This week, Swinton Square – formerly Swinton Shopping Centre – transforms into a captivating time travel plaza to host Carousel of Us, a brand new site-specific theatre production which charts an odyssey through the past, present and future of the town centre with a collection of interwoven stories.
Created by long time collaborators Lowri Evans and Renato Bolelli Rebouças (Precarious Carnaval, The Shrine of Everyday Things), and produced by From the Other (Sounds from the Other City, Swinton Sounds, Sounds ‘Round Town), Carousel of Us explores the timeless, transcendent themes of change, place and time through the lens of Swinton’s shopping hub, a shifting epicentre of evolution in business, fashion and life itself across the decades.
Billed as ‘a chance to step off the merry-go-round of everyday life and ponder our own part in history’, the unique international production is set to unfold around the audience in shops and cafes, with tour performances set in their own time spanning the 70s, the present day and the Swinton of tomorrow, culminating in a group performance which celebrates the simple joy of human connection and being alive to witness the magical transience of community living.
Carousel of Us was commissioned by Salford City Council as part of the Swinton Vision project – an exciting programme of events to engage local people, and promote and celebrate Swinton, in support of longer-term ambitions to deliver change within the town centre.
Co-Director, Lowri Evans, comments: “Community is at the heart of this project. We’re devising a production that celebrates the many different pasts, presents and futures of Swinton, and the wealth of fascinating conversations we’ve had and stories we’ve been told.
“Carousel of Us will be created by and for Swinton people of all ages, including the choirs, dance classes, writing groups, youth centre, schools, shops and businesses that we’ve been honoured to spend time with over the past six months.
John Searle, Executive Director of Place at Salford City Council, said: “It’s really exciting to see a project like Carousel of Us working with local people to create something special right in the heart of Swinton town centre – transforming community spaces and vacant shop units into a unique theatrical experience.
“Swinton has plenty to celebrate and has the potential to be one of the best places to live in Greater Manchester. Local people have told us they want to see a more vibrant Swinton, with more going on – and this weekend of performances is part of a programme of events developed in response to that community ambition. It’s a great opportunity for people to come together and experience something new.”
All scenes will take place in Swinton Square, with performances at 5pm and 7pm on Thu 4, 5pm and 7pm on Fri 5 and 3pm and 5pm on Sat 6.
Tickets are free and available to book in-person or via the link below.
- Words:
- Wolf McFarlane
- Published on:
- Tue 2 Jul 2024
