Contacting the World performance festival at Contact Manchester

For one week in July, Contact Theatre is presenting the Contacting the World festival, which will feature performances from six young companies from around the world. To welcome these special guests to Manchester, the festival begins with a public event celebrating local talent (Mon 11 Jul, 7pm, £11/£6, contactmcr.com). Hosted by performer and transgender activist Kate O’Donnell, the evening will feature acts including the urban music group Cul De Sac, and comedian Jackie Hagan. Over the course of the week, the visiting companies will be undertaking an intensive collaboration, working with the themes of artificial intelligence, identity, and migration. This will result in Imitation Games, the festival’s finale event, which will feature three brand new performance pieces (Sat 16 Jul, 7pm, £11/£6, contactmcr.com) During the festival, there will also be special, free editions of Contact’s regular events. These include Rhythm and Words, an open mic night for spoken word artists; and Mixed Movement, an open stage event for dancers. There will also be a panel discussion exploring internationalism in politics and the arts.

Mon 11 – Sat 16 Jul, Contact Theatre, Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6JA, contactmcr.com