2023
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Updated 8 February 2024
— Spring saw Turn’s whirlwind night of new dance and Works Ahead from Christian, Jade & Kellie at Contact, plus Avital Raz’s Ghost Story at The Lowry
— Summer saw Haphazard’s free afternoon of Live Art antics at Z-arts
— Autumn saw Emergency’s 23rd annual day out for the curious at Contact
Read our latest Weekly Warning signpost to discover more live and online performance in Manchester + beyond… Please also sign-up to keep in touch.
Visit our YouTube channel to watch archived livestreams and more.
Find further information for both audiences and artists on our News page.
Discover what happened last year in our 2022 archive — and please tell us your thoughts if you’ve been to any of our events (or watched a livestream).
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About
Simply put, Word of Warning is a one-stop shop for the bonkers, the beautiful, and the bizarre of new live performance — an attempt to keep alive the best of greenroom’s 25-year legacy, and to also introduce new people to the possibilities of seeing live work in Manchester + beyond, including livestreams and more online…
If you haven’t attended one of these performance evenings yet, WTF are you doing? Go and see the stimulating new work that’s out there!
— Number 9 Reviews on WTF Wednesdays (November 2019)
We take live work very seriously — but we don’t take ourselves seriously at all. Over the past eleven years we’ve shown funny, thought-provoking, and beautiful work by the likes of Ron Athey, Harry Clayton-Wright, Chanje Kunda, Stacy Makishi, Pinchbeck & Smith, Darren Pritchard, Proto-type Theater, and Proud & Loud Arts (amongst others).
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Audiences
We don’t want to put you off by talking art form labels — yes, there’ll be theatre, Live Art, performance, dance, etc. — as our aim is to be anything but elitist or po-faced. So, if you like comedy, music, gaming, or want a friendly, stimulating evening — there’ll be something you might want to take a chance on…
Astonishing. Like nothing else. Transformative, immersive, moving.
Always special, bringing the unexpected and intriguing, thank you.
Fabulous for seeing things different from the mainstream machine.
Really important and interesting work, different to everything else.
— Audience feedback
By
Word of Warning is a project by Manchester-based hÅb — you might not have heard of us though you may know some of our events, like Emergency, Haphazard, Hazard, or Turn. Read 2021’s interview with Circles & Stalls.
hÅb produces, develops, and advocates for Live Art, contemporary performance, and sited work in the North of England.
We’re supported using public funding by Arts Council England; a Divergency core partner — encouraging diversity in Live Art; a Manchester Independents lead partner — highlighting GM artists; a member of Live Art UK, GM Artist Hub, GMAST Network, and the GM LGBTQ+ Arts & Culture Network.
Refreshing company that brings diverse shows to our door steps.
WoW are great, supporting emerging work and bringing it to new audiences.
Wonderful, daring performances that I have never been disappointed by.
A needed company in Manchester, feels like they really support artists.
— Audience feedback
Performance Programme 2023 is brought to you by hÅb, with Contact, The Lowry, and Z-arts, supported by Company Chameleon and Project Auske.
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People
Tamsin Drury, hÅb’s Director, has been around a while — a really long while — she’s been responsible for making the Arndale Tower flash, wrapping Cathedral Gardens in 7km of hazard tape, and firing a glitter-cannon to the Hallelujah chorus! On the less eccentric side, over the years hÅb has worked with hundreds of NW artists to help them create new work. Please send programming enquiries to her via info@habmcr.org
John Franklin-Johnston, hÅb’s Programme Manager, is a freelance producer, events manager, facilitator, and was greenroom’s programme co-ordinator.
Peader Kirk, artist + mentor, supports Works Ahead and other hÅb projects.
We’re grateful for the ongoing support of hÅb projects from a team of freelancers and volunteers that includes: Afreena Islam, Alison Darnbrough, Andrew Crofts, Angie Lee, Catherine Shaw, Chloe Kerr, Jake Lewis, Jodie Ratcliffe, Kamini Patel, Louise Anderson, Megan McPhee, Sam Dixon, Sam Stockdale, Shkiesha, Stacey Potter, Steve Bryan, Tania Camara, Tricia Coleman, plus Theatre and Performance students from The Arden.
Thanks also to hÅb’s Advisory Board: Helen Palmer, Charles Rowley, Cathy Butterworth, Joseph Lau, plus Maya Chowdhry for Divergency.
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Warnings
Please click here to read specific content (trigger) warnings for our events.
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