Future Flares Festival brings a packed bill of radical performances to Manchester Met

The innovative performance festival Future Flares returns to Manchester Metropolitan University later this month.

Running from Wed 22 Jan – Fri 24 Jan, the event promises a curated programme of politically engaged performances, impactful talks and engaging workshops.

Taking place at Manchester Met’s Grosvenor East theatre and neighbouring performance spaces, the festival will feature work from radical performance makers from across the UK alongside pieces by leading artists/researchers based at Manchester Met including Dan Dubowitz, Andrea Maciel, Michael Pinchbeck and others.

One of the most notable performances of the festival will be Get Off, described as an ‘in yer face’ look at desire by self-proclaimed hedonist and queer performance artist, Katy Baird, who has spent the last decade documenting her pursuit of pleasure.

Through her trademark humour and an existential haze of home videos, last night’s pounding gabber track, and sessions with her life coach Get Off offers a raw, unfiltered glimpse into the human need for distraction; exploring the depths of our desires and what truly gets us off.

Another highlight will be the ecological and devastating Vigil created by Herald Angel award-winning company Mechanimal. The one-man performance from Tom Bailey blends movement, poetry, a stunning soundscape, one human and 26,000 other species to create a wild and playful exploration of life in an age of extinction.

Inspired by a breakup and over 40 interviews from a social media call-out, DELUGE by Gabriela Flarys and Andrea Maciel puts a magic realist spin on dealing with and overcoming grief while the thrilling new 30-minute set by Leeds-based dance artist, Lewys Holt, fuses dance, stand-up, theatre, and song into a thirty-minute exploration of the passing of time, guilt, Duracell bunnies, bus timetables and existential philosophy.

Panel discussions, featuring leading voices in the world of performance including members of Arts Council England, The Lowry and Contact Theatre, will shed light on some of the most burning issues across the industry right now, from sustainability in theatre to the social impact of performance.

Elsewhere, workshops with Sick! and Dr Rachel Rimmer-Piekarczyk will delve into a wide range of creative practices and unique approaches to performance.

The majority of Future Flare’s performances are free but ticketed, though some of the festival’s main performances are paid.

The full programme and all ticket information can be found here.