Manchester International Festival has revealed its 2023 programme. Working with partners across the globe, the wide-ranging lineup features original new work by artists from around the world at venues around the city, including the brand-new Factory International building.
From a collaboration exploring art and the beautiful game by curator Hans Ulrich Obrist and footballer Juan Mata, featuring new work by Tino Sehgal, to a mixed reality concert by Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. From a live photographic performance by Benji Reid to a musical adaptation of a cult queer classic by Philip Venables and Ted Huffman, the expansive programme of new work premiering at the Festival will see art forms merge, breaking new creative ground and challenging perceptions.
A major exhibition of Yayoi Kusama’s inflatable sculptures will form a centrepiece of the Festival, the first work to be presented at Factory International’s flagship space. You, Me and the Balloons will take over the vast warehouse venue, inviting audiences to take an exhilarating journey through Kusama’s psychedelic creations.
Manchester’s Festival Square also relocates to the new building’s outdoor spaces with free live music from over 100 performers, and a wide variety of food and drink, creating a new riverside destination for Manchester.
Events will take place in spaces and places across the city – including a city-wide quest for collectible coin artworks by Ryan Gander, a celebration of our connection to water on the banks of the River Medlock by Risham Syed and Angie Bual, and a chilling adaptation of a lost dystopian novel in the depths of the John Rylands library by Maxine Peake, Sarah Frankcom and Imogen Knight.
Winner of the inaugural Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 2019, International Award, Kimber Lee’s untitled f*ck m*ss s**gon play makes its world premiere directed by Roy Alexander Weise (The Mountaintop) and designed by Moi Tran for the Royal Exchange Theatre. The anticipated production, co-produced with the Young Vic and Headlong, jumps through time – wriggling inside of and then exploding lifetimes of repeating Asian stereotypes, wrestling history for the right to control your own narrative in a world that thinks it can tell you who you are.
Elsewhere, a diverse slate of music features, headlined by a three-day residency from Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Janelle Monáe, including performances from Angélique Kidjo, Alison Goldfrapp, and revered Sufi singer Sanam Marvi; the premiere of a new show from John Grant and the Richard Hawley band celebrating pop and country legend Patsy Cline; a world premiere by John Luther Adams inspired by arctic landscapes performed by the BBC Philharmonic; and a night of dance and music from dance company L-E-V curated by record label Young.
MIF23 will also feature a broad online offering including livestreams and behind-the-scenes broadcasts, plus the world premiere of a new film by artist and director Jenn Nkiru, and a programme of talks from Guardian Live that will take place in person and online – full details to be announced.
Greater Manchester residents will also play an integral part of the festival programme, from performing on Festival Square, to volunteering in an array of roles. Many of the works reflect on the personal experiences of the city’s diverse communities, from youth-led performances, and exhibitions surrounding mental health as part of Balmy Army to a futuristic and interactive journey through Manchester by Blast Theory and Manchester Street Poem led by those most marginalised in the city.
Alongside the artists presenting new work at MIF23, a group of international artists will take up residency in communities in Greater Manchester to soak up the Festival and plan projects for the future, including El Conde de Torrefiel, The Nest Collective, Shilpa Gupta and FAFSWAG.
Another visual art highlight, The Trequartista – Art and Football United brings together 11 artists and 11 footballers to produce new works inspired by the Trequartista, a legendary position and style in football that is rapidly disappearing. Co-curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and footballer Juan Mata, The Trequartista is conceptualised and developed by writer Josh Willdigg. 11 teams of footballers and artists will work together over two years, culminating in a group show at the 2025 edition of Manchester International Festival.
Reflecting its commitment to developing the next generation of creative talent, MIF23 will see artists from all stages of their careers given platforms to develop and learn during the festival. Six artists from the North will shadow the creation of MIF23 projects through the Factory Creative Fellowships, and ten creatives involved in Manchester’s music scene will be offered financial support towards the creation of a new project and the opportunity to perform on Festival Square as part of the recently launched Factory Sounds.
£10 tickets will be available for all shows, with many events offering free entry. Head over the the Manchester International Festival website for full details and tickets.
- Words:
- Bradley Lengden
- Published on:
- Thu 30 Mar 2023
