FOR one evening only, Manchester’s trams will become the venue for an exciting showcase of the city’s musical and artistic talent.
Students from the Manchester School of Art and the Royal Northern College of Music have teamed up to present a series of three-minute pop up performances on the trams running between Shudehill at St Peter’s Square and at stations along the way.
Next Thursday, travellers will be able to experience immersive art experiences, all set to the sounds of Vaughan Williams’ Songs of Travel.
And for those who prefer their art to stay in one place, there will also be an exhibition at Federation House, opening at 6pm and running until Saturday, May 16.
The shows are created by students for Unit X, where students from courses in media, art and design come together to work with studios, venues and businesses across the city. They are part of Manchester After Hours, the city-wide celebration of culture programmed by Creative Tourist, and have been made possible by partnership from Transport for Greater Manchester.
Fabrizio Cocchiarella, Senior Lecturer in the Manchester School of Art, said: “We are really fortunate to have this fantastic opportunity to work with the RNCM. Students have had a wonderful creative experience responding to the songs and orchestral works, applying their concepts spatially creating real immersive atmospheres.”
The event is a preview for Mise en Scene, an interactive sensory experience taking place at the RNCM on July 2. The unique theatrical concert will feature Berlioz’s Les Nuits d’Ete, Vaughan Williams’ Songs of Travel and Poulenc’s Sinfonietta.
Stefan Janski, Head of Opera at the RNCM and director of Mise en Scene, said: “The RNCM is delighted to be working once again with MMU. For this project, the Manchester School of Art Media and Design students on both the BA and Masters courses have proven to be truly inspirational; their response to the music and text of Berlioz, Poulenc and Vaughan Williams is overwhelmingly creative.
“Consequently, the site specific performance in Manchester’s Federation House and on and off the trams on 14 May has whet the appetite of the Master’s students to develop this project into a unique and novel experience in the newly refurbished RNCM Concert Hall on 2 July.”
