Manchester International Festival 2009

[Beram]

I looked for an existing festival thread but couldn't find one so I thought I'd set a new one up for the second International Festival. Sorry if I'm getting ahead of myself, or if this information has already appeared.

Details have started to appear, Rufus I think everybody knew about already. From www.citylife.co.uk:

Festival reveals line-up details
By Kevin Bourke

A NEW opera written by Rufus Wainwright, a theatre piece turning the Royal Exchange into a bingo hall and a series of live performances of JS Bach’s music in an environnment specially designed by the internationally-feted architect Zaha Hadid are the first three commissions to be announced for next year’s Manchester International Festival.

The festival, the world’s first to consist entirely of original, new work, will run from Thursday, July 2 until Saturday, July 19 next year.

“These first three commissions are just a taste of the Manchester International Festival 09 programme.

It’s an honour to welcome these artists to the Festival and we look forward to working with them to develop and present their work,” said Festival Director Alex Poots.

“It’s a risky business commissioning new work and the success of last year’s festival means that world-class artists now feel that Manchester is a safe place for them to reveal new works, while also being a major player on the world arts stage.

"These are just three of the commissions and they’re not meant to reveal our overall artistic ambition. You’ll be able to see that when we announce the entire Festival programme in March.”

PRIMA DONNA
Prima Donna is Rufus Wainwright’s debut opera and the openly-gay pop singer emphasies that he definitely will not be singing himself.

A portrait of a fading opera singer, it’s set in Paris and sung in French.

It will be produced in partnership with the Leeds-based Opera North and directed by Daniel Kramer.

Soprano Janis Kelly takes the lead role, Madame, and the show runs from July 10-19 at the Palace, home of the 2007 Festival’s award-winning Monkey: Journey To The West, a new opera in Chinese composed by Damon Albarn.

Talking exclusively to CityLife.co.uk, Rufus Wainwright said “I’d been thinking for years and years and years about writing an opera. I could never quite find a subject that I could handle psychologically for a first work.

"I needed something that was simple! One day, I was wartching these interviews with Maria Callas and instantly this idea for an opera about an opera singer kind of fell into my lap.

"I want to make it clear that this is not an opera about Maria Callas, although she is in there. It’s more about the diva qualities.

"A week later, completely by chance, I got a call from Peter Gelb at the New York Metropolitan Opera who’d heard that I liked opera and asked if I had any projects I was thinking of!

"The idea was so fresh and new at the time that he immediately went with that and we did workshop it there.

"I had a lot of conversations and met a lot of amazing people but it gradually became obvious that with that sort of size of machine I wasn’t going to see any results until at least 2014!

"That was the first issue and so was the fact that I was writing it in French.

"At first I’d intended to shift it into English, but it just kept coming fast and furious in that language so I decided to keep it that way. I had to get it out and I had to keep it in French so we came to the end of that particular road.

"But the Manchester International Festival stepped in. I think that just shows how forward-looking and risk-taking that Alex Poots is with that festival, and they were willing to go with me totally all the way. I know that the last festival kicked of with an opera in Mandarin Chinese, so compared to that French is pretty conventional!”

Reminded of his reported comment that he was going to premiere the opera in “a small place”, i.e. Manchester, he laughs a little defensively.

“First of all, that was taken out of context and, secondly, what the hell is wrong with small places? I’ve played Manchester a few times but I don’t know it all that well, to tell you the truth. So I’m excited to be able to discover the city and, judging by this festival and what they’re letting me do, Manchester is an exciting, adventurous and enthusiastic place!”

“Rufus is an artist who’s been obviously bursting out of the constraints of the three-minute pop song and, judging by what I’ve already heard, this opera is going to be a thing of real beauty,” concludes Poots.

EVERYBODY LOVES A WINNER
Everybody Loves a Winner is a new theatrical experience created by Neil Bartlett, whose show The Pianist was one of the big hits of the 2007 Manchester International Festival.

The Royal Exchange theatre will, says Poots. “become a bingo hall, both familiar and strange, with added music and dancing. Quite possibly, there’ll be the chance to win some cash too! Bingo is a much-loved but often-overlooked British institution and I think Neil’s work will remind us of that but also make us think about it a bit differently.

"I’ve been going with him to some bingo halls and it’s been a real eye-opening experience.”

BACH/ZAHA HADID
Zaha Hadid Architects are widely regarded as one of the most exciting architectural concerns in the world and Baghdad-born Hadid’s designs have been honoured at New York’s Guggenheim Musiem and the London Design Museum.

They have been commissioned to design a unique, intimate environment within the Manchester Art Gallery for performances of Bach’s solo piano, violin and cello works, with each soloist performing three evening recitals.

“I suppose this came out of a personal feeling of mine,” admits Alex, “that you can go and hear this exquisite chamber-music but usually only in big concert halls.

"I met Zaha and was telling her all about this hobby-horse of mine so we came up with the idea of creating an intimate environment that would be both a visually-stunning work of art and also acoustically would be specially-designed to convey this sublime music.”

*The Festival is also launching a major new creative learning programme for 09, dubbed MIF Creative. It’s a a £750,000 programme designed to provide opportunities for local people to takee part in the festival creatively, trained by high-profile artists.

“Last year also showed us some of the areas we need to improve and one of them is that we needed to be more visible in the city and region, and make local people feel more involved.

"We’re determined to be better at that this time and MIF Creative is part of that effort.”

*Tickets for Prima Donna and J S Bach/Zaha Hadid Architects go on sale at noon on Friday, October 10 from Quaytickets, online via www.mif.co.uk and by phone on 0844 815 4960. Tickets for Everybody Loves a Winner go on public sale on November 4.

Also the website has information: http://www.mif.co.uk/

Of particular interest is the Zaha Hadid commission:

The music of Johann Sebastian Bach is both beautiful and audacious, striking and sensual. In a very different way, the same can be said for the remarkable creations of Zaha Hadid – one of the most artistic and forward-thinking architects of her generation.

Exclusively for the Festival, Zaha Hadid Architects will visually and acoustically transform one of the exhibition spaces in Manchester Art Gallery into an extraordinary and intimate chamber music hall. Across a series of nine concerts, three internationally acclaimed musicians – pianist Piotr Anderszewski, cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras and violinist Alina Ibragimova – will perform Bach’s solo instrumental works. The aim: to create a near-perfect visual and sonic environment for the audience to experience some of the world’s most beautiful chamber music. A union of two true originals, three centuries apart.

Solo Piano: Piotr Anderszewski
Solo Cello: Jean-Guihem Queyras
Solo Violin: Alina Ibragimova
Zaha Hadid Architects: Zaha Hadid and Patrick Schumacher


Commissioned by Manchester International Festival commission and co-produced with Manchester Art Gallery

[Beram]

PS the search facility on this website is a nightmare!

[spoonsbeatfish]

Originally Posted by Beram

PS the search facility on this website is a nightmare!

I don't think you'll find many people disagree with you there! It can often be easier using google and just add "skyscrapercity" into the search.

[jrb]

From Place North West.

Zaha Hadid/JS Bach concert tickets on sale
28 November 2008, 10:33



Manchester International Festival organisers have released tickets for the first events announced for the 2009 biennial, including concerts featuring the music of Johann Sebastian Bach in a specially commissioned room to be created by international superstar architect Zaha Hadid.

Hadid's creation will be installed in one of the exhibition spaces in Manchester Art Gallery for nine performances in July next year. The structure will remain in place and free to view until September.

Hadid is known for her fluid designs and was nominated for this year's Stirling Prize for the Nord Park cable station in Innsbruck, pictured above.

[Chorley Boi]

International Festival, how about the Lancastrian Festival

[Beram]

Originally Posted by Chorley Boi

International Festival, how about the Lancastrian Festival

The idea is that the work being displayed/performed is international is scope, not local or vernacular. Like the Edinburgh International Festival.

[heatonparkincakes]

Come on Chorley Boi even if Lancashire still existed in its pre 73 borders this would still be the Manchester International Festival and the Liverpool City of Culture.

Bu the way the land lord from the Swan with 2 necks down near the bus station (if i remember rightly) was on Dick Bacon's BBC radio 5 last night.

Sounded Ok until he made some odd remarks around trying to deny passive smoking causes cancer and blaming New Labour for the decline of pubs (erm who relaxed the licence laws???).

Then he said he was your UKIP candidate in chorley at the next election. And it all made sense. Or lack of it maybe..................

[CDX]

bump.

Look at them proudly standing infront of that beautiful building.

Festival hits £3.1 million in sponsorship
http://www.mif.co.uk
26 January 2009



Manchester International Festival today announces sponsorship for the ‘09 event of £3.1 million, representing a third of the entire operating costs of the Festival. This figure is a combination of 85% cash sponsorship and 15% value in kind.

The Festival has to date secured £3.1 million from new and returning sponsors including Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), City Inn, Bruntwood, Manchester Airport, PZ Cussons and NCP. This is in addition to significant public sector funding from Manchester City Council and Arts Council England.

“In an increasingly difficult climate for business we are delighted to have reached this landmark in our fundraising. This represents an endorsement from some very smart business people and we greatly appreciate it. The Festival couldn’t happen without their support,” said Festival Director Alex Poots.

The inaugural Manchester International Festival in 2007 benefited from £3.6 million in sponsorship; the most private sector funding ever raised for a UK festival. The target sponsorship figure for MIF 09 is again £3.6million and discussions continue with additional sponsors.

Councillor Mike Amesbury, Executive Member for Culture and Leisure at Manchester City Council said: “To secure six top tier sponsors is an impressive performance given the current economic climate. Many of these companies
invested in the first festival and this on-going support clearly demonstrates the benefits of association with this event, not only for their organisation but for the City as a whole.”

The first Festival in 2007 attracted over 200,000 visitors to the city with an estimated economic impact of £28.8 million and further enhanced Manchester’s international reputation as a leading cultural city.

The current list of sponsors of the 2009 Manchester International Festival:

Official Sponsors: Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), City Inn, Bruntwood, Manchester Airport, PZ Cussons, NCP

Public Funders: Manchester City Council, Arts Council England

Official Supporters: Cobbetts, Speedy Hire

Official Supplier: Stephenson Bell

Media Partners: MEN, The Guardian, BBC

NOTES TO EDITORS

Manchester International Festival is the world’s first festival of original, new work and special events and takes place biennially, in Manchester, UK. The Festival launched in 2007 as an artist-led, commissioning festival presenting new works from across the spectrum of performing arts, music, visual arts and popular culture.

The second Manchester International Festival takes place from 2-19 July 2009 with a programme of original work and special events including a commission that will see Zaha Hadid Architects create a bespoke environment for the solo works of JS Bach; Everybody Loves a Winner, Neil Bartlett’s new play which will bring bingo to the Royal Exhange theatre and Prima Donna, Rufus Wainwright’s debut opera. The full programme will be announced in March 09.

In the photograph, from left to right: Simon Scott - Bruntwood, Head of Marketing; Sheldon Phillips - NWDA, Head of Regional Major Events; Andrew Cornish - Manchester Airport, Managing Director; Jo Dunkley - City Inn, Head of Marketing; Alex Kanellis - PZ Cussons, CEO; Brandon Leigh - PZ Cussons, Group Finance Director; Alex Poots - Manchester International Festival, Festival Director.
©Joel Chester Fildes.

[CDX]

From the Observer:

Now look here: let's set the agenda for 2009
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign
25 January 2009

Next week, Liz Forgan takes over as chair of Arts Council England - at a time when the financial crisis and the digital revolution are presenting serious challenges to Britain's artistic community. What should Forgan's priorities be? Imogen Carter speaks to leading figures in the arts and asks them what issues need attention most urgently
...

Alex Poots - Director, Manchester International Festival

There's a lot of debate at the moment about regeneration through culture and while it's been proved that culture can have a powerful effect, from my perspective it's essential that you start with the art and the artist and keep them absolutely at the forefront of what you're trying to do. It's not the artists' responsibility to regenerate Manchester.

That said, we live in a society and need to create work that relates to, and engages with, the community, the city, the country of its creation. It's the job of the curator, the producer or the artistic director to keep the artist focused on the art, while keeping an extremely careful eye on how the work has an impact on the community. It has to be a dialectic, and it's a challenge, but you're on thin ice if you put the cart before the horse.

From: http://www.britishcouncil.org

WALK THE PLANK
Physical/visual theatre|Site-specific outdoor theatre|Installation-based performance

ARTISTIC POLICY
Walk the Plank creates outdoor and site-specific work varying in scale from intimate to epic, often mixing striking visual images and special effects with music and performance.
Engagement of local people in the process of making the show is often important for one-off events that celebrate particular locations or occasions. Touring work is often produced in collaboration with other companies.

REVIEW EXTRACTS
A luscious bouquet of sculptures and pyrotechnics…a mesmerising event that produced a child-like state of wonder in the audience.
Total Theatre (Le Jardin Flambé)
Dholdrums in the Dark' provided a fitting finale to Saturday's event – happening in darkness, the show is accessible, uplifting and spectacular.
Julian Rudd, Festival Director

FUTURE PRODUCTIONS
The Difference Engine
Commission for the Manchester International Festival 09, the show will use puppetry and performance to create a steampunk journey for children aged 7 upwards, looking at the science of invention and the punchcard world of mathematical challenges.

http://www.walktheplank.co.uk/

[neil]

Relates to this thread:

From the Northwest Development Agency Website.

The Start of something great

Manchester’s museums and galleries set their sights high – and roll out a startling new exhibition and events programme

This February, Manchester Museums’ Consortium, a group of eight museums and galleries that includes Manchester Art Gallery, The Manchester Museum and The Whitworth Art Gallery, launches an impressive, two-year programme of international exhibitions, openings and events that will position Manchester as one of the UK’s leading cultural destinations.

The programme begins with The Whitworth Art Gallery’s Subversive Spaces (6 February-4 May), one of the most radical contemporary Surrealist shows to be staged in the UK in recent years, and which includes the world premiere of a new commission by renowned German artist, Gregor Schneider. As well as new and contemporary artworks, Subversive Spaces features some of the biggest names of the Surrealist movement, including Max Ernst, Salvador Dalí and René Magritte, with many works on loan from the Pompidou and Tate galleries.

Subversive Spaces is just the start. Over the next two years, visitors to the city, as well as local residents, will be able to enjoy major shows such as Manchester Art Gallery’s ambitious Angels of Anarchy (26 September), an exhibition of the work of female Surrealists and the largest show of its kind ever staged in the UK. Elsewhere, Manchester Museum works with a performance artist in The Manchester Hermit (May), while two commissions are premiered as part of Manchester International Festival (including JS Bach/Zaha Hadid Architects at Manchester Art Gallery). In late 2009, the People’s History Museum re-opens after a £12m redevelopment. This is followed, in September 2010, by a major new commission at Manchester Art Gallery. The full programme includes 10 new exhibitions and supports and promotes dozens more during 2009 and 2010.

This is the first time that Manchester’s museums and galleries have worked together in this way, and comes on the eve of the second Manchester International Festival. The programme marks a concerted effort by cultural organisations right across the city to stage more ambitious exhibitions and to exploit the potential of their remarkable fine art and heritage collections. Not only that, but to stage events that build on Manchester’s unique past – as the world’s first industrial city; the world’s first truly modern metropolis – and to create a cultural programme that is internationally important and attracts visitors from all over the world.

The Museums’ Consortium’s vision is underpinned by financial support from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and Renaissance in the Regions, and is designed to raise Manchester’s cultural profile and boost tourism. The Consortium has been working closely with tourism agencies, such as Visit Manchester, as well as a wide range of stakeholders and other cultural organisations, on the development of the programme.

Speaking at the launch event, Sir Nicholas Serota, Director of Tate, said, ‘Manchester is determined to make its mark, nationally and internationally. This bold new exhibition at The Whitworth Art Gallery is a great example of what is to come – major international artists such as Gregor Schneider; cutting edge displays; new ideas; and radical thinking.’

‘The investment of the Northwest Regional Development Agency,’ continued Serota, ‘is a testament to the credibility of this programme, which has been developed through the leadership and hard work of the Renaissance North West team and the museum directors across the region.’

The programme will be rolled out from February, with Manchester Museums’ Consortium launching a major marketing campaign in conjunction with Visit Manchester in April. A full list of exhibitions, events and planned activity will also be released by Manchester Museums’ Consortium in the spring, with a series of high profile Industrial Powerhouse and Roman Heritage programmes to follow.

[CDX]

http://www.manchestermuseumsandgalleries.org.uk

Crazy website design, massive web address...

[CDX]

From the Mancubist blog:

Dave Haslam presents… a sneak peak into MIF 09?
http://www.mancubist.co.uk
21.02.09

Either Manchester International Festival is taking a liberal approach to announcing this year’s programme, or someone’s jumped the gun:

'07-18-2009 20:00

MANCHESTER INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

Dave Haslam presents'

And all they had to do was hold out until the press launch at Manchester Art Gallery on 19 March!

Anyway, this could be good… at least we know that Haslam is as pro-Manchester as you’ll get - unlike Rufus Wainwright, who’s having a good go at making Manchester feel well and truly second best. He’s not exactly talking up his opera-writing skills either, is he? And he’s not even sure that it won’t be a disaster.

July looks set to be a fun month!

Here's another 'presents' MIF linked event being promoted:

http://micronclub.co.uk/calendar
...
Friday 10 July - Manchester International Festival presents Micron with Justin Robertson...

[rob_right]

Originally Posted by CDX

http://www.manchestermuseumsandgalleries.org.uk

Crazy website design, massive web address...

Shocking!

[flange]

Planning application is now in for the pavillion at Albert Square

Albert Square
Manchester
M2 3FU

Installation of a permanent foundation for a festival pavillion

http://www.publicaccess.manchester.g...=KFO3TWBC6K000

No documents are online yet.

[dd528]

I have nothing to add to this thread but just wanted to say thanks Beram for starting it up. Seems to be shaping up to be a good festival yet again.

[Beram]

Pleasure dd528. It's looking exciting. The Hadid/Bach piece is a particular highlight as far as I'm concerned.

[chameleontel]

I will be in New York during the M.I.F. It will be interesting to see if it gets any coverage there. I`ll be keeping my ear to the ground.

[dd528]

Originally Posted by chameleontel

I will be in New York during the M.I.F. It will be interesting to see if it gets any coverage there. I`ll be keeping my ear to the ground.

I'd have thought there'd be some buzz around the Rufus Wainwright opera. He's a son of New York, unless I'm much mistaken. Hopefully the quality of the work on display will prompt interest from all kinds of international media. I would have thought there was a decent chance, given that the last festival managed to attract quite a lot of big names within their respective fields, and pieces such as Monkey were successfully exported out of Manchester.

[jrb]

Liberal Councillor Simon Ashley wants to make it a annual event. In todays MEN.

[uklad1979]

Originally Posted by jrb

Liberal Councillor Simon Ashley wants to make it a annual event. In todays MEN.

Would be hard to do as would be harder too get the huge sums of cash it needs and the creative work would have less time to be developed.