HOME Digital Reporter Kat Houghton encourages you to check out our Romeo & Juliet community installation…
Upstairs at Victoria Baths you will find Opposites Attract, a prelude art installation to Romeo & Juliet curated in the forgotten living quarters and transformed by a local community project.
Heading on up the Edwardian deep green tiled staircase you feel as though you are embarking upon a quest of urban exploration. Made in collaboration with four Manchester based artists and members of the Wythenshawe community this summer during a series of free workshops, the installation invites you to take an emotional journey inspired by the themes, characters and text from Romeo & Juliet.
You can feel the community coming together creatively through the crafted paper sculptures, sound pieces, choreography and video. I would encourage you to get to the baths early (the building opens one hour before the performance start time) to appreciate the art and make the most of the daylight. Particular highlights are the mesmerizing kaleidoscope projections of the young dancers, looking through the peephole of the room you cannot enter and the eerie soundscapes that transport you through the emotional turmoil of our star crossed lovers.
For me the exhibition works metaphorically to connect you not only to the storyline of the performance and the relevance of Shakespearean themes in our communities today, but also as a tribute to the importance that the arts have played in keeping this stunning building alive in recent years.
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All Romeo & Juliet ticket holders can visit the Opposites Attract installation prior to their performance. The building will be open one hour before the performance start time. The installation is free to attend.