Bionic and the Wires: Beneath the Breathing Ground at Castlefield Viaduct

In the heart of Manchester city centre, shaped by centuries of industry and innovation, something quieter is taking root this May. High above the streets, at Castlefield Viaduct – now reimagined as the city’s lush ‘sky garden’ – Beneath the Breathing Ground unfolds as a site-specific performance, inviting audiences to tune into a different rhythm altogether: the slow, steady pulse of plant life.

Created by Manchester-based collective Bionic and the Wires, this open-air show sees four dancers perform alongside live music generated by plants, weaving together movement and sound to trace the invisible connections between plants, soil and sound. The premise is simple but quietly radical: the score is composed not just by humans, but by plants themselves. Using sensors to translate electrical signals into sound, performers share the stage with living organisms, their movements shaped by the species they embody.

The narrative moves below the surface. We’re guided by four characters – Rowan the Listener, Ivy the Connector, Birke the Spark and Ashlynn the Rememberer – through a world of roots, fungi and fragile systems, tasked with restoring a collapsing rhizome. It’s a clever framing device: while the story leans into the language of myth and magic, it opens up something more complex, translating the science of underground plant networks into something tangible, accessible and surprisingly compelling.

This piece works because of its restraint. Rather than pushing a message or leaning into climate catastrophe, Beneath the Breathing Ground trusts its audience – giving them space to pause and pay attention. It’s an invitation to listen – and to consider what it might mean to shift our perspective, and recognise the intelligence and agency of the natural world.

There’s something fitting about staging this performance here. Set on a reclaimed stretch of industrial infrastructure – now given over to planting, growth and green life – Castlefield Viaduct becomes more than a backdrop. It’s integral to the work itself, echoing its themes of connection, adaptation and renewal. Nature isn’t just scenery, it’s an active collaborator.

Head up and tune in. This is a chance to experience the city on a different frequency – and to catch a performance that feels unlike anything else in the city right now.