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For two weeks from 29 July – 6 August residents of Cheetham Hill and Crumpsall in North Manchester will have the chance to take part in workshops, family craft days, book in to see a show or get on stage themselves in their own show, M8's Got Talent. All tickets for The Den in M8 are either free or just £1.
The Royal Exchange has been working in partnership with the Cheetham Hill and Crumpsall communities over the last four years, running creative workshops, making inspiring work such as the Up the Hill audio-plays, and bringing together a 12-strong local Exchange Ambassador team to help shape and deliver the summer festival for the Den. This team of Cheetham Hill and Crumpsall residents includes faith leaders, local artists, community champions and young people from local schools all of whom are passionate about their community.
They have created a summer theatre festival programme that is offering something for the whole community to get involved with. Alongside professional performances and spoken word events, there’s music, food, fashion, drumming and podcast workshops delivered by talented M8 residents.
Royal Exchange joint artistic director Roy Alexander Weise said: “We are very excited for this festival. We have been resident in Cheetham Hill and Crumpsall now for almost four years and have had the privilege of working alongside so many dedicated residents who are passionate about their community. We have such a vibrant programme on offer. The Ambassador team have built a festival for their community with everything from family events to a solo show from the Bush Theatre in London, so now all we’ve got to do is get our pop-up theatre up and throw the doors wide open.”
Among the Den Festival’s 25 individual events are two exhibitions, nine free workshops (from catwalk fashion to podcast creation) and 11 performances, including Invisible, a brand-new show by Manchester writer Nikhil Parmar which has just had its world premiere at the Bush Theatre, London.
Bob Sopel, the Ukrainian Centre Manager, said: “It is really important that life goes on and that we continue to live fully. Being able to bring the communities of Cheetham Hill and Crumpsall together, here, is a celebration of everything we have to offer as a community of people, it is a celebration of life, that feels more important than ever. We are really pleased to host this event and can’t wait for people to join us.”
He added: “All tickets for the Den in M8 are either free or just £1. We've kept the ticket price low because we want everyone to be able to attend; and we want to encourage those who can afford it to donate to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal (with the Disasters Emergency Committee).”
Details: https://www.royalexchange.co.uk/whats-on-and-tickets/the-den-in-m8 Photos:Joel Chester Fildes.
Image Credits: Joel Chester Fildes