HOME announces PUSH festival of regional talent

Some of the Northwest's most exciting emerging artists across theatre, film and visual art will present their work at PUSH 2017, taking place 14-28 January. 

With more than 30 performances, events, panel discussions and workshops as well as an exhibition and screenings, PUSH will take over all of HOME Manchester's theatre, cinema and gallery spaces. As well as showcasing new work, the festival is geared towards encouraging fresh talent through offering guidance from industry experts on topics including how to work with curators and galleries, how to secure funding for a short film, and a workshop with Channel 4's Random Acts North team. 

Highlights of the programme include new commission The Island, The Sea, The Volunteer and The Refugee by Louise Wallwein, which tackles the urgent issue of migration through Wallwein's personal perspective as a volunteer with refugee support group Kos Solidarity in Greece. The performance is for ten audience members at a time.

From Mighty Heart Theatre – whose show When I Feel Like Crap I Google Kim Kardashian Fat explored body image and self-esteem and played at last year's PUSH – comes work-in-progress Now Is The Moment we Learn Hope, in which they unravel their experiences travelling to some of the happiest and unhappiest places in the UK; and from the Powder Keg company comes Morale is High (Since we gave up Hope), a performance that seeks to predict what will happen between now and the next general election in 2020. 

Screenings include a preview of the first feature from Manchester-based filmmaker Jason Wingard, The Crossing, a mix of documentary and fictional drama shot over the course of a year in the Calais Jungle. 

In the gallery space will be a new photographic exhibition by Victoria Lucas investigating connections between gender and geographical place. Curated by Manchester-based Mark Devereux Projects, Lay of the land (and other such myths) is the outcome of Lucas’s research excursions across the Californian Desert in 2015. 

PUSH 2017 forms part of HOME’s talent development programme, which this year includes a new theatre strand offering support and opportunities to theatre makers at all career stages. Part of this is a two-year residency for one theatre maker to take part in a tailored development programme, leading to the commission of a piece of work for HOME’s main stage – find out more about this, and other initiatives, here.

homemcr.org

PUSH 2017 listings in brief: 

Plays & performances: 

The Island, The Sea, The Volunteer and The Refugee by Louise Wallwein, directed by Susan Roberts, 15, 18, 19, 21 Jan

I'm Standing Next To You (The Mill Theatre Company), 16 & 17 Jan 

The Trial (People Zoo Productions), 16-18 Jan 

Morale is High (Since we gave up Hope) (Powder Keg), 16-18 Jan

Pen: Chant, 19 Jan 

House of Bernarda Alba by Yusra Warsama, 20 Jan 

Betty (Fly In Your Soup Theatre), 20-22 Jan 

Now Is The Moment we Learn Hope (Mighty Heart Theatre), 21 & 22 Jan 

You/Me/Tomorrow (1121 Collective), 23-25 Jan 

Mina by Nataly Lebouleux, 23-25 Jan 

The Return (Square Peg Theatre), 26 Jan 

A Place Called Happiness by Debs Gatenby, 26-28 Jan 

Who Wants to Live Forever by Cheryl Martin, 26-28 Jan 

Symposium: Victoria Lucas: Lay of the Land (and other such myths), 28 Jan 

Screenings:

iShorts screening, 18 Jan

Preview: The Crossing plus Q&A, 23 Jan 

Exhibition launch: 

Victoria Lucas: Lay of the land (and other such myths), 27 Jan

Events:

14 Jan

Panel Discussion: Short film funding
First Acts: How to get your short film commissioned, with Random Acts

15 Jan
Workshop: Introduction to vogue
Workshop: Re: discovering your voice

16 Jan
Networking: Mothers who make

17 Jan
Workshop: Exploring Kafka's characters
Workshop: The art of digital marketing

19 Jan 

Workshop: An introduction to theatre without words

21 Jan
Show & Tell

22 Jan
One-to-one script development sessions
Panel Discussion: Getting ahead in VFX

23 Jan
Workshop: Mindfulness and meditation for artists

24 Jan
Workshop: Thinking outside the box
Grants for the arts pre-application guidance session

25 Jan
Workshop: The model box workshop

26 Jan 

Discussion: Shaped by stone
Workshop/acting for stage and screen 

28 Jan
Discussion: Honest Edinburgh
Panel Discussion: Working with curators and galleries