CONTACT: Annual Report 2016-17

ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17 A THEATRE OF THE FUTURE WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE LEAD WHERE EVERYONE IS WELCOME

OUR VISION Contact’s vision is a world where young people are empowered by creativity to become leaders in the arts and their communities.

‘I know more lives that have been transformed because of Contact than I can count.’ Julie Hesmondhalgh, actor

‘continues to set a precedent for what can be done when young people are treated as professionals’ The Stage

WELCOME 2016-17 saw Contact raise its national ambitions, with a significant programme of new work first presented at Contact touring nationwide.

We also progressed our national plans for our young leadership programmes, The Agency and Future Fires.

Our reach was genuinely international.

Contacting the World Festival brought young creatives from across the world to Manchester to make new shows and discuss the most pressing global issues affecting young people.

We made significant strides in the area of health research and wellbeing. With support from the Wellcome Trust, we developed new productions addressing health and ethical challenges facing young people, including cancer, unplanned pregnancy and abortion, and honour abuse.

Perhaps most exciting of all, two Contact commissioned productions, Get A Round by former Contact Young Company members Eggs Collective, and the Contact and 20 Stories High co-production ‘I told my Mum I was going on an R.E trip...’ were selected to be filmed and broadcast by BBC Two in 2017.

All of this attests to the wide-ranging impact that Contact has on young lives locally, nationally and internationally.

Our success is the result of the support of our funders, sponsors and partners, the enthusiasm of our audiences, staff and artists, and above all the creativity of the young people who make Contact their own.

Dil Sidhu Chair, Contact Board of Trustees

THE YEAR IN REVIEW 2016-17 was a brilliant year for Contact. It marked a significant upturn in the national reach and profile of our activities, and saw us make real progress towards our goal of transforming our building.

In May, our young Agency participants presented their social enterprises at the Houses of Parliament, alongside their London Agency counterparts. To see 40 young people speak so passionately about the project and its impact on their communities was extraordinary.

Contacting the World, our biennial festival for young theatre makers from around the world, took over our building in July. Young artists from Belgium, Denmark, Hong Kong, Portugal, and the UK, plus a company of new arrivals to Europe, worked together to create 3 shows exploring migration and communication across borders.

Contact Young Company (CYC) continued its incredible journey, creating their first family Christmas show. Made with immersive theatre company Slung Low, The Siege of Christmas saw children don headphones to listen to instructions and meet characters, exploring our unique building to find the Spirit of Christmas.

CYC was then commissioned by the national BRIGHTLIGHT cancer research study and SICK! Festival to create a new show in response to young people’s experience of cancer care. There Is a Light: BRIGHTLIGHT is now touring nationally to arts venues and medical conferences.

December saw us curate and deliver a major national diversity conference in partnership with Arts Council England – Power Through Diversity. The event was a powerful call to arms from artists, sector heads and leaders in other fields (broadcast, law, government) to drive change in the diversity of leadership and governance in the arts.

In February, the 9th annual Queer Contact Festival once again brought a fierce celebration of LGBT arts and culture to the city. It featured a new Contact commission - David Hoyle’s Diamond - marking 50 years since partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales.

The major production of the year was ‘I told my Mum I was going on an R.E. trip...’, our co-production with 20 Stories High.

The show grew from research with young women with experience of unplanned pregnancy and abortion, and with midwives, social workers and health professionals – supported by the Wellcome Trust.

Premiering at Contact in the spring, the show toured nationally, including to Northern Ireland. It is now being filmed

by BBC TV to be broadcast on BBC Two as part of the Arts Council England / Battersea Arts Centre Performance Live series.

As ever, the year was made so exciting and rewarding by the young people who turn up, get creative, start to own the building, and go on to do extraordinary things.

Matt Fenton Artistic Director and Chief Executive

2016-17 IN NUMBERS Live audiences + On tour

38,511

Exhibition audiences

Digital audiences

69,528

69,065

Total Total reach reach

193,180 162,209

Participation

16,076

AUDIENCES WERE YOUNG AND DIVERSE

71%

under 35 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

40%

Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic

An

31%

53%

of audiences came from audience segments traditionally characterised by lower engagement

of creative teams on Contact commissions were Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic

ENERGY A-RATED building

16 11,000

streamed events were watched ‘live’ by over

people

8,000

Over people saw a Contact production on tour

Our GVA contribution to the Greater Manchester region was

£7.7

MILLION

CONTACT PRODUCES This year, Contact supported the development of 16 new productions, as well as providing a wealth of early career artist support through workshops, residencies and seed funds.

New productions included ‘I told my Mum I was going on an R.E. trip...’, a Contact/20 Stories High co-production that saw an extensive interview process explore abortion and reproductive rights. It will be filmed and broadcast on BBC Two in autumn 2017.

HHHH ‘An outstanding piece of verbatim theatre... a timely contribution to the global movement to challenge the reduction of Women’s rights’ The Reviews Hub (on ‘R.E. trip...’)

Other Contact-supported productions in development included new shows from Kate O’Donnell, Rani Moorthy, Demi Nandhra, Toni Dee Paul, Chanje Kunda and Tom Cassani.

For our exhibition programme, we commissioned and presented a stunning photographic series from choreographerturned-photographer Benji Reid, and a series of large-scale images of local LGBT young people for Queer Youth In Focus from photographers Beyond Beyond.

CONTACT ON TOUR Contact-commissioned shows ‘I told my Mum I was going on an R.E. trip...’, Triple Threat (Lucy McCormick), Faslane (Jenna Watt), Daughters of the Curry Revolution (Afreena Islam), and Get A Round (Eggs Collective) all toured nationally, garnering fantastic reviews.

HHHH ‘a transgressive, mischievous piece of theatre, it feels strangely joyous’

‘a fiercely intelligent take on the UK’s nuclear defence system’

Time Out (on Triple Threat)

The Stage (on Faslane)

Alan Cumming

Belarus Free Theatre

Benji Reid

Candoco Dance Company

FK Alexander

Gary Clarke Company

Hetain Patel

Imani Jendai

Le Gateau Chocolat

Ahilan Ratnamohan

Quarantine

Spymonkey

Peaches Christ + Jinkx Monsoon

Penny Arcade

Tamasha Theatre Company

TheatreCLUB

CONTACT PRESENTS With young people as decision-makers at the heart of programming, our shows remained diverse, radical and innovative.

POWER THROUGH DIVERSITY In December, Contact and Arts Council England partnered to deliver Power Through Diversity, a one-day national conference focusing on diversity of leadership in the cultural sector. Around 300 senior arts leaders, chairs and executives attended a packed programme of debate, discussion and artistic provocations.

Speakers included TV historian David Olusoga, barrister Sally Penni, and Emma Green, Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Dept. for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, alongside artists Mawaan Rizwan, Jackie Hagan, Yusra Warsama and Kate O’Donnell. Provocations reflected on the place of class, race, disability, and transgender people, in the arts.

Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and a significant audience watched the live stream footage on the day and subsequently. ‘a really impressive conference... inspiring’ Dawn Walton, Artistic Director, Eclipse Theatre

CONTACT YOUNG COMPANY Contact Young Company (CYC), our award-winning ensemble of young actors, musicians, MCs and writers under 25, continued its remarkable development, producing professional-standard work for venues and festivals nation-wide. This was reflected in the coverage and reviews for their work.

In December, Contact Young Company joined Slung Low to develop a new interactive family show exploring our entire building: The Siege of Christmas.

Performed by CYC members, it quickly sold out across its run, receiving fantastic critical and public responses.

HHHH ‘a thoughtful, sensitive, immersive Christmas romp’ The Stage

There Is a Light: BRIGHTLIGHT was CYC’s response to a five-year study into specialist teenage cancer care in England. The cast included four young people who had received cancer diagnosis, and working with cancer researchers, artist Brian Lobel, and director Adura Onashile, the company created a moving and thought-provoking piece of theatre.

It was presented as part of SICK! Festival at Contact and in Brighton, at Battersea Arts Centre, and in Oxford as part of the Royal College of Nursing annual conference. It will retour in autumn 2017 to Liverpool, Birmingham and Edinburgh.

‘Gloriously real and life-affirming... a masterful testimony to the power of young people’s voices’ Manchester Theatre Awards.

CONTACTING THE WORLD July 2016 saw us deliver our biennial Contacting the World Festival, with a packed week-long programme of shows, workshops and discussions.

Working with directors Stacy Makishi, Matt Fenton and Adam McGuigan, young theatre ensembles from Belgium, Denmark, Hong Kong, Portugal, and the UK, plus a company of new arrivals to Europe, created a public triple-bill performance, Imitation Games. Presented on the final night of the festival, the show explored young people’s experiences of migration and belonging.

The festival featured a packed programme of workshops and activities, communal meals and discussions, and an international youth debate on the theme of Brexit and its impact on young people.

‘The work that Contact is doing is so vital to young people’s growth.’

Lyn Yau, AFTEC, Hong Kong

QUEER CONTACT In February, we delivered the ninth edition of Queer Contact Festival – Greater Manchester’s celebration of LGBT arts and culture.

We launched our Queer Youth In Focus programme working with LGBT young people, with support from Big Lottery Fund and Superbia. The project featured a commissioned exhibition (experienced by over 19,000 people), an online film, a series of workshops across Greater Manchester, and a discussion day.

A diverse festival programme of public events and performances across the city were attended by over 3,000 people, and culminated in the world premiere of a new Contact commission, David Hoyle’s Diamond, created to mark the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales.

The show will tour nationally in 2017-18. ‘a triumph from one of Manchester’s finest’ Canal Street (on David Hoyle’s Diamond)

THE AGENCY The Agency is a unique creative social enterprise programme delivered in Manchester and London, in partnership with Battersea Arts Centre and People’s Palace Projects. Originally developed in the favelas of Brazil, it supports young people from challenging backgrounds to develop and deliver inspiring projects to change their communities.

In May, to mark the success of the programme, now in its 5th year, we delivered a major event at the Houses of Parliament, in partnership with MP Fiona Mactaggart and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. 40 young Agency participants presented at the event and spoke about the impact the project had on their lives, families and communities.

The programme continues to be delivered in Manchester and London through support from the Big Lottery Fund, and we are now preparing the roll-out of The Agency to Wales and Northern Ireland from 2018 onwards.

FUTURE FIRES Future Fires supports young artists to develop socially-engaged projects in their own communities.

This year we continued to deliver our highly successful Future Fires Short Course supported by the Peter Kershaw Trust. We received generous support from Esmée Fairbairn and Paul Hamlyn Foundation for the continued delivery of Future Fires in Manchester and to take us into an exciting next phase of development as we work towards delivering Future Fires nationally.

‘The most important outcome of the Short Course for me was that it dispelled my concerns about community projects being inaccessible to a young disabled person. I am now in the throes of working on a project that draws together the arts and disability, supported by solid guidance and ongoing assistance.’

Hannah Ross, Future Fires Participant

INSPIRING YOUNG PEOPLE

ELMI ALI

AMY VREEKE

Regional Theatres Young Directors Scheme

Contact Young Company

Elmi is a writer, performer and director based in Manchester. Last year he joined the Contact team for a three month Regional Theatres Young Directors placement. Following on from that he will be showing a preview of his solo work at Flying Solo 2017, commissioned

by Contact.

‘Contact has invested directly in my educational and artistic development by facilitating the RYTDS placement, Flying Solo seed commission, and as a Manchester International Festival Young Commissioner.’

Amy is an actor, writer and stand-up comedienne based in Manchester. She joined Contact Young Company last year to be a part of The Siege of Christmas, There is a Light: BRIGHTLIGHT and 15 Minutes. As a CYC graduate, she now has a professional performing role in the remounted The Siege of Christmas.

‘Contact’s support has helped me put my ideas into practice and realise my potential as an emerging artist.’

SHAQUILLE RAYS

HAIESHA MISTRY

Level Up

Contact Young Company

Shaq is a young singer/songwriter based in Manchester. He joined Level Up in 2016 and is about to complete his first album. He has since played at numerous venues across Manchester and produced & performed work for Manchester International Festival in 2017.

Haiesha is an actor and facilitator from Tameside, who first got involved with Contact as part of Contact Young Company’s Under the Covers, which toured nationally supported by Wellcome Trust.

She’s since become a facilitator for Monday Drop, sat on youth panels for interviews, and, alongside a starring role in Hollyoaks, is a Creative Expert at Contact.

‘What really sets Level Up apart is how substantially they facilitate your undiscovered potential as an artist to truly become the best version of you that you want to be.’

‘Contact is different because they put young people at the forefront of everything they do. I want the opportunity to guide young people in thinking with their own mind, to have their own voice and opinions, and this is exactly what Contact does.’

MAKING CONTACT:

TRANSFORMING OUR BUILDING Arts Council England have confirmed funding of £3.85m towards Contact’s capital refurbishment. The £6.6m project will transform our landmark building for the next generation of audiences, artists and young people.

Designed in consultation with young people, the refurbishment of our unique building will: create new performance and • community spaces expand the café bar and improve the • public spaces provide new facilities for young • people’s talent and leadership activity improve accessibility for everyone •

The technical and digital infrastructure will be upgraded, and the environmental performance of the naturally ventilated building will be improved, consolidating Contact’s position as one of the leading sustainable theatres in the UK. We are hugely grateful to the leading supporters who are already backing our vision.

To find out more, including how you can support our fundraising campaign, please contact: janehall@contactmcr.com 0161 274 0657

CREATIVE EXPERTS Creative Experts at Contact are a group of professional facilitators, performers and consultants who help businesses through a range of fresh, creative services.

Our Creative Experts also work with local authorities and the education sector using their wide range of live and digital art forms to create high quality, innovative workshops and participatory projects.

Clients this year have included University of Manchester Student Services, Central Manchester NHS Foundation, ONE Manchester, CityVerve/Innovate UK/ FutureEverything, Siemens, Brewin Dolphin, GMCVO, Beacon Counselling Services, Crowe Clark Whitehill and Wilmslow Green Room.

‘Creative Experts are innovative, exploratory and refreshing... their purpose, vision and values marry exactly with those of our organisation: supporting outreach into our community and supporting enterprise and talent in Manchester.’ Sue Bagguley, Head of Strategy and Business Development, Siemens

FINANCIAL INFO INCOME 2016-17 Total Income £1,857,306 Donations & Other £9,425 (0.5%)

Grant Funding – revenue: £1,089,515 (58.7%) Arts Council England AGMA Manchester City Council The University of Manchester

Box Office & Trading Income £266,616 (14.3%)

Project Funding £300,332 (16.2%) Grant Funding – Capital (restricted) £191,418 (10.3%)

EXPENDITURE 2016-17 Total Expenditure £2,173,835

Artistic/Projects & Participation £294,294 (13.5%)

Artistic/Production £235,210 (11%)

Trading Expenditure £139,025 (6%)

Overheads including salaries £1,058,817 (49%)

Capital Development (restricted) £446,489 (20.5%)

The financial information above has been extracted from the full audited accounts in order to give a brief overview of Contact’s finances.

For the year ending 31 March 2017, excluding The Capital Project and restricted income and expenditure, Contact made an operating surplus of £90,013.

CORE FUNDERS

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Mr D Sidhu, Chair Cllr A-M Humphreys, AGMA representative Cllr J Emsley, AGMA representative Cllr O Manco, Manchester City Council Representative Dr K Dorney, The University of Manchester representative Mr P Johnson, The University of Manchester representative Dr S Parry, The University of Manchester representative Miss J Beggs Ms M Bradbury Mr A Chamberlain Ms L Dusgate Ms G Gibb Miss A Islam Ms K Jones Mr S Lindsay Mr W Thomson Mr R Williams

Contact, Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6JA contactmcr.com Contact is a registered charity, 501953. Company registration 01066757.

Photography: Tamsin Drury, Joel Chester Fildes, Jonathan Bean Photography, Drew Forsyth, Robert Day, Mihaela Bodlovic, Alex Brenner, Benji Reid, Joe Armitage, Matt Richardford, Mark Vessey, John Hunter for RULER, Lee Baxter.

Design: markbrownstudio.co.uk / Cog Design. All info correct at time of going to print.