The People?

    What Is The City But The People?MIF

    The world was watching, and Manchester didn't disappoint.

    Over 30,000 people tuned in live last night to watch our opening performance: What Is The City But The People?

    Particular highlights were two Manchester residents meeting for a blind date for the first time on the runway, seeing the taxi drivers who worked tirelessly through the Manchester attack, and - predictably - all the dogs. The world loves its dogs.

    So, what's next? Tomorrow morning we'll be live from 10:30am with the first in our Interdependence series - debates, new ideas and vital voices discussing the issues that affect us right now.

    Tune in, become part of the debate, and tweet your thoughts to @mifestival. We'll be pulling in our favourites right here.

  16. Holly Herndon kicks off in t-minus 30 minutes

    Dark Matter

    You've still got time to get yourself over to Gorilla, and see electro-rock-queen Holly Herndon smash her set. Learn more, and get your skates on...

    #mif17 trailer for Holly Herndon

  17. One Of Two Stories Or Both begins here in 10 minutes!

    1st of a 5 part radio series

    We're all about making sure you can attend the festival, even when you can't.

    You've got 10 minutes to read up on One Of Two Stories Or Both before we start our audio-stream - or else, just stick around on this page and just let it wash over you.

    Each part is a sweet 15 minutes long, so perfect to see in the weekend in style... see you in 10!

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  18. Tomorrow's live-stream - power, history, race, digital

    Interdependence: We Need To Talk About Power

    We need to talk about powerMIF

    Provocative conversation, debate, new ideas and fresh thinking - all streamed live right here from 10:30am tomorrow.

    We're proud to welcome amazing special guests, debating a range of timely subjects in an honest, engaging and fresh way.

    From black history to art in the digital age, to modern control and campaigning for justice, it's never been more important to talk.

    Find out more about Interdependence: We Need To Talk about Power

    This is part of a series of Interdependence debates - see the entire series

  19. How do we keep legends alive?

    One Of Two Stories Or Both

    One Of Two Stories Or BothMIF

    One Of Two Stories Or Both

    What keeps our stories being told?

    This question is at the heart of specially commissioned radio series One Of Two Stories Or Both by composer Samson Young, and is also accompanied by a beautiful sound and visual installation.

    Each 15 minute work takes listeners (and viewers, if you’re lucky enough to be there) on a journey inspired by the myths and legends of 17th century Chinese travellers, as they made their way to Europe on foot.

    We’ll be live-streaming all 5 parts right here - and the first one kicks off tonight at 6:30pm. If you’re interested in journeys, stories, beautiful sound and how we keep our past alive - we’ll see you right here...

  20. "I want to do something really transformative"

    Mary Anne Hobbs talks about creating her Dark Matter gigs

    6 Music legend Mary Anne Hobbs talks about nights out in Manchester, sneaking past security and what she's trying to create with her amazing series of Dark Matter gigs...

    I want to completely transform spaces, black them out entirely and re-imagine them entirely in light.

    Mary Anne Hobbs, Curator, Dark Matter

    She reveals the inspiration behind her curation at the Manchester International Festival.

    Tonight you can check out the action for yourself with Holly Herndon at Gorilla - it is not to be missed.