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jaydarcy
29th August 2021

It’s Coming HOME: A look at the new theatre season

After 10 months without live theatre, it’s coming home! Whilst Manchester has an array of fabulous arts venues, there’s no place like HOME – Manchester’s centre for contemporary theatre, film, art, music and more. Live theatre is returning to HOME with an epic line-up. There is set to be over 120 regional, national and international […]
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It’s Coming HOME: A look at the new theatre season
Photo: Leonv010 @Wikimedia Commons.

After 10 months without live theatre, it’s coming home!

Whilst Manchester has an array of fabulous arts venues, there’s no place like HOME – Manchester’s centre for contemporary theatre, film, art, music and more.

Live theatre is returning to HOME with an epic line-up.

There is set to be over 120 regional, national and international artists appearing across more than 30 shows.

Theatres can now operate at full capacity, but several shows will have a mix of socially distanced and full capacity performances, ensuring as many options as possible for audiences now that restrictions have come to an end.

Some coronavirus safety measures, including additional cleaning, hand sanitiser stations and queue management, will stretch into the Autumn.

HOME has put out some incredible online theatre over the course of the pandemic, so I’m delighted to reveal that there will be more digital commissions – set to be delivered on a new online platform, Homescreen.

This comes after HOME launched Homeground, an outdoor space where people could socialise and enjoy great theatre, art, film, music, comedy and more.

Homeground provided a safe and fun place to enjoy the best of Manchester’s arts and culture whilst restrictions were still in place.

HOME has dealt with lockdowns and restrictions with dignity and creativity, so it’s wonderful that their main site is finally able to reopen – with such an epic line-up of shows!

The new season includes some shows that missed their chance to appear at HOME, thanks to Covid, as well as new commissions from artists all over the UK and even the world.

We will get to see the return of HOME favourites, such as Bourgeois and Maurice, Le Gateau Chocolat and Hofesh Shechter, as well as plenty of new artists.

HOME Cinema Manchester
Photo: Pete Carr @ petecarr.net

Dave Moutrey, Director and CEO of HOME, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to announce the return of live theatre to our building, following a very long 10 months during which our theatres have been closed to the public due to coronavirus.

“We were absolutely determined to give artists whose work had been cancelled or postponed at the start of the pandemic the chance to bring their shows to the stage, and I’m pleased to say that many of the works appearing this season are among those we were planning to host last year.

“As well as honouring our commitments to those artists, our programming team have also found great new work, which I know HOME
audiences will love

“I’m also really pleased that festivals are back, and that with Push and Orbit we will have the opportunity to showcase some of the most exciting new works from artists in the North West and from across the world.

“This is a season full of joy, compassion and excitement, that I’m proud to say represents the best of HOME at this exciting moment when – finally – all three of our artforms are live again in
our building.”

HOME’s incredible Autumn/Winter season can be viewed online; there really is something for everybody.

There are also some festivals to look forward to!

Push is HOME’s annual celebration of the North West’s creative talents, and this year has been reimagined to become a strand across the whole year, allowing work to be seen both live and digitally, despite the coronavirus pandemic.

From September, Push Festival will return to the HOME building, with a combination of live and digital works.

The Ripples of Hope Festival, which runs from Wed 15th until Sun 19th September, celebrates the power of people to make human rights a reality for all, over three days of discussions, workshops, storytelling and performances – as well as in conversations on the 15th and the 16th.

Events include the unveiling of a new poetic response to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the PEN HG HG Wells Lecture with Elif Shafak, an In Conversation with Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, and an award for (and In Conversation with) Marcus Rashford MBE.

Black History Month 2021 at HOME begins on Friday 1st October.

Throughout the year and throughout all of HOME’s spaces, Black artists continue to be celebrated for their artistic brilliance and talent, bringing a diversity of artistic craft to the building.

This October, HOME is back with their annual programme of work, highlighting Black artists across their Film, Theatre and Visual Art Programme, and they’re excited to be celebrating Black History Month with the return of a specially curated programme – a series of special events, performances, talks, screenings and more!

Orbit is HOME’s annual festival of extraordinary, award-winning, international artists. This year’s Orbit Festival, which runs from Thurs 25th Nov until Sat 4th Dec, will combine live and digital work.

Christmas at HOME 2021, which runs from Fri 3rd until Thurs 23rd Dec, offers a fabulous festive celebration filled with Christmas cabaret, music, comedy and a reimagined family favourite.

And if you’re still searching for that perfect Christmas gift, you can purchase gift vouchers online!

HOME’s Autumn/Winter season runs from Wednesday 1st Sep 2021 until Friday 31st Dec 2021. Tickets for the season are on sale to the general public now.

Welcome HOME!

Jay Darcy

Jay Darcy

Theatre Editor. Instagram & Twitter: @jaydarcy7. Email: [email protected].

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