NEWS: Contact Theatre announce details of STUN Festival

Contact presents an exciting programme of new shows in partnership with STUN Studios this October.

From 16 – 27 October, three outstanding Contact supported artists explore identity politics, migration and mental health in a unique combination of theatre, live art, storytelling and spoken word.

Keisha Thompson takes us on a journey through space and time, fuelled by love, fear and Afrofuturism in Man on the Moon (Manchester Theatre Award Winner 2018). This show is an exploration of fatherhood within the Black British experience, written and performed by Keisha Thompson and directed by Benji Reid. Using her unconventional relationship with her father, Keisha grapples with the various influences or barriers to them understanding each other and how that has impacted her identity as a Black British female.

Elmi Ali introduces us to Mamamawodi, a hawker, a bookworm, a street peddler, a traveller, a storyteller, an activist, a gardener and a librarian, in his original piece, Water Seeds Not Stones. Conjuring elaborate visions through traditional storytelling, whilst enduring real-world interruptions from her majesty’s border agency, this trickster takes his audience on a turbulent journey across continents and memories.

Beige B*tch is a blitzkrieg of performance splicing fictional TV Show and live performance with blackouts. Beige B*tch features on screen as television host for Beige Nation TV Show and in the flesh for an exclusive intimate portrait of a womxn locked in betrayal. Nima Séne questions what it means to be Black in a world where American history, music and celebrity culture dominate a diasporic identity.

These events are accompanied by Word to Action, a one-day event exploring how spoken word, rap and MC traditions are informing contemporary performance

Keisha Thompson - Man On The Moon: Tuesday 16 – Saturday 20 October Elmi Ali – Water Seeds Not Stones: Saturday 20 – Tuesday 23 October Nima Séne – Beige B*tch: Friday 26 – Saturday 27 October Word To Action: Saturday 20 October

All events take place at STUN Studio. Tickets are on sale now from Contact box office, by phone on 0161 274 0600 or securely online at contactmcr.com. 15% discount offer when buying all 3 tickets.