When I query companies on whether they are touring to Manchester/Salford - this is usually via social media and usually after they have published a touring schedule that misses the city - the standard responses are either something along the lines of not being able to fit it into their schedule - which I kind of understand as The Lowry is fairly tightly scheduled and their planning with the more financially-secure companies is much more forward that many dance companies can manage.
But what about HOME?
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Theatre 1 [pictured] is equivalent to The Lowry's Quays Theatre in scale and capacity (it would appear), and Theatre 2 - is a large flexible studio space arguably larger than The Lowry's Aldridge Studio.
This may be controversial, but it has long-seemed to me that the HOME theatres are not exactly over-used. I am occasionally struck by the long periods during which there appears to be little or nothing on in Theatre 1. Fortunately the place has cinemas and a very-successful restaurant and bar to keep the tills ringing.
HOME opened in 2015 so should have built up some momentum by now. Theatre 1 was built on the memory of the now long-closed Library Theatre, which it has never matched for programming (in the sense of putting on complete and coherent seasons, in the way the Royal Exchange still does, for example).
Hofesh Shechter Company regularly performs at HOME now and his recent works are HOME co-productions (with other venues). Motionhouse, Gecko and Rosie Kay Dance Company are among other dance and physical theatre companies to play the venue. But the venue does not have appear to have any clear dance programming. In fact, apart from a series of welcome festivals - Orbit, Viva!, PUSH etc. and the presence of Manchester School of Theatre (MMU) as a resident company in Theatre 2, the venue doesn't appear to have much in the way of clear programming policy (although the venue does have a clear interest in experimental work, gender, LGBTQIetc., transgressivesness and multiculturalism). Although they (unusually) state their programming poilicy quite clearly on their website.
On dance, their website states:
There has been relatively scant evidence of this since the venue opened.
The other necessary conversation on dance in Manchester has to perhaps consider the weakness of the dance audience, lack of dance infrastructure and activism, but through the lens of a decade of arts funding cuts that appear to have hit dance hard and continuously.
Thankfully, MIF now appear to have dance firmly on their agenda, so there is light amid the darkness.
But what about HOME?
This may be controversial, but it has long-seemed to me that the HOME theatres are not exactly over-used. I am occasionally struck by the long periods during which there appears to be little or nothing on in Theatre 1. Fortunately the place has cinemas and a very-successful restaurant and bar to keep the tills ringing.
HOME opened in 2015 so should have built up some momentum by now. Theatre 1 was built on the memory of the now long-closed Library Theatre, which it has never matched for programming (in the sense of putting on complete and coherent seasons, in the way the Royal Exchange still does, for example).
Hofesh Shechter Company regularly performs at HOME now and his recent works are HOME co-productions (with other venues). Motionhouse, Gecko and Rosie Kay Dance Company are among other dance and physical theatre companies to play the venue. But the venue does not have appear to have any clear dance programming. In fact, apart from a series of welcome festivals - Orbit, Viva!, PUSH etc. and the presence of Manchester School of Theatre (MMU) as a resident company in Theatre 2, the venue doesn't appear to have much in the way of clear programming policy (although the venue does have a clear interest in experimental work, gender, LGBTQIetc., transgressivesness and multiculturalism). Although they (unusually) state their programming poilicy quite clearly on their website.
On dance, their website states:
Dance theatre, combining the raw emotion of dance with the narrative of theatre also has a new home in Manchester and we are working with international partners to commission and produce bold new work as well as host the best touring productions in this exciting medium.
There has been relatively scant evidence of this since the venue opened.
The other necessary conversation on dance in Manchester has to perhaps consider the weakness of the dance audience, lack of dance infrastructure and activism, but through the lens of a decade of arts funding cuts that appear to have hit dance hard and continuously.
Thankfully, MIF now appear to have dance firmly on their agenda, so there is light amid the darkness.