This summer, for two weeks only, be transported to another world! Welcome to M11 and the East Manchester Community Festival.
The Royal Exchange Theatre’s touring theatre (The Den) is in residence at the East Manchester Academy.
Full of performances, workshops, music, dance, poetry, art, photography and comedy and free food – there is something for everyone in the family to enjoy. See below for a day by day list or view the whole festival here.
A brilliant team of Royal Exchange Local Ambassadors from Beswick, Openshaw and Clayton have been working hard to make this ‘the best festival in all the land and all the world’ – it’s going to be the highlight of the year!
See you there and don’t forget to tag us and use #EMCFest.
Welcome to M11
The Festival - day by day...
Friday 11 August
13:00 – 14:00
Photography Workshop
with Chris Payne
Learn how to look at the world in a new light, to make the most of what’s there and snap a shot which really captures the moment. No experience needed. Bring your own camera, or your camera phone. Submit your snaps (engagement@royalexchange.co.uk) to take part in our Photography Exhibition
Location: Dining Hall
Price : Free
18:30 – 19:30
The M11 Double Bill (Performance)
To Be An Actor
Enzo Hutchinson
Beswick’s very own young playwright introduces their brand-new play performed and directed by professionals. Supported and developed by the Royal Exchange.
Today the Streets are Ours : The M11 Musical
Josh Val Martin
This brand-new musical, written by Josh Val Martin especially for the East Manchester Community Festival, is a joyful celebration of life in M11. Produced by Royal Exchange Theatre and performed by professional actors and local community groups (St Clements Choir, Resonance Centre Djembe Drum Group, World Harvest Church Choir, Florence House and Mary and Joseph House), this is not one to miss!
Discover what’s under the surface here in Beswick. Whose streets are they really? And who on earth is BOF?
Location: The Den
Price : £1
20:00 – 21:00
Stand Up Comedy
Dave Williams & Guests
Fancy a laugh? Come on down for a night of giggles with a mixture of first-time comedy performers, a mystery guest and hosted by the Frog & Bucket’s very own Dave Williams.
Location: The Den
Price: £1
Saturday 12 August
12:00 – 12:45
Music with the Family
Parisa Pirzadeh (Workshop)
An interactive musical journey around Persian culture for the whole family.
Have fun and take part in this interactive music workshop with classically trained, international musician, Parisa.
Expect musical games, listening exercises and to hear and respond to Persian music
Location: The Den
Price: Free
13:00 – 14:00
Dance Around the World!
Afrocats (Workshop)
Join Afrocats on their global dance journey, exploring dance from various continents, including Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and South Asia. Join in and share your dance moves!
Location: The Den
Price : Free
16:00 – 17:00
African Stories
Godfrey Pambalique (Performance)
See in the evening magically with unforgettable African songs, drums, voices, and stories. A fun and interactive storytelling space to create and build confidence.
Location: The Den
Price : £1
a show at 14:30 and at 19:00
The M11 Double Bill (Performance)
See Friday 11th August
Sunday 13 August - Family Fun Day
10:30 – 16:00
Children’s Activity Day
Free Workshops
Come along and take part in craft activities, colouring, lego building and puppet making.
Free food for everyone!
No need to book, just turn up!
Facepainting will be available from 11pm – 3pm.
11:00 – 12:00
Circus Skills
Maresha Wondmu (Workshop)
A wild and wonderful, family-friendly workshop in all things circus with Maresha “Mas” Wondmu.
Mas is an international performer, instructor and facilitator in dance, circus and music from Ethiopia.
Location: Dining Hall
Price: Free
12:00 & 15:00
The street Where I live
M6 Theatre Company (Performance)
A gentle and captivating introduction to live performance. Meet Cyril the cat, his owner Granny Bradshaw, and discover the colourful street where they live. These stories for young children and their families share the warmth and diversity of a unique community, capturing the friendships and adventures that take place there.
Location: The Den
Price: £1
14:00 – 15:00
CAN YOU HELP MISS BABBITY RABBIT HENRIETTA FLUFFLEHOP?
Round the Twist (Workshop)
Henrietta Flufflehop’s stuck in a hole! Lost and lonely she needs to make some new friends and fast. Can you help her build a new home in Beswick using recycled and reusable materials? Through interactive storytelling we bring an imaginary world to life! Children, bring your adults and get them to help you build tipis, castles, robots, race cars… and the perfect home for Henrietta!
Location: The Den
Price: Free
Wednesday 16 August
16:00 – 18:00
Adult Craft Along and Meet The Artists
Chatty Craft (Workshop)
Join artist Sam Edwards aka Phoebe Foxtrot and the amazing Beswick artist group from Chatty Craft to create a lovely up cycled glass jar lantern. This a chance to explore the exhibition at the Festival and create something lovely to take home with you. All you need to bring along is an empty jam jar.
Location: Dining Hall
Price: Free
Thursday 17 August - Brave Talk
15:00 – 16:00
Writing with Emotion- How to approach creative writing
Joe Mallalieu (Workshop)
In this workshop, RUM Writer & Actor, Joe Mallalieu will explore how you can use personal experiences to create drama and how best to protect yourself in this process. This workshop is aimed at new writers with little or no experience who are interested creative writing.
Location: Dining Hall
Price: Free
16:30 – 17:30
Art for Mind
Artherapy Northwest (Workshop)
Disconnect from the busy and noisy world outside and pick up a brush! A safe and relaxed workshop to have a go at using art to express yourself and find balance. Artherapy run an Art for Well-being platform in Ashton-under-Lyne.
Location: Dining Hall
Price: Free
19:00 – 19:30
Consumed
The Men’s Room & Company Chameleon (Performance)
The Men’s Room and Company Chameleon have created ‘Consumed.’ A short movement and dance piece that explores relationships, and how we might find ourselves ‘playing with fire’ in our human interactions.
Location: The Den
Price: £1
20:00 – 21:00
Rum by Joe Mallalieu
“If things are done right at the start, things go easier later on.”
Rum, by Joe Mallalieu, is a raw one man play, selected for the festival by our Ambassadors, that explores wrestling with masculinity, mental health and addiction in the trades.
Followed by a short Q&A with the writer & actor.
Location: The Den
Price: £1
Friday 18 August
14:00 – 16:00
Elders Company Taster
The Royal Exchange ( Workshop)
The Royal Exchange Theatre’s Elders Company is for people aged 60+ who want to take part in regular drama and performance workshops and learn more about theatre. The group of around 25 people meet weekly at the theatre to perform, socialise and expand their knowledge. Join us for this workshop to experience a taste of the Elders Company and see if you fancy joining from September.
Location: The Den
Price Free
18:30 – 19:00
Who Has The Power.
Royal Exchange Theatre’s Beswick Young Company (Performance)
The Royal Exchange Beswick Young Company bring drama, movement and poetry together in a brand-new show exploring the things that matter to young people, and celebrating the amazing talent within the group. This is not to be missed!
Location: The Den
Price: £1
19:30 – 20:30
Chaos
The Royal Exchange Theatre’s Young Company (Performance)
Laura Lomas’s play Chaos is a symphony of dislocated, interconnected scenes. A series of characters search for meaning in a complicated and unstable world. Bouncing through physics, the cosmos, love and violence, they find order in the disorder of each other.
Locations: The Den
Price: £1
Saturday 19 August
10:00-12:00
The Cats Chorus of Beswick
Chatty Craft (Workshop)
Join us for a morning of cat-making and celebrating the local area as we finish creating a chorus of cats made from air-dry clay. Chat about the local area and explore where these Beswick cats might roam!
Location: Dining Hall
Price: Free
11:00 – 12:00
African Stories
Godfrey Pambalipe (Performance)
Finish your festival magically with unforgettable African songs, drums, voices, and stories. A fun and interactive storytelling space to create and build confidence.
Location: The Den
Price: £1
19:00 – 20:00
Chaos
Royal Exchange Theatre Young Company
Laura Lomas’s play Chaos is a symphony of dislocated and interconnected scenes. A series of characters search for meaning in a complicated and unstable world. Bouncing through physics, the cosmos, love and violence, they find order in the disorder of each other.
Location: The Den
Price: £1
20:30 – 21:30
BORN FREE: Power Hour
Resonance Centre (Sober Rave)
BORN FREE is a sober rave which happens every Thursday night at The Resonance Centre in Clayton. A safe and non-judgemental space in which to move freely guided by live DJ’s.
Energy fuelled by Nature’s dancing juice, Cacao! Let it go, shake it off, release and remember you were…. Born Free!
DJ’d by the Nationwide Festival Sensation DJ Zeph
Location: The Den
Price : Free
Meet our M11 Ambassadors
Getting There
Public Transport
The nearest tram stop is Velo Park, this is 10 minutes from Picadilly, then a 10 minute walk to East Manchester Academy
There are plenty of bus routes that take you to East Manchester Academy. Remember all single bus tickets are £2, day saver is £5.
Parking
The is a car park at the school which everyone is able to use, if this if full next to the library there is the ‘Grey Mare Public Car Park.
Cycling
There is a place to lock your bike outside the library next door.
