Sir Michael Morpurgo opens Re:Creating Europe, framing the conversation perfectly, explaining how the UK entered the EU:

With the excellent Re:Creating Europe, external about to grace the stage at The Lowry, and The Fountainhead, external continuing its festival run, we thought we'd give you the quick-fire lowdown on Ivo Van Hove.

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Legendary theatre director Ivo Van Hove has been described as 'maximalist minimalist', whose influential directorial style favours an unflinching and focused minimalism. Re:Creating Europe is a classic of Van Hove style, favouring pared-back staging and an unflinching focus on the monologues and performances.

Van Hove is bold in his re-interpretation of existing texts and source material, something which has in itself become a trademark for him:

This approach can be seen perfectly in The Fountainhead, where Van Hove takes the still-controversial Ayn Rand text and reframes it beautifully into a wholly new take on the work.

The Fountainhead, external finishes it's run tomorrow, and Re:Creating Europe, external will be live right here at 20:00 BST.

(Re-posted for any readers who are here for the Re:Creating Europe live stream)

Ivo Van Hove's ongoing production Re:Creating Europe , externalis showing at The Lowry, external this Friday, and although I've already seen the show during a recent performance in Paris, in sense, I haven't seen it either. Confused? OK, allow me to explain. Firstly:

The show is a many-layered commentary and rumination on European identity and politics, with several diverse actors from many European countries pulling together monologues, discussions, arguments, readings, poetry and assorted fragments of spoken word. What's interesting is that the actors on stage are reading from printed scripts the whole time, having been put together for rehearsals quite literally just on the day of the performance.

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Despite this, when I saw it the show felt incredibly slick and polished - the actors cut in and out of each other perfectly, overlaid with well-timed audio video, weaving in and out of the stage. The show is performed in multiple languages, and to facilitate this there's a clever two-line subtitle system above the stage using bright LED screens, lending the feel of watching a subtitled piece of film - short blocks of subtitles quickly translate the words without detracting from the physical performances.

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The most interesting aspect of the piece is the way in which it is written, and re-written, depending on the place and time in which it is performed. Where typical large-scale theatre pieces are rigorously rehearsed and kept the same as they move around, Re:Creating Europe is reconfigured each time, in order to the reflect the current time and space of the reality of Europe. For example, It was first performed a few years ago during the beginning stages of Brexit, and as such I'm sure felt like an almost entirely different work in comparison to the piece that so directly addresses the right-now of Europe from so many perspectives.

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Finally, and for me absolutely critically, the piece presents viewpoints that not everyone in the audience can or will agree with. During my viewing of the piece in Paris, for example, I encountered monologues and speeches from political figures that are at completely at odds with my personal politics - but this felt in a way quite vital to the success of the work in presenting not a singular belief, but a window into the wide array of perspectives that make up the conversation around what it means to be European - or not.

Find out for yourself this Friday at the Lowry. , external

A public service announcement and reminder that we'll be bringing you a full live stream of Ivo Van Hove's excellent Re:Creating Europe, external from around 8pm this evening, along with some extra goodness looking at the show in more depth as it unfolds.

Image source, MIF

Join us right here on MIF Live at 8pm to watch the show completely live and of course absolutely free. Find out more right here on the MIF site, external.

The weekend is almost here, and no matter what kind of activity you're hankering for, we'll hand you something perfect from our platter of delights.

So, how can we help you?

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I want to...

See a spectacle!

You didn't come here to play, you came here to get some Inspiring Experience all up in your face. Well good news friends, our amazing, category-defying shows are gunning on both barrels, and this is the best weekend to see it all. We highly recommend you check out Invisible Cities, external, Atmospheric Memory, external,To The Moon, external and Tao of Glass, external- all beautiful, all unexpected, all dropping you into totally different worlds.

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I want to...

Actually DO something!

We get it, you want adventure. Well, where do we start? You can go on a city-wide audio treasure hunt with Utopolis, external, sample fresh brewed beer in a secret location whilst learning about cholera with A Drunk Pandemic, external, fall through space with our VR experience To The Moon,, externalor learn an entirely new skill by taking a class with our School Of Integration, external. (We did it, and it was amazing, external).

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I want to...

Dance!

First of all, see some brilliant dance action with Maggie The Cat, external and Tree , external- you need inspiration for your sweet moves, after all. Then, there'll be free gigs in Festival Square, external all weekend, with a Saturday night DJ set from local legend Dave Haslam, as well as performances from the likes of Stealing Sheep, Deptford Northern Soul Club, KYSO and Anti-Social Jazz Club. Wear comfy shoes.

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I want to...

Bring the fam

It's the weekend, it's summer, and you basically have no choice but to spend time with people you love. If you've got kids, we recommend getting them over to Tuesday, external for a spellbinding show, and then heading up to Festival Square, external for delicious food, free entertainment and (hopefully) some glorious sunshine.

Check out our full programme here, external, and bring on the next two days...

Next up from the Creative Lab is Josh Mellor, external, who's gone above and beyond the call of duty with his excellent projection mapping project Middle Sound, creating not just the work itself but also a super polished documentary around it.

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Josh has responded to the use of technology in Skepta's upcoming DYSTOPIA987, external, and has created a project that uses projection-mapped visual art to explore augmented music performance.

The work is documented in full on YouTube and embedded below, wrapped in an excellent documentary format which is a work of art in itself. Skip to 3:48 to see the actual work, but we highly recommend watching the whole thing!

Guidance warning: Contains adult themes

You can follow Josh on Instagram, external, too.

Having already helped you out with how to sound smart about Atmospheric Memory, we thought we'd do you another solid, and raise your IQ about composer Philip Glass. Not to be confused with the Newcastle midfielder Stephen Glass, external, as my friend did whilst I was trying to explain about him on the phone.

So, what do you need to know?

The quick scoop:

Philip Glass is an American composer who, over the past seven decades has created music for basically every possible medium you can think of. He's scored operas, ballets and theatre, he's created symphonies, he's done TV and film soundtracks, and at 82 years old, he's still going strong. He's worked with geniuses from every generation going - including Doris Lessing, Aphex Twin and David Bowie. DAVID BOWIE.

So what's his whole deal?

Getting his musical education in the backroom of his father's LP shop in Baltimore, young Philip Glass (let's call him Phil) was raised on a hugely eclectic musical diet, from classical to jazz to modern.

He went to university in Chicago to study music at just 15, and from there embarked on a (frankly exhausting) enormous musical career, where his unique mix of classical understanding but refreshing modern take totally revitalised modern opera, as well as influenced generations of film, ballet, and theatrical composers.

He's best known for being a minimalist composer (though its a title he hates), with music that begins sparsely, then repeats itself, gradually unfurling, and building on what's already there. You can learn more about Philip Glass and minimalism in a recent BBC Four documentary,Tones, Drones and Arpeggios: The Magic of Minimalism.

Listen to this, and you'll see what we mean:

In his own words:

"The people who don’t want you don’t change their minds. You outlive them, if you’re lucky. They’re all dead now, the older guys. The battle was never won or lost. The army just went away. What can I tell you? Isn’t that the truth? It’s biology. Nothing more than that. They’ve just gone away… and we carry on playing."

What to say at a dinner party:

"Though Philip Glass will never truly outrun his own early success, it cannot be denied that the abundance of his talent - both in form and content - defies any attempt at categorisation."

What not to say at a dinner party:

"Stick some Paul Simon on would you, this is a bit much"

Tao Of Glass is running right now at the Manchester International Festival, featuring 10 brand new compositions from The Glass himself. Find out more here., external

Opening today at the Royal Exchange Theatre, To The Moon, external is a VR experience/installation by electronic pioneer Laurie Anderson.

Clocking in at a breezy 30 minutes long, audiences are invited to don VR sets, experience an out of world adventure, and celebrate 50 years since we mere mortals landed on the moon.

Here's Laurie talking about it in more detail about her creation:

To The Moon , externalis on from today until 20 July, so get down to the Royal Exchange, and lift off. We'll be down there today, so check back for our review!

It's simultaneously everyone's dream and nightmare: to work with someone you've admired across decades. What if you're not good enough? What if they're not as fantastical in the flesh? What if they just... don't turn up?

This all became a reality for theatre director Phelim McDermott when he met his hero, the composer Philip Glass, and they decided to work on a project together. The result is Tao Of Glass, external; a show that explores the process of creation, where ideas comes from, and how we try and match the wonder of those who inspire us.

Tao Of Glass , externalis running at the Royal Exchange Theatre as of now, take a look here - it's perfect for anyone looking for inspiration to strike.

We go behind the scenes at Tree, external, to look at the choreography behind the show. Earlier we took a peek at the audience reactions to the show too, and very excited they were too.

Tree runs until this Saturday, full information can be found here, external.

The brilliant Mary Anne Hobbs is broadcasting from our very own Festival Square right now (we're waving at her, weirdly looks like she's busy?)

She'll be chatting to the Festival's artist in residence, the legendary Laurie Anderson who is debuting a new VR piece To The Moon, external at the Royal Exchange Theatre, celebrating 50 years since the lunar landings.

She'll also catch up with Underworld's Karl Hyde, whose Manchester Street Poem project tells the stories of local residents who have experienced homelessness in their own words.

Singer, Actress and muse to David Lynch - Chrysta Bell - will be talking about her key role in the festival (and you can see her perform live tonight, external), Gal Dem will be dropping by to tell us about their game changing online magazine and Kings of Manchester LEVELZ throw down their Made in Manchester Mix. Plug in, and enjoy.

It's the halfway point at this year's Manchester International Festival, and it's safe to say we're nowhere near slowing down.

We've got new shows opening, shows absolutely hitting their stride, and Dan has started to claim that a pint of beer counts as an 'extraordinary plate', external, so everyone is living their best truth.

The big news today is that we'll be live-streaming our performance of Re:Creating Europe, external starring none other than Christopher Eccleston and Juliet Stevenson - so no matter where you are in the world, you can see it right here at 20:00 BST.

If you're here in physical human form tonight we have so much choice for you it's laughable: the world-bending Invisible Cities, external, the pop/classical dance fusion piece Maggie The Cat, external, Maxine Peake in The Nico Project, external, ethereal delights of Tao Of Glass, external, brewery surprises in A Drunk Pandemic, external, the technologically delightful Studio Creole , external- and that's just a selection.

Don't feel like sitting down? Well we've got that covered too - you can go on a city-wide adventure with Utopolis, external, go and watch some amazing music with Anna Calvi, Douglas Dare and Chrysta Bell, external as part of our David Lynch Takeover and you have the entirety of Festival Square to enjoy , externalfor free (did someone say Fabaret?).

Take a look at our full schedule here,, external and whatever happens, we'll see you back here at 20:00 BST to see living legend Christopher Eccleston perform Re:Creating Europe live.

Friday, we love you. Let's do this.

And so ends another day filled with, well, a little bit of everything really. Just how we like it.

Tao of Glass , externalopened today, and in fact the man himself Phillip Glass is with us in Manchester for the first shows. Our roving reporter Tash is at the show right now, we'll fill you in on the details tomorrow!

We took a closer look at Ibrahim Mahama's excellent Parliament of Ghosts, as well as Tuesday which is currently running at St Augustines.

Image source, MIF

We had another very exciting Creative Lab project pop up (this one's a classic), went behind the scenes at Tree, Tash stuck her head into a virtual factory, AND the results are in for Utopolis (in short: everyone bloody loved it. Loved it.)

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We're off to Festival Square to see if we can't add another EXTRAORDINARY PLATE to our checklist, then we'll be chucking shapes to Hattie Pearson, external until the lights come up.

We will see you tomorrow, friends!

MIF19 welcomes Studio ORKA's brand new festival commission, and world premiere, Tuesday, external.

Tuesday is created by Studio ORKA, a hugely acclaimed collective who make captivating, poetic and site-specific theatre for children and adults. Beautifully staged in a Grade I listed Victorian church, Tuesday is a magical and moving show about the people, places and experiences that make our journey through life unique.

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In its unique setting of St Augustine's Church, Tuesday is an all-ages reflection on the life of the eponymous Tuesday, reflecting on his life through a captivating site-specific theatre performance.

Tuesday’s an old man now, nearer the end than the beginning. As he looks back on his life, which began when he was abandoned in a church by his mother, we travel with him through time – into his memories, his dreams and the moments that shaped the person he became.

We're enormously excited by this one, find out more info right here, external and join us before the run ends this Sunday.

Ibrahim Mahama has taken over the prestigious Whitworth Gallery at MIF19, for the world premiere of his new installation, Parliament of Ghosts, external.

The heart of Parliament of Ghosts is a haunting assemblage of lost objects, rescued and repurposed to form a vast parliamentary chamber in the heart of the Whitworth. Abandoned train seats and faded railway sleepers, scrapped school furniture and documents from governmental archives: Mahama lends powerful new context to this residue from a nation in transition.

The ephemeral assemblage of seats, furniture, found objects and junk come together with video, photographs and sculpture to create a vivid and vibrant examination of the histories and memories of a country and its people asserting their independence.

The show is free to visit, and is at the Whitworth until the end of the festival on Sunday 21 July, and as ever, all the information can be found right here, external.

Today's exciting Creative Lab artist is the superb Alison Matthews, external, who (like so many on the cohort this year) has taken on brand new digital skills and clattered them boldly into her existing music and performance practice, to create something entirely new. Entitled, Bobby, Lunch is Darkness (He Put His Dream Place Inside the Frame), Alison’s work is an unflinching feminist reading of female characterisation within David Lynch’s work.

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In her own words:

My piece responds in part to the David Lynch programme at HOME (and its title, My Head is Disconnected). I collaborated with several algorithms to explore, remix and write into and out of lines spoken by Lynch's female characters in Mulholland Drive, Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet. I then staged these in a bespoke mini model-box theatre, created specifically for this video performance.

I'm interested in responding to Lynch from a feminist perspective and expanding on the dream logic at work in his films by using artificially intelligent algorithms. The result, Bobby, Lunch is Darkness (He Put His Dream Place Inside the Frame) is an eerie dreamworld of my own, in which the two performers (Woman 1 and Woman 2) speak to each other across a chasm, haunted by figures just offscreen.

The work is now online in full, make a brew and dive in.

Guidance warning: Contains adult themes

You can follow Alison on Twitter, external, Instagram, external, or check out her portfolio here, external.

The iconic Mayfield Depot, external plays host to Invisible Cities for MIF19, an ambitious immersive theatre experience set on a grand scale. Described as a spellbinding mix of theatre, choreography, music, architectural design and projection mapping, there's a lot going on here - let's take an exclusive look behind the scenes...

Invisible Cities runs until Sunday 14th July, full info can be found right here, external. Don't miss it!

The weekend is getting deliciously close, so why not start the celebrations early with some glorious free events in your very favourite Festival Square...

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As of right now you can check out the insightful, beautiful and heartbreaking stories of Manchester Street Poem donning the Festival Square walls - a project determined to give visibility to those who have suffered homelessness in their lives.

Image source, MIF

For those looking to dance, Electronic Empires, external are on the main stage from 17:30 BST, bringing their unique blend of indo-jazz and electronic rock to our sunny (fingers crossed) space.

The staggeringly good House Gospel Choir, external will be tearing the roof off for two whole hours at 20:00, and we can round off your evening with a DJ set from the brilliant Hattie Pearson:

So, that's:

ALL DAY - Manchester Street Poem

17.30 –19:00 BST Electronic Empires

20:00 –22:00 BST House Gospel Choir

22:00– Late DJ Hattie Pearson (Girls On Film)

Let's go!

Last Saturday MIF put on the first of its excellent Interdependence, external summits, in the main hall at the Whitworth. It was a varied, enlightening and challenging day (challenging in a good way), and we're pleased to say that the second session is coming up this Saturday in a new venue - the Albert Hall. Nice!

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For most of history, humans have been guided by religion and myths that have given our lives a sense of meaning. Now we live in an information age but no longer know who to trust, and we increasingly feel that our lives are inconsequential.

The second of our three Interdependence Saturday Summits responds to questions prompted by Studio Créole, external at MIF19 and asks: what are the new stories we need and who should tell them? 

This instalment of the series will hear from contributors like Hans Ulrich Obrist, external, Adam Thirwell, external, the amazing Gal-dem, external (who're taking over and curating the whole afternoon session), Hussein Kezvani, external, Paloma Dawkins, external and, worryingly, me, external. We haven't quite figured out the logistics of both speaking and covering myself speaking, but it'll be fun finding out!

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Join us this Saturday for the whole thing, external, and select sessions will be available here. Watch out for them!

From today, if you get over to Festival Square, external and head to the ticket booth in the corner, you can have a play on our very own VR experience - a simulated look at what the amazing new space The Factory is going to look like when it opens here in Manchester in 2021. Everyone looks great with a box on their face.

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If you've not heard of The Factory yet, it's a brand new performance space, external being built for world-class performances, installations and experiences, and at 13,300 square metres, there'll be no missing it.

Dance, theatre, music, opera, visual arts and the latest tech - The Factory will be shoving them all together, right here in our beautiful city.

To get a sneak peek at a few of the different locations, head down to the ticket office in Festival Square and look really cool waving your head around. Like so:

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

You can cycle through the grand hall, the beautiful theatre, the light and bright exhibition space, as well as seeing the amazing structure from the outside. This is the only way we will tolerate pictures of things from now on, by the way. No more photos, we demand to be WITHIN them.