Contact Theatre
Encyclopedia
Contact
Contact is a multi-disciplinary arts venue in ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. Originally a traditional theatre Contact was rebranded in 1999 as a space specialising in producing work and providing opportunities for young people.
History
Contact was founded in 1972 by Barry Sheppard (General Manager of what was then Manchester University Theatre) and Hugh Hunt (Professor of Drama),as Manchester Young People's Theatre as part of the University of ManchesterUniversity of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
. Following a £5million investment from Arts Council England
Arts Council England
Arts Council England was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three separate bodies for England, Scotland and Wales. It is a non-departmental public body of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport...
Contact was reopened in 1999 as an arts venue for young people. It is core funded by Arts Council England, the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities, Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council is the local government authority for Manchester, a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. It is composed of 96 councillors, three for each of the 32 electoral wards of Manchester. Currently the council is controlled by the Labour Party and is led by...
and the University of Manchester, but it is independently run. Diversifying its work away from traditional theatre Contact's remit now covers dance, music, poetry, spoken word, hip hop and art. Its programme includes touring work and in-house productions, co-productions and collaborations developed with Key Partner Companies and young people.
Contact is a registered charity.
Awards
- Stirling Royal Institute of British Architects Building Of The Year (1999)
- Arts Council Breakthrough Award: In Recognition of the Pioneering work achieved with Young People
- TMA Eclipse Award for Cultural Diversity
- Arts Council England Art04 Outstanding Achievement Award
- Arts Council England Art07 Rising Star
Architecture
Contact's distinctive building was designed by architect Alan Short and associates as part of the venue's 1999 redesign. Arts Council England put up £4.5million toward the building with the money being matched by English PartnershipsEnglish Partnerships
English Partnerships was the national regeneration agency for England, performing a similar role on a national level to that fulfilled by Regional Development Agencies on a regional level...
and land donated from The University of Manchester. The main 370-seat auditorium (Space 1) was refitted and an 80-seat studio (Space 2) was added in the newly built turret.
The nine huge stacks crowned with H-shaped chimney pots assist with the building's natural ventilation.
Current Workshops
Alongside its artistic programme Contact runs a number of other regular workshops.- Contact's Young Actors Company
An in-house company of young people aged 15 to 25 Contact's Young Actors Company (CYAC) puts on three productions a year, each directed by a guest director or company. Auditions are held three times a year with members rotating out after one year.
- Technique
Runs parallel to CYAC teaching young people aged 15 to 25 the skills used backstage at the theatre including lighting, sound, and stage production.
- Monday & Saturday Drop
Weekly workshops allowing DJs, MCs, actors and poets aged 13 to 19 to learn about different performance styles and techniques; explore creative writing and develop physical performance skills.
Contacting The World
Since 2002 Contact has hosted Contacting The World, a biannual international project which brings together young people from around the world to create new theatre. Twinning companies so they can collaborate, exchange members and share ideas Contacting The World culminates in a two-week showcase and street festival.Contacting The World has featured companies from Malaysia. Trinidad, Nigeria, Rwanda, Palestine, Brazil, Poland, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Jordan, Bangladesh, Syria, South Africa, New Zealand, The Philippines, Nepal, Zambia, Germany, Turkey, the UK and USA.