Challenging the conventionality has become something of a habit for renowned theatre company Contact. Pushing the boundaries has often been their forte and in their latest offering, in conjunction with Young Identity, they have joined forces with Manchester Art Gallery in a provocative piece that forces us the audience to ask vital questions about our collections, our buildings and culture and ultimately how we see them.
If theatre is to shed its stifling old fashioned image of the stage and attract new audiences then Contact Theatre’s current programme of events this year is a shining example of challenging the conventional.
It’s hard not be drawn to Elmi Ali’s development piece, Water Seeds Not Stones, which is currently being shown as part of the 2017 Flying Solo Festival at Contact Theatre. It promises a combination of traditional storytelling and performance art, told through the character of Mamamawodi from the Edge.