Push Festival 2020

Push Festival returns for our annual celebration of the North West’s creative talents. Over two weeks, our stages, screens and spaces will be dedicated to showcasing fantastic works from around the region, as well as offering opportunities for creatives to meet industry professionals, share ideas and inspiration and develop their skills.

The PUSH comedy night returns with Jonny Pelham’s Off Limits and The Delightful Sausage’s Ginster’s Paradise. The Sunday Times described Off Limits as a “personal, provocative and hilarious hour”, while The Guardian said The Delightful Sausage were “a cult hit”. Most Wanted’s The Political History of Smack and Crack is a sell-out, but we have a limited number of tickets remaining for our two award-winning Ugly Bucket shows – Bost-Uni Plues, where three clowns leave the comfort of student life behind and enter the real world, and 2 Clowns, 1 Cup, a wild journey of sex and self discovery.

Later this week we’ve Freedom to Move, which through wit, movement and laughter, this autobiographical solo(ish) performance examines the questions disabled people shouldn’t be asked – but are. And on Saturday, you can discover a selection of recent work from artists who are living in, working in, hailing from or have studied across the North West, in the Spit That Out 2020: North West Artist Film Programme.

And finally, don’t forget that with Push Festival, the more you book, the more you save!

With thanks to The Edwin Fox Foundation.

DOWNLOAD OUR PUSH 2020 GUIDE

In this festival

Push 2020 Call Out / Northern Artist Film (shorts)

Open call for short artist film submissions not exceeding 20 minutes to be featured at Push Festival 2020.

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Push Festival 2020: Call Out for Theatre Commissions

For Push 2020 we are looking for two early career theatre makers, companies or artists to develop and then present a production in this year’s…

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PUSH 2020 Podcast #2 – Sound Cistem & Oreo

For our second PUSH Festival Podcast, we invited our HOME commissioned artists from Sound Cistem and Oreo.

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PUSH 2020 Podcast #1 – Box of Tricks Theatre, Untold Orchestra, Lowri Evans & Afshan D’souza-Lodhi

Welcome to the HOME PUSH Festival Podcast! Celebrating the creative and emerging talent from across the North West over a 2 week programme of theatre,…

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Previously in this Festival

Ugly Bucket presents

Bost-Uni Plues

Based on the true experiences told by graduates, join three clowns as they leave the comfort of student life behind and enter the real world. A world…

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PlayBox Takeover: Writers’ Breakfast

Join Box of Tricks and current PlayBox playwrights for coffee, pastries and a chat about how they develop new plays and support the next generation…

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White Noise Theatre presents

Freedom to Move

Through wit, movement and laughter, Freedom to Move examines the funny, intrusive and weird questions asked to people with disabilities.

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Tania Camara presents

Oreo

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Workshop/ Writing for Fundraising

In this practical session, learn the essential skills in writing for fundraising and show you how to create a strong and persuasive funding application.

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Platform Manchester

Platform Manchester uses a range of hip-hop dance styles and music to create mesmerising, high energy performances not to be missed!

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Archipelago presents

An Act of Care

A new punk gig theatre piece about Aneurin Bevan, and the National Health Service.

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Oreo Post-show Q&A

After the performance on Sat 25 Jan, stick around for a Q&A with Oreo creator and performer Tania Camara.

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Film Producers Meet-up

Join fellow film producers for an informal session to discuss how to form a better support network for each other and get to know who’s…

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PlayBox Takeover: Workshop/ Taking New Plays from Page to Stage

A 90-minute workshop exploring the writer and director’s creative journey taking a new play from page to stage.

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Box of Tricks presents

PlayBox Takeover: Too Much World At Once by Billie Collins

A rehearsed reading of PlayBox writer Billie Collins’ new play written during their year-long attachment with Box of Tricks.

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Lettuce Laugh presents

PUSH 2020/ Comedy Night

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SWET Station

SWET is a day of conversation with artists Ali Wilson and Amy Lawrence to support the development of their new performance work SWET.

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Open House Thursdays/ Performance by Cartier & Kersti Vallikivi-Ramos

A toy racetrack installation exploring human capacity, the machine, competition, technology, the boundless man, marketing, icons and the winner. Who wins, wants to win!

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Ocular Odyssey/ Manchester Deaf Centre & Salford Makers

A unique collaboration between young creatives at Manchester Deaf Centre & Salford Makers, it follows ten weeks of workshops exploring print and visual language.

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Box of Tricks presents

PlayBox Takeover: The Bell Curves by Keisha Thompson

A rehearsed reading of PlayBox writer Keisha Thompson’s new play written during their year-long attachment with Box of Tricks.

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PlayBox Takeover

A day-long creative takeover by Box of Tricks to showcase new plays from current PlayBox playwrights.

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Workshop/ Getting to grips with the BFI short film fund application

Join the Film Hub North team for a practical workshop to demystify the process of applying for funding from the BFI's short film fund.

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Manchester Open Exhibition 2020

A major open-entry art show celebrating the creative talent of Greater Manchester residents.

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#GMLGBTCAN Conference 2020

A day of discussion, provocation and inspiration exploring the issues affecting LGBTQ+ communities and how the arts can respond.

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Panel Discussion/ The World According to Film Producers

As well as offering an insight into the role of a producer, this panel discussion will help to focus your search for the ideal producer…

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Box of Tricks presents

PlayBox Takeover: My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored by Nana-Kofi Kufuor

A rehearsed reading of PlayBox writer Nana-Kofi Kufuor’s new play written during their year-long attachment with Box of Tricks.

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New Creatives North Showcase: Telling stories via film and audio

Join us for a screening and listening experience of works from the New Creatives North scheme.

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Film Hub North Polaris Award Showcase

Join us for a programme of films shortlisted for the Film Hub North Polaris Award at Aesthetica Film Festival 2019

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Plaster Cast Theatre presents

Sound Cistem

Two transgender performers say 'up yours' to the gender binary and invite you to their radical dance party!

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Nishla Smith presents

What Happened to Agnes

What Happened to Agnes brings to life the vivid imagination of singer and storyteller Nishla Smith, as she spins her grandmother’s Malaysian childhood memories into…

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Workshop/ Telling Stories With Sound: The art of audio narrative

Join the award-winning producers and sound designers from Naked Productions to explore what you need to take into consideration when developing an audio piece.

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Talk/ Exploring the Virtual Realm: New technologies in live performance

Are you a theatremaker who wants to integrate new VR or AR technologies into your work? Find out how with this talk.

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Ugly Bucket presents

2 Clowns, 1 Cup

Ugly Bucket have invited women to dish all the dirty details, and now they invite you to join two clowns on a wild journey of…

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Spit That Out 2020: North West Artist Film Programme

Discover a selection of recent work from artists who are living in, working in, hailing from or have studied across the North West.

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Untold Orchestra presents

Nina at the NIA

Revisit Hulme’s special history as founding members of the NIA Centre recreate Nina Simone's iconic performance 29 years ago.

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Sorcha McCaffrey presents

Ladybones

Archaeologist Nuala unearths a skeleton and her ordered life starts to unravel. Digging into the mystery of the bones, can she handle the chaos of…

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Most Wanted Theatre presents

The Political History of Smack and Crack

This twisted love story between two life-long addicts is an angry, funny love-song to a lost generation.

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