Celebrating all things theatrically visual, manipulate is back again next January for its 10th year, with Edinburgh folk able to catch performances and workshops at both the Traverse Theatre and Dancebase down in the Grassmarket.
This international festival, presented by Puppet Animation Scotland, will be showing a programme of puppetry, physical theatre and animation representing the very best of cutting-edge theatre and technology. After the fasting that generally follows the indulgences of Christmas and Hogmanay, manipulate is an opportunity to dive in to a week-long, guilt-free, feasting of visual delights featuring a number of world, European and Scottish premiers.
The visual theatre performances will not only showcase the best from across Europe and Canada, there will also be a number of home-grown, Scottish theatre-makers showing off their prodigious, prize-winning talent. Among these will be Tortoise In A Nutshell, Al Seed and Melanie Jordan – all of whom have been supported in their creative development by manipulate. There is also an opportunity to see the work-in-progress of five different artistic groups, who will each show a five minute slice of their idea development so far. Catch ‘Testroom’ – free but ticketed – at both the Traverse, Edinburgh and the Tron, Glasgow.
Promising to be packed tighter than a Christmas stocking with bite-sized gems of fizzing perfection, ‘10 Years: manipulate Animation’ offers two animation programmes featuring a selection of the best animated short films that manipulate has shown over the last decade. As if this were not enough, there will also be two ‘Snapshots: Artists @Work’ - free but ticketed – featuring a mix of visual theatre and animation from the very best that Scotland has to offer.
For those wishing to develop or hone their own skills, there are two workshops that should not be missed. ‘Seed of a City: An Object Theatre Masterclass’ and ‘Micro Cinema Theatre: A Video Camera & Performance Workshop’ will both be held at Dancebase.
Tickets
Available from the Traverse Theatre and Dancebase.