Five Manchester Culture Awards nominations for HOME

The team at HOME are celebrating after receiving FIVE nominations for this year’s Manchester Culture Awards.

This is the second year for the awards, which celebrate the very best in arts and culture across the city.

Last year, Dominic Bennett took home the Young Creative of the Year Award. Dominic is a key part of Project X, a young people’s residency here at HOME, and led on the creation of our regular inclusive music group and club night, AMP.

The categories where we’re hoping for a win this year are:

Promotion of Environmental Sustainability

Three people wearing beekeeping outfits inspect the hives on the roof of HOME, in Manchester

Sustainability is at the heart of HOME and everything we do. Climate crisis is real, that’s why we’ve declared Cultural Emergency. We support and advocate Zero Carbon Manchester 2038 and we’ve committed to being no single-use plastic by 2020. All our staff undertake Carbon Literacy Training – with over 300 actions achieved we’re turning our learning into a reality. From procurement to programming, we collaborate across teams and take responsibility for our choices. Our two honeybee hives are cared for by four HOME staff apiarists. We share our learning with our city peers and our wider networks both nationally and internationally. We recognise that every member of our team has our full part to play in acting for a planet-positive future and we inspire change through creative innovation, sharing and inspiration.

Best Performance – CYA@HOME’s A Generation Rising

CAN Young Artists at HOME (CYA@HOME) are a company of young performers aged 13-18 who produce a piece of theatre each year at HOME, generously supported by Young Manchester, The Peter Kershaw Charitable Trust and the D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust. The group collaborate with professional artists to shape and perform original, exciting and contemporary theatre as well as develop theatre making skills, creative knowledge and experience live theatre through a programme of practical workshops and cultural visits. A Generation Rising intertwines biographical narratives, visual performance, live music and audio soundscapes; the performance offers a generous and honest account of the lives and experiences of this young collective.

Young Creative of the Year – Jamaison Vassell

Jamaison is a long-term member of CYA@HOME and has appeared in several productions including What’s Done is Done, A Generation Rising, and The Dream Collector. He has also appeared in Code Silver Code Silver at the Royal Exchange and is now studying Performing Arts at Pendleton College, Salford.

Inspiring Innovation Award – Future Bodies

Future Bodies. Photo credit Jonathan Keenan

Future Bodies was an innovative theatre production co-produced by HOME and Unlimited Theatre, in association with RashDash. It was one of the first theatre performances of its type where every performance was completely accessible to d/Deaf and hard of hearing audiences, and featured a diverse cast including d/Deaf and disabled performers.

Best Business Partnership

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM)’s partnership with HOME has grown out of a shared desire to increase the number of people travelling into the city centre and engaging with culture – residents and those from further afield contributing to the local visitor economy – combined with a commitment to the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan, through increased use of sustainable travel options. This includes providing Metrolink tickets to allow economically disadvantaged residents, including those not in education, employment or training and new migrants. Last year this saw 361 Metrolink tickets used by 183 individuals, enabling young people to take part in a theatre and film project; community groups from across the city to attend theatre performances and film screenings; and refugees and asylum seekers to participate in a range of activity including HOME’s inaugural Refugee Week Festival. There has also been an increase in the number of visitors travelling to HOME by tram, bus and bicycle, supporting HOME’s commitment to sustainability.

We find out next month if we have won – we’ll keep you updated!