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Dateline: 18th March, 2011
MIF 2011 Programme Launched The programme was officially launched for the 2011 Manchester International Festival on Thursday 17th March, featuring more than twenty commissions, premières and special events from artists around the world, some of which are free to attend. Some events have already been announced, including The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic from director Robert Wilson, Hollywood actor Willem Daffoe, singer Antony of Antony and the Johnsons and Abramovic herself, Victoria Wood's new play That Day We Sang about the Manchester School Choir's recording of Nymphs and Shepherds in 1929 and a concert version of Die Walküre by Wagner from the Hallé conducted by Sir Mark Elder, featuring Gerald McBurney's dramatic prologue The Madness of an Extraordinary Plan directed by MIF regular Neil Bartlett. Former Blur frontman Damon Albarn returns to MIF, after a successful collaboration on Monkey for the first MIF, with Doctor Dee created with Rufus Norris and inspired by the Renaissance alchemist, scientist and spy Doctor John Dee. Punchdrunk also returns to the Festival but this time with its first 'immersive theatre' production for children in The Crash of the Elysium. Another MIF returnee is comedian Johnny Vegas whose Interiors was a previous Festival hit, but he is reluctant to release details of his new show yet. In music, Icelandic pop star Björk will perform the world première of her Biophilia live show in a three-week residency, Alina Ibragimova and The Quay Brothers will present a promenade staging of chamber music from Bach, Berio, Biber, Bartók and Béla, blind Malian superstars Amadou and Mariam present Eclipse, the first concert entirely in the dark, Irish singer Sinead O'Connor will perform three intimate shows, Manchester's WU LYF will play its only UK festival date this summer, Rickie Lee Jones celebrates thirty years since the release of her album Pirates, French composer Mark Andre will present his first UK performances, hip hop artist Snoop Dog will perform the UK debut of his debut Doggystyle, True Faith will celebrate Manchester talent and Paul Heaton will invent a new deadly sin in The 8th. Free events include 11 Rooms @ MAG featuring international artists creating durational work, a new film by Anri Sala and Sejla Kameric plus an Artangel retrospective in 1395 Days without Red + Projections, Sacred Sites in which faith groups across Manchester invite leading singers to perform in places of worship, melodic adventure for young children Music Boxes, John Gerrard's evolving virtual world Infinite Freedom Exercise (near Abadan, Iran) in Lincoln Square, Lavinia Greenlaw's framed and heightened reflection of the passing world in Audio Obscura at Piccadilly Station and Dickson Despommier's Vertical Farm, which begins a long-term project for MIF. Festival director Alex Poots said, "MIF is a home for major artists to realise their most ambitious projects and we are grateful to them for entrusting their work to us. We hope audiences will enjoy this year’s programme, featuring a greater number of large-scale productions created in collaboration with leading presenters from around the world." Councillor Mike Amesbury seemed very keen to justify the contribution that Manchester City Council makes towards the Festival's costs in the current financial climate, saying, "Manchester International Festival makes a massive contribution to the cultural offering of our great city and has helped establish us on the world stage as a leading artistic powerhouse. The Festival also ensures that tens of millions of pounds are poured into the Manchester economy." Tickets are now on sale for the 2011 MIF, which runs from 30th June to 17th July at venues all around Manchester city centre. For more information, see www.mif.co.uk. David Chadderton
Please note that all three Archive indices are very long and will therefore take some time to download.
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