Manchester International Festival 2011

[neil]

From: www.mif.co.uk

Newsletter September 2010

FIRST 3 SHOWS TO BE ANNOUNCED

The first 3 Festival shows for 2011 will be announced on our new website on Fri 1 Oct 2010 with tickets on sale from 10am.

The full Festival programme will be revealed in March 2011.

Manchester International Festival takes place 30 June - 17 July 2011.

[neil]

From: www.mif.co.uk

FIRST THREE SHOWS ANNOUNCED

Manchester International Festival announces its first three shows for 2011. Tickets go on sale at 10am Fri 1 October via our website.


©Antony Crook The Life & Death of Marina Abramovic


Manchester International Festival and Teatro Real Madrid presents the world premiere of a startling new piece for the stage: The Life and Death of Marina Abramović, a biography of the godmother of performance art, reimagined by visionary director Robert Wilson.

This ground-breaking show starring Marina Abramović, Willem Dafoe, Antony (Antony & The Johnsons) and an international cast brings together the worlds of theatre, art and music to thrilling effect. Book tickets



© Catherine Ashmore That Day We Sang by Victoria Wood


A new play from one of Britain's best-loved writers and performers: the story of Manchester Children’s Choir in the 1920s, told from the perspective of the singers brought together again in their middle-age for a TV documentary.
Book tickets


Wagner: Die Walkure


Following their 2009 presentation of Götterdämmerung, which ended with a 15 minute standing ovation, Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé return to Wagner’s Ring Cycle with a concert version of Die Walküre over two days.

MIF has commissioned Gerard McBurney to create The Madness of an Extraordinary Plan, a new dramatic prologue to Die Walküre.
Sir Mark Elder leads the Hallé and three actors in a guide to Richard Wagner’s revolutionary reinvention of the musical language of opera. This will be an illuminating experience for Wagner afficionados and newcomers alike. Directed by Neil Bartlett. Book tickets

[neil]

MIF raises £2.2m from corporate sponsors

1st October 2010

THE organisers of the Manchester International Festival say they have so far raised £2.2m from commercial sponsors.

Soap maker PZ Cussons, Manchester Airport Group and property company Bruntwood are all backing the event as official sponsors. It has also won the support of the Co-operative Group, car parks company NCP, and hotelier City Inn.

The arts festival, held every two years, showcases a series of premieres and has helped to put the city on the cultural map. Next year it will take place from June 30 to July 17.

It receives some funding from Manchester City Council, Arts Council England and Salford City Council but needs cash from other sources to cover its budget.

Last year's event cost £9.3m to stage. It pulled in funding of £9.5m with £2.2m coming from the city council, £1.6m from other public bodies, £2.9m from sponsorship, £1.5m from ticket sales and £1.3m from other sources.

Festival director Alex Poots said: "It's hugely heartening to have secured this level of sponsorship from such a diverse range of companies, particularly at such a challenging time for business and the cultural industries.

"We have formed strong relationships across the region and beyond and we are very grateful for the support of these forward-thinking companies, both new and returning. This outstanding level of private sponsorship is made possible by building on the bedrock of support from our public sector funders."

The 2011 festival will see the launch of the MIF Pioneer scheme, allowing individuals to support the work of the festival for the first time with gifts of £1,000 or £2,000.

The first three festival commissions for next year's event include a new theatre piece written and directed by Victoria Wood, The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic, and a collaboration with Manchester’s own Hallé Orchestra.

The event is also supported by: Law firms Stephenson Bell, Cobbetts and Addleshaw Goddard; developers Argent, Nikal and Bluemantle; architect BDP; manufacturers SPX and Brother UK; engineers Arup, Buro Happold, Siemens and the Eric Wright Group; and property manager Frogmore Northern.

[flange]

Another new commision for MIF 2011.

Damon Albarn, Rufus Norris & Jamie Hewlett

Manchester International Festival, English National Opera and London 2012 Festival have commissioned Damon Albarn, Rufus Norris & Jamie Hewlett to create a new work to be premiered at MIF 2011 before transferring to London 2012.

Full details will be announced at the MIF programme launch in March next year.

[flange]

Manchester International Festival boosted city’s economy by £37.6m

Exclusive by Deborah Linton

October 13, 2011

The Manchester International Festival boosted the city’s economy by £37.6m, according to a new report.

The biennial arts event is being hailed a resounding success after exceeding almost every target and attracting more people than ever before.

This year’s festival drew top names including Björk and Snoop Dogg and works by Damon Albarn and Victoria Wood during an 18-day programme this summer.

Attendance was up four per cent on 2009 – from 223,960 to 231,598 – and turnover increased by 19pc on 2009.

The festival also helped to push up hotel occupancy and footfall in the city centre, with international attendance up 126 per cent, according to an independent study going to a Manchester town hall committee.

Councillors will be asked to approve £2m funding for a 2013 festival when they meet next week, as well £500,000 underwriting of expected public sector funding from organisations such as Arts Council England.

The report shows that commercial sponsorship for this year’s festival fell to £2.4m – down from £2.9m in 2009 and £3.3m in 2007.

But this was more than made up for by an increase in so-called ‘co-commissioning’ – where outside organisations pay to share in future profits raised by MIF shows – which rose from £750,000 in 2009 to more than £2m this year, and by a 50pc increase in box office receipts.

Coun Mike Amesbury, Executive Member for Culture and Leisure, said: "This year’s festival was a resounding success and shows it is going from strength to strength despite the difficult economic climate."

Festival director Alex Poots said: "We are very grateful to the council for their unflagging support."

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereven...conomy-by-376m