Waterside Arts

 Prism: Waterside Arts’ winter festival of music and light will dazzle Sale town centre for a second year this November

Prism – an ambitious winter festival, powered by Waterside Arts, returns to illuminate Sale town centre in Trafford from Thursday 21 to Saturday 23 November.

 

Following the triumphant success of Waterside’s inaugural Prism Festival in 2023, audiences of all ages can again witness music, projection and light performance creating magical and thought-provoking experiences during this three-day festival.

 

Prism Light Trail, a community-led project, curated by Things That Go On Things in partnership with Leeway Creative Productions, will see a series of light installations through Sale Town Centre designed by children and young people in the borough. 

 

The Light Trail is based on an original concept by Trafford-based public artist Venessa Scott, award-winning artist Sarah Greaves and the communities of Trafford.

 

Simple yet effective pools of light will animate the town centre in a stunning trail will run daily from dusk til dawn brightening up the dark winter nights.

 

This year’s festival centre piece will be Minute Taker: Nocturnal Monologues, an original commission by Waterside Arts.  Breathtakingly visual, Nocturnal Monologues is an open-air, multiscreen, cinematic experience set to a live synthwave soundtrack of ethereal, 80s-inspired songs by Minute Taker.

Part Blade Runner, part 1984, and featuring the occasional Thriller-esque dance sequence, this outdoor spectacle will be free to attend each evening throughout the festival.

 

Prism Festival continues in the indoor theatre space with SURGE VR, a virtual reality version of Tom Dale Company’s immersive dance performance SURGE, which wowed audiences at last year’s festival.

 

SURGE VR enables the audience to explore and interact with a digital version of the immersive dance piece.  Featuring exclusive new music from Ital Tek, this digital re-imagining of live choreography lasts up to 15 minutes. Audiences are free to move around the space both physically and digitally to explore their spatial environment.  Suitable for ages 13+

 

Tom Dale Company combine movement, electronic music and the digital arts working at the cutting edge of performance.  There are slots on each day of the festival, bookable in advance.  Each slot is for a maximum of three people.

 

New for Prism 2024, families and young people can join Our Kids Social for Let’s Glo UV Family Silent Disco. Expect a super fun dayglo afternoon at their UV discotastic family party on Sat 23 November.  With LED hoopers and UV facepaint, dances, props, bubbles and more.

This year at Prism 2024, Waterside will showcase the first in a series of live gigs introducing groundbreaking new artists; Dirty Freud on Thurs 21 Nov and Good Habits on Fri 22 Nov in Waterside’s intimate performance space, The Chambers.

Dirty Freud is an electronic live and recording artist who has found success since moving to the North of England. Their music simply put is Live Electronica wrapped in Jazz melodies.

One of the most exciting new indie-folk bands to come out of the UK in recent years, Good Habits' award-winning, genre-fusing sound has received international critical acclaim in the short 4 years they have.

Composed of Bonnie Schwarz (cello + vocals) and Pete Shaw (accordion), the pair mix revved-up virtuosity and harmony with vivid storytelling, drawing on their diverse musical tastes and weaving them into an action-packed narrative of genre-bending folky goodness.

Festival Curator and Waterside Manger Darren Adams says:

"I’m delighted to unveil our programme for Prism 2024. This festival has always represented a bold vision, and we're incredibly grateful to our funders, supporters, and the amazing team working tirelessly to bring this immersive experience to life.

Our lineup features a dynamic mix of high-impact events, blending digital arts with cutting-edge technology in new, creative ways. We invite everyone to join us for an unforgettable time at Prism 2024, launching this year's festive season right from Trafford’s cultural hub, Waterside."

 

Prism Festival runs from Thu 21 – Sat 23 November.

View the festival programme here:

prismfestival.org

 

Prism Festival is part-funded by the city-region’s allocation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), which is being managed and distributed by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).  

 

Festival Curation                                  Darren Adams

Brand Development                            StudioDBD

Show Producers                                  Louise Bruin, Jemma Baines, Darren Adams

Festival Production Management        Jude Jagger & Gemma Saunders of Things That Go on Things

Technical Management                       Gareth Starkey

 

ENDS

 

PR: For images, interviews and press tickets please contact Emily Lyons or Claire Saville on marketing@watersidearts.org

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PRISM LISTINGS

 

PRISM LIGHT TRAIL

Thu 21 Nov – Tue 31 Dec 2024, Dusk ‘til Dawn

A community-led project, curated by Things That Go On Things in partnership with Leeway Creative Production based on an original concept by Trafford-based public artist Venessa Scott, award-winning artist Sarah Greaves and the communities of Trafford.

The project will see a series of light installations through Sale Town Centre designed by children and young people in the borough. Simple yet effective pools of light will animate the town centre. The installations will run throughout the festival and continue until 31 December 2024.

FREE | Throughout Sale Town Centre

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MINUTE TAKER: NOCTURNAL MONOLOGUES

An original commission by Waterside Arts

Thu 21 Nov – Sat 23 Nov 2024 | 20:00 each night

Extra show at 18:00 on Sat 23 Nov

In a mysterious, retro-futuristic world, we follow a man in a long trench coat as he wanders misty, moonlit streets, bottle in hand. At night, he is truly alive—bold, uninhibited, and free to pursue his desires. They lead him into neon-drenched nightclubs, where he greets fellow creatures of the night with glowing eyes. Far removed from the monotony of his day-life, he becomes ever more entrenched in a euphoric, yet dangerous world of illusions.

Part Blade Runner, part 1984, and featuring the occasional Thriller-esque dance sequence, Nocturnal Monologues is an open-air, multiscreen, cinematic experience set to a live synthwave soundtrack of ethereal, 80s-inspired songs by Minute Taker.

 

A film by Brett De Vos and Minute Taker

Commissioned by Waterside

Directed by Brett De Vos

Starring Minute Taker and Robert Henry

Cinematography by Daniel Llobera

Choreography by Ben Wright

FREE | Waterside Plaza | Circa 20 minutes

 

Fri 22 Nov | 20:45 – 21:15: Q&A with Minute Taker in The Robert Bolt Theatre

SURGE VR

Tom Dale Company presents

Thu 21 Nov – Sat 23 Nov 2024, times vary

Experience, Interact, Play,

Hear and Feel the work from a different and unique perspective

Come with us to explore the digital re-imagining of live choreography.

Get up-close and inside a boundless world, defy your senses and immerse yourself in a futuristic landscape.

Tom Dale Company have developed this VR version of their live dance performance SURGE which enables the audience to explore and interact with a digital version of SURGE in a host of different virtual spaces. 

Featuring exclusive new music from Ital Tek, this immersive experience for one, lasts up to 15 minutes, with audiences free to move around the space both physically and digitally to explore their spatial environment.

SURGE VR brings together a team of on-trend electronic music and dance artists, designers and technologists to prototype new concepts around performance in Virtual Reality.

Tom Dale Company combine movement, electronic music and the digital arts working at the cutting edge of performance.

SURGE VR has been developed in association with The Mixed Reality Laboratory (MRL) in the School of Computer Science at the University of Nottingham and Confetti Institute of Design and Technology in Nottingham.

£5 | Robert Bolt Theatre | 15 minutes

There are three bookable sessions available at each time slot

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DIRTY FREUD

Thu 21 Nov | Doors 20:30 | The first in our series of live gigs introducing ground-breaking new artists.

Dirty Freud is an electronic live and recording artist who has found success since moving to the North of England. Their music simply put is Live Electronica wrapped in Jazz melodies.

Over the years, Dirty Freud has played headline slots at UK festivals including Glastonbury, All Points East, Citadel, Boomtown, Beatherder, as well as at gigs across Europe. He has gained key support in his journey from Jon More of Coldcut and Ninja Tune, Rough Trade and Keep It Dirty Records.

£10 | The Chambers

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GOOD HABITS

Thu 21 Nov | Doors 20:30 | The first in our series of live gigs introducing ground-breaking new artists.

One of the most exciting new indie-folk bands to come out of the UK in recent years, Good Habits' award-winning, genre-fusing sound has received international critical acclaim in the short 4 years they have. Composed of Bonnie Schwarz (cello + vocals) and Pete Shaw (accordion), the pair mix revved-up virtuosity and harmony with vivid storytelling, drawing on their diverse musical tastes and weaving them into an action-packed narrative of genre-bending folky goodness.

£10 | The Chambers

-----

LET’S GLO UV FAMILY SILENT DISCO

Presented by Our Kids Social

Sat 23 Nov| 14:00 – 15:00

Join Our Kids Social for a dayglo afternoon at their UV discotastic family party!

Taking over the fabulous theatre space they will be hosting their silent disco with an illuminated twist. OKS invite everyone to the dance floor - Dads who can dab, Mums who can mambo, gangnaming grans or kids who can quickstep. Join them for a neon filled knees-up with your nippers!

With kids’ pop v adults guilty pleasures - you get to choose which channel to listen to as you dance the afternoon away. Remember to dress to impress in your favourite glowing outfit with glo sticks at the ready!

With Led hoopers and UV facepaint this party will be a jam packed hour filled with follow the leader dances, props, bubbles, snow and more.

PLUS the OKS giant spin the wheel of dance will keep you strutting your funky stuff throughout.

£5 | Robert Bolt Theatre

Please note the headsets for this event are suitable for ages 4+.

The disco is for adults and children - everyone coming to this event must buy a ticket. Babes in arms are free.


 

CREDITS  Nocturnal Monologues       

 An original production, commissioned by Waterside Arts, original music written by and performed by Minute Taker

Creative Producer/Performer Ben McGarvey

Film Director                       Brett de Vos

Film Choreography               Ben Wright

Show Producers                  Louise Bruin, Jemma Baines & Darren Adams

Technical Management         Gareth Starkey

 

Light Trail                

Project Management            Jude Jagger & Gemma Saunders

Technical Management         Leeway Creative Production

Lead Artists                         Venessa Scott

With thanks to John Fulton and team at One Trafford

 

Surge VR                           

Direction: Tom Dale

Choreography: Tom Dale in association with Jemima Brown

Concept Developed By; Tom Dale, Jemima Brown, Barret Hodgson

Dance & Vocals: Jemima Brown

Commissioned Music: Ital Tek

 


 

18:00 onwards                         Light Trail switch-on                             Waterside/School Road

20:00 – 20:20                           Nocturnal Monologues                        Waterside Plaza

18:00 _ 21:00                           Surge VR                                             Robert Bolt Theatre

(15 min slots)

21:00 – 22:15                           Dirty Freud                                          The Chambers

Light Trail from dusk till dawn daily

 

FRI 22 NOV 2024

20:00 – 20:20                           Nocturnal Monologues                        Waterside Plaza

20:45 – 21:15                           Minute Taker Q & A                             Robert Bolt Theatre

17:00 – 20:00                           Surge VR                                             Robert Bolt Theatre

(15 min slots)

21:00 – 22:15                           Good Habits                                        The Chambers

Light Trail from dusk till dawn daily

 

SAT 23 NOV 2024

14:00 – 15:00                           Let’s Glo UV Family Disco                    Robert Bolt Theatre

18:00 & 20:00                          Nocturnal Monologues                        Waterside Plaza

16:20 – 21:00                           Surge VR                                             Robert Bolt Theatre

(15 min slots)

Light Trail from dusk till dawn daily

 

This festival project is part-funded by the city-region’s allocation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), which is being managed and distributed by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).  

 

 

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