As the dust settles from the most turbulent General Election in a generation, and the UK considers the issues of devolution, a special event at HOME – Manchester’s new centre for international contemporary art, theatre and film – looks at the impact this will have on theatre and the arts in the UK.
In Manchester, investment in the arts has been at the heart of the city’s much-lauded regeneration. In bringing the best international arts to the city as well as projecting local voices on the global stage, it has become an important cultural counterbalance to London.
As the city looks ahead to the prospect of devolution, and Wales and Scotland are assured of ever-greater autonomy, we ask what effect these new forces might have on theatre and the arts in the UK. Can a country that is increasingly regionally divided still be brought together by art? Will greater autonomy lead to a greater disparity of funding in the arts? And how do we ensure that the benefits of investment in the arts are felt by everyone?
What do we mean when we talk about ‘a nation’s theatre’?
Panel includes: Walter Meierjohann, Artistic Director: Theatre at HOME; Gemma Bodinetz, Artistic Director of the Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse; Matt Fenton, Artistic Director at Contact Theatre; Blanche McIntyre director of HOME’s production of The Oresteia and Associate Director at Nuffield Theatre; Alison Clark-Jenkins, Director of Combined Arts and North at Arts Council England; and poet, playwright and actor Yusra Warsama. The event will be chaired by Lyn Gardner, Theatre Critic at the Guardian
With an introduction from David Jubb, Artistic Director at Battersea Arts Centre.
Presented at HOME, Manchester’s new centre for international contemporary art, theatre and film as part of its HOME Warming Weekend, this discussion is the first part of a year-long celebration of theatre and creativity presented by Battersea Arts Centre in partnership with the Guardian. A Nation’s Theatre will shine a light on both established and emerging artists and host events and debates exploring nationhood.
A Nation’s Theatre: Nationhood and Devolution
Saturday 23 May 2015, 17.15 – 18.15
HOME , Manchester, M15 4FN
