Contact is delighted to announce the full line up for its Queer Contact Weekender – marking LGBT History Month 2019. Breaking from the tradition of a week-long festival, this year’s LGBTQ+ Arts and Culture celebration will run as a compact weekender from Friday 8-Saturday 9 February, in various venues across the city and featuring some of the best-loved elements of the annual festival, concluding with THE famous Manchester Vogue Ball.
As a trail blazer event ahead of the Weekender, and to kick start Contact’s In the City Part 3 programme, multi-award-winning Bristol-based theatre company Ad Infinitum bring their latest hilarious and thought-provoking play, No Kids to The Lowry on Friday 1 February, exploring the chaotic social anxieties of same sex parenting.
Described as “We need to talk about Kevin on acid “ (Total Theatre), No Kids tells the story of same sex couple, George and Nir, navigating their way through the trials and challenges of parenting outside of the hetero-normal world. From adoption and surrogacy to co-parenting and childbirth – this hilarious, moving and heart-felt play confronts and addresses these ethical and life-changing decisions head-on. A post-show discussion will also take place – with cast and creatives – to continue the debate and hopefully share all too familiar anecdotes.
Opening the Festival Weekender in style on Friday 8th February at Waterside in Sale, will be the much loved Mother’s Ruin family, in association with Contact, Royal Exchange Theatre and Waterside Arts. An inter-stellar line-up of Mother’s Bloomers rising stars perform alongside some of Mother’s Ruin favourites, expect a galaxy of irreverent and politically queer wit, sprinkled with a touch of stardust.
On the morning of Saturday February 9th, Contact host an Open Forum inviting the public to able to have their say on the future of Queer Contact in conversation with Festival staff, artists and young people. All opinions and suggestions are welcome as the team start to re-imagine the Festival from 2020 onwards and share new commissioning opportunities for creating new shows.
Festival Saturday continues into the afternoon at YES, where Glasgow/Berlin based live artist Nima Séne and curator Tuna Erdem from the Istanbul Queer Art Collective present performingborders – LIVE. Expect a lively and timely discussion focusing on the exploration of the personal, the cultural and the physical and an understanding of how their queer, migrant and PoC identities shape their work. Both events are free to attend but reserving a place is advisable.
Outspoken returns to Queer Contact this year, on Saturday 9 February at Number 70, for a spellbinding and packed programme of poetry and spoken word performances. Manchester poet, Mandla-Rae, hosts the up and coming Ella Otomewo, Billie Meredith, Maz Hedgehog and Bryony Bateswho all take their words to the stage for a celebration of Manchester’s queer women and non-binary artists.
Club culture meets high art in the concluding Queer Contact Festival event on Saturday night – as Vogue Houses from far and wide return to Manchester to compete and battle for dance supremacy in House of Suarez and Contact’s highly acclaimed and multi award-winning Vogue Ball. Celebrate global vogue culture, an extravaganza of costume and drama in this fierce and fantastic catwalk spectacular reminiscent of 1970s/80s New York at its’ most glamorous.
Tickets are now on sale for Queer Contact’s Festival Weekender 2019 – by phone on 0161 274 0600 or online at contactmcr.com. Please see below for the full list of theatre, spoken word, dialogues and live art, from Manchester’s most exciting and provocative theatre.
Listings:
CONTACT AND THE LOWRY PRESENT: AD INFINTUM: NO KIDS
Fri 1 Feb, 8pm. £15 / £10 conc. Over 14s.
Should we have kids, or not? George and Nir are a real-life same-sex couple trying to answer a question many of us face. Every consideration — adoption, surrogacy, co-parenting, the environmental impact of childbirth, the fears and anxieties, how the past affects parenting and much, much more — brings with it a succession of ethical challenges.
Post-show discussion on Fri 1 Feb.
Part of Queer Contact Festival 2019, Contact’s annual festival celebrating LGBTQ+ arts & culture in Greater Manchester.
The Lowry, Pier 8, The Quays, Salford M50 3AZ
CONTACT AND WATERSIDE ARTS PRESENT: MOTHER’S RUIN
Fri 8 Feb, 8pm. £12 / £10 conc. Over 16s.
An inter-stellar line up of Mother’s Bloomers’ rising stars converging with some of your favourite constellations from the Mother’s Ruin universe… expect a galaxy of irreverent and politically Queer wit speckled in polished stardust spectacular.
Presented in association with Waterside Arts, Contact and Royal Exchange Theatre.
Part of Queer Contact Festival 2019, Contact’s annual festival celebrating LGBTQ+ arts & culture in Greater Manchester.
Waterside, 1 Waterside Plaza, Sale, Trafford M33 7ZF
QUEER CONTACT AT YES:
QUEER CONTACT OPEN FORUM
Sat 9 Feb, 11am. FREE
A discussion with Contact staff, artists and young people about the future direction of Queer Contact as we reimagine the festival from 2020 onwards. Artists: find out about new commissioning opportunities for queer artists to create new work.
Part of Queer Contact Festival 2019, Contact’s annual festival celebrating LGBTQ+ arts & culture in Greater Manchester.
performingborders | LIVE
Sat 9 Feb, 1pm. FREE
An afternoon of conversation between Glasgow/ Berlin-based live artist Nima Séne and curator Tuna Erdem from the Istanbul Queer Arts Collective discussing how experiences of otherness related to their queer, migrant and PoC identities shape their work.
Curated by Alessandra Cianetti and Xavier de Sousa.
Part of Queer Contact Festival 2019, Contact’s annual festival celebrating LGBTQ+ arts & culture in Greater Manchester.
YES, 38 Charles Street, Manchester M1 7DB
OUTSPOKEN
Sat 9 Feb, 3pm. £10 / £8 conc. Over 12s.
Mandla-Rae, Manchester poet and former young programmer, hosts Ella Otomewo, Billie Meredith, Maz Hedgehog and Bryony Bates for a celebration of Manchester’s queer women and nonbinary artists.
Produced by Contact.
This event is supported by a grant from Superbia at Manchester Pride.
In partnership with RAH! at Manchester Met.
Part of Queer Contact Festival 2019, Contact’s annual festival celebrating LGBTQ+ arts & culture in Greater Manchester.
Number 70, Oxford Street, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M1 5NH
CONTACT AND HOUSE OF SUAREZ: VOGUE BALL
Sat 9 Feb, 7pm. £35 seated front row / £25 seated, £15 standing. Over 18s.
Club culture meets high art, as Vogue Houses come together from far and wide to compete for dance supremacy in a catwalk spectacular reminiscent of 1970s/80s New York at its most glamorous.
Part of Queer Contact Festival 2019, Contact’s annual festival celebrating LGBTQ+ arts & culture in Greater Manchester.
Manchester Academy 2, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PR
