With the opening of HOME on Thursday 21 May inching ever closer, we’re looking forward to a Bank Holiday weekend of world premiere theatre, newly commissioned visual art and a unique film and music project that will introduce Manchester – and the world – to our new spaces and to what can be expected from us at HOME.
The opening weekend will exemplify the ambitious, international and interdisciplinary nature of our upcoming programming across visual art, theatre and film. Our programming will have emphasis on innovative, visual storytelling and will encourage dialogue between audiences and artists across the artforms.
The inaugural programme kicks off with The Funfair – the world premiere of Simon Stephens’ new version of classic play Kasimir and Karoline by Ödön von Horváth. The Funfair will be directed by HOME’s Artist Director of Theatre, Walter Meierjohann – supported by in-house dramaturg Petra Jane Tauscher – following his critically acclaimed debut production of Romeo & Juliet at Victoria Baths. Romeo & Juliet set and costume designer, Ti Green, also returns.
The Funfair provides the conceptual thread that will link the work presented across the new building. Opening in the galleries, The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things is a group exhibition co-curated by HOME’s Artistic Director of Visual Art, Sarah Perks and senior visiting curator, Omar Kholeif, which explores the dark side of the funfair. The exhibition will include new work from artists including Jeremy Bailey, Declan Clarke, Basim Magdy, and Jessey Tsang, and will feature existing work from Douglas Coupland and Wu Tsang, amongst others.
Dutch Uncle’s Robin Richards will launch HOME’s year-long Music and Film project, performing at the opening weekend in addition to 2014 Mercury Prize nominees Gogo Penguin, and Mancunian singer-songwriter Josephine. The project, which is produced in partnership with the Royal Northern College of Music and BFI Film Hub North West Central, will bring together Manchester’s finest musical talent to perform original scores alongside artist film, archive footage and silent film.
Ahead of HOME’s opening, look out for a trailblazer world premiere performance by internationally acclaimed choreographer Hofesh Shechter (Winner of the Critics’ Circle Award for best choreography, 2008 and Associate Artist of Sadler’s Wells), taking place over 30 April – 2 May. The performance of The Bad, which will be the first in our largest theatre space, forms one part of a new three-part evening of short works, created by the artist for his company throughout 2015.
The Bad is co-commissioned by HOME, Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Theatre de la Ville – Paris, Les Theatres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Festspielhaus St Pölten (including a working residency), Berliner Festpiele – Foreign Affairs and Staatstheater Darmstadt (including a working residency).
The full 2015 programme will be launched in mid-January. Visit HOMEmcr.org for details.