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Guides
What's on
Where to go
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Week 53 Festival 2020

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor

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Week 53 Festival

Lowry, Salford
24 April-3 May 2020

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

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Week 53 Festival 2020
Image courtesy of Le Gateau Chocolat - Pandora by Christa Holka.
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Fully accessible and always engaging, Week 53 celebrates bold and brilliant contemporary performance.

Week 53 takes over The Lowry, the obvious performance spaces and those hidden nooks and crannies, for ten days every two years. As always, the festival will welcome an incredible programme of international performance that seeks to challenge theatrical convention.

This year’s festival will examine the theme of ‘Power’, seeking to challenge, interrogate and probe hierarchies and dynamics in our current political and social landscape; raising questions around who holds power? How might power be distributed differently? How do historic power structures influence today’s narratives?

The 2020 festival runs from Friday 24 April to Sunday 3 May with the first commission announcement as Pandora by Le Gateau Chocolat. Described as ‘part song cycle’ and ‘part theatre’, Le Gateau Chocolat will be joined live on stage by Manchester Camerata. The festival will also bring a UK dance premiere from Brazilian choreographer, Alice Ripoll and dance company, Cia Suave. Blending break-dance, voguing, samba, passinho and dancinha, Cria explores affection and sensuality.

Street Culture innovators, Crxss Platfxrm will be joined by curator, Tunde Adekoya for a series of events exploring the radical potential of Street Culture and sculptor Hew Locke will bring The Man Who Would Be King, a new exhibition focussing on the expression of power through portraiture.

The festival will also feature a deftly moving, though optimistic performance from ex-circus Strong Lady, Charmain Childs; an interactive casino from award-winning Belgian theatre collective Ontroerend Goed, an aerial performance on the exterior of The Lowry and much more. This year’s festival is pushing boundaries like never before. Do take a look at the full programme.

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Where to go near Week 53 Festival 2020

Manchester
Gallery
Irwell Sculpture Trail

The 33-mile trail, which follows the River Irwell from Salford Quays all the way to Bacup in Pennine Lancashire, has been around for over a decade, but it’s recently been restored and expanded.

Manchester
Shopping Centre
Lowry Outlet Mall

The Lowry Outlet Mall in The Quays district of Manchester sits opposite both The Lowry and MediaCityUK, Europe’s largest media hub and the home of BBC North.

mediacity courtesy salford university
Manchester
Bar or Pub
Central Bay

Central Bay is a new waterfront dining and drinking destination at Quayside MediaCity, opening summer 2023.

MediaCityUK
Café or Coffee Shop
Blanconero

High-level Italian food in Salford Quays, with no less than seven different lasagnas to choose from.

The Quays
Restaurant
The Alchemist Mediacity

The latest offering from the UK-conquering Alchemist has an energetic vibe similar to others in this highly-regarded chain of restaurants.

Salford
Uswim
at Salford Quays

Jump into waters of dock 9 at Salford Quays with Uswim, they bring the benefits and freedom of open water swimming to the convenience of a central location.

Manchester
Food hall
BAB Korean Food

A highlight of Manchester’s K-Food space, Bab Korean Food serves up authentic, well-made dishes at the Kargo MKT food hall in MediaCity.

Manchester
Food hall
Kargo MKT

Mighty food hall in Salford Quays, with around twenty street food vendors, serving a huge range of cuisines.

Manchester
Restaurant
11 Central

11 Central is a new bar and microbrewery launched by local brewing legends SEVEN BRO7HERS BREWING CO at the Central Bay site in Salford.

See all places

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Period Drama at Lowry

Olga Kaleta’s surreal dark comedy explores mental health, identity and recovery in the context of aworld where fear is starting to look like common sense.

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