Take Up Space

Five schools were selected to respond to the themes around our DISRVPT programme. The programme was kicked-off by artist Keisha Thompson who ran workshops about her poem HOLDING SPACE, which is displayed in the Theatre’s Great Hal. The schools then developed their own pieces of work with professional practitioners and performed them at the Exchange in March 2022.

Participating Schools included:

Abraham Moss Community School – Cheetham Hill

Redwood Secondary School (SEND) – Rochdale

Bedford High School – Leigh

Samuel Laycock School (SEND) – Tameside

The King David High School – Cheetham Hill

DISRVPT invites individuals or groups from a range of communities and art forms to take ownership of the Royal Exchange Theatre’s Great Hall. To playfully, politically, creatively disrupt the environment, to teach us what the varying communities of Greater Manchester might like to see in our space, the ways in which they’d like to be welcomed, the vibe, the energy, the entertainment, the art, the stories, the way we communicate it and market it, all an experiment to allow those who have not felt an affinity to have the opportunity to see themselves, their culture, people like them occupying our space, being at ease and teaching us about the values of their community.

Check out our DISRVPT highlight on Instagram to watch the Redwood and Samuel Laycock Insta takeover sharing their experience of the performance day.