It’s always a pleasure to work on this Festival as it presents a diverse range of technical challenges that the team love solving. Manchester International Festival takes place across 18 extraordinary days. Internationally-acclaimed artists from over 20 countries -many working in one-off creative collaborations – present 20 UK and world premieres at the cross-art form biennial festival, the second with John McGrath as Artistic Director.With most of the work created especially for the Festival, MIF provides a unique snapshot of contemporary preoccupations, from identity and language, and borders and migration,to the power of collective action, technology and utopian/dystopian visions of the future.
John McGrath, MIF Artistic Director and Chief Executive says: “At MIF we see a whole host of artists looking to the future – some with hope, some with imagination and some with concern. We never impose themes on the artists we work with, but it’s striking how this year’s programme reflects our complicated times in often surprisingly joyous and unexpected ways. Featuring artists from more than 20 countries, the Festival also has strong local roots, with several commissions featuring the people of Manchester as participants. MIF is a feast of energy, which I hope will inspire debate and delight for the festival’s 18 days and far beyond.”