Hey! Festival

Hey! Festival is a FREE festival of talks, workshops, song and community building.

HEY! Festival

Wednesday 23rd April, Manchester

Q: What do St George, Mrs Gaskell, Empathy Museum, a radical ballad singer, Jennifer Reid and ManMet’s Centre for Fiction all have in common?

A: HEY! Festival

Join us for a unique, half day, writer led, fully immersive arts festival in the centre of Manchester on St George’s Day.

At Hey! you can talk to our Ear of Britain, Argue with a Woman, join in our interfaith blessing, sing your heart out, (mostly Manchester street songs) and listen to talks, also participate in writing workshops before you pluck up the courage to perform live. Curious? Below is more info.

Workshops and panel require booking - everything else just drop in!

WHAT is Hey!?

Hey! Festival is a FREE festival funded by Manchester Metropolitan University coming to Manchester, 23rd April, St George’s Day and Shakespeare’s Birthday. Hey! is a new a half day micro festival of talks, workshops, song and community building and will be held in the Unitarian Chapel on Cross Street. Hey! is the writer led wing of a rolling series of events across the UK called The Fete of Britain. FoB was devised by a collective of activists from across the arts; together they form a collective called Hard Art. FoB asks how we would like to see the fate of our country play out in future years, given current challenges of climate change and societal divisions, and uses art forms to forge collaborative answers.

WHO?

Hey! is a collaboration, a happening. Hey! is a pop-up micro lit-fest and more, a cross-arts collaborative effort, this time bringing together WRITERS from Manchester Metropolitan University, ACTORS from Empathy Museum, organisers and ACTIVISTS from the Hard Art Collective and FAITH leaders from across Manchester as well as from the Unitarian Chapel, Cross Street, where William Gaskell was once minister and also attended by famed author Mrs Elizabeth Gaskell.

We will also be showcasing 19th Century Manchester Street songs with legendary BALLAD SINGER Jennifer Reid. You can also ARGUE WITH A WOMAN. Anouchka Grose.

This event is supported by Manchester Metropolitan University’s AHEAD programme.

Presented by the Centre For Fiction, Manchester Metropolitan University.

FIND US ON:

Instagram: @thefeteofBritain, @hey.festival, @empathymuseum @aheadmmu

Metal Label: https://hardart.metalabel.com/

FUNDED BY: AHEAD, Centre for Fiction, Hard Art, Unitarian Chapel, Cross Street, Manchester.

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RUNNING ORDER

2:00pm – A blessing from 5 Faith Leaders, a call and response for unity and peace

2.45pm – Singing Back Radical – with ballad singer Jennifer Reid

3.30pm – Panel talk - Elizabeth Gaskell – More relevant than ever

Free - Please Book

with Manchester Met Centre For Fiction REsearch leads

Dr Emma Liggins, Adam O Riordan and Costa Award winner, Professor Monique Roffey

4:00-5.30pm - Writing Workshops

Free - Please Book

1. FATE WRITING – with author Gregory Norminton, Centre for Fiction, MMU
2. MAGICAL SOLILOQUYS – with Shakespeare experts Vance Adair and Nicholas Royle, on magical thinking and self-transformation
3. ST GEORGE, A MAN FOR OUR TIME – a chance to explore who this man was through letters and monologues, with author Catherine Wilcox, Centre for Fiction, MMU

6pm Live Lit Finale with song and new work, live on YouTube with Good Neighbours/ Fete of Britain TV channel.

ALSO FEATURING

Argue with a Woman – with Anouchka Grose

‘The Ear of Britain’ – from The Empathy Museum.