AN ALTERNATIVE GUIDE TO TRANSFORM 23
Wed 04 Oct 2023
So, you might have picked up a Transform 23 brochure, browsed our What’s On page or received the programme straight to your inbox (this is your reminder to subscribe to our mailing list!).
There are fifteen events at Transform 23 from 11–22 October and if you’re still unsure where to start, we’re here to help!
Check out our alternative guide to this year’s festival.
Intrigued to see performances exploring a particular idea? We’ve pulled out shows that speak to connected ideas and concepts.
LOSS
From the playful to the tender, reflect on loss with us at OH DEER! and ONE SONG.
In OH DEER! Australian company APHIDS moves away from the idealised orphans of fairy tales to contemplate the reality of coping with bereavement, all with a nod and a wink. This playful production brings together performers from Leeds and Melbourne who each take on a character from pop culture to explore their own personal experiences of loss. Captivating and filmic this colourful, surreal production will connect you to your own experiences of loss in a profound way.
Featured in the New York Times’ round-up of the best theatre in Europe for 2022, ONE SONG grapples with themes of life and death, hope and rebirth, as well as the bodily realities of sweat, pain and exhaustion. Part sports competition – part post punk performance – this epic show by iconic Belgian artist Miet Warlop explores the community that gathers at times of grief.
NATURE
In SOTTOBOSCO, you’ll journey into a dark corner of a forest, where a group of disabled children are lost. This gentle and evocative dance performance created by choreographer Chiara Bersani ponders the politics of our access to nature. This exploratory performance uplifts and transfixes, connecting you to the natural world around you.
OUT OF THE BLUE is a documentary theatre show about the world of deep-sea mining. With resources on land becoming increasingly scarce and overexploited, mining companies turn towards the ocean.
Through a series of interviews and conversations, an intimate portrait of this new industry emerges in a fast faced and fascinating documentary performance.
CHILDHOOD
Based on real-life secrets submitted by young people in Leeds and Reykjavík, SECRETS is created by Icelandic artist Ásrún Magnúsdóttir in collaboration with an incredible collective of young Leeds based performers and artists. Come prepared to put yourself in the shoes of today’s teens – as these extraordinary performers give voice to the often unspoken or unheard concerns of young people today.
Similarly drawing on real-life conversations with children, SONGS FOR NO ONE takes you on a journey through the invisible stories of an Iranian boy and girl living under dictatorship.
Having left Iran as a refugee in her own childhood, Nastaran Razawi Khorasani asks what it means to live under a dictatorship and explores what ideas and dreams give the younger generation hope.
Discover a new cultural corner of Leeds – from The Warehouse in Holbeck, an amazing new venue by run the incredible Slung Low – to the brand newbrand-new theatre spaces at Leeds School of Art, Leeds Beckett University.
Alternatively, catch Transform 23 when you’re out about, with PUBLIC TRUST at The Light and PHOTOS OF SICHOVYKH STREET at the LEEDS 2023 Hub in Trinity shopping centre.
Transform is all about re-imagining how we think of theatre. We’re highlighting a few of our most unique experiences for you:
Durational
Head to Yorkshire Dance for BLOOD BONE BREATH – a womb-like installation alive with the ebb and flow of three performers’ movement. You’re invited to step out of the flurry of the festival, rest and relax as the dancers hypnotically explore the space around you. Stop by any time during this three hour durational performance, and spend as little or as long as you like.
Interactive
PUBLIC TRUST asks you to make a promise and examine the value of your word.
Your vow is recorded in a drawing you can keep, and then displayed on a monumental marquee board in The Light for passers-by to see. Stop by and take part.
Epic
Brazilian artist collective MEXA present a vivid reimagining of Homer’s Odyssey in PUMPITOPERA TRANSATLANTICA, combining operatic vocals, 90s pop music and personal stories to create an everyday epic which is both dazzling and entertaining.
You might have discovered our What’s On page but have you seen our Schedule page?
The festival is organised in date order so you can quickly see what’s on when and put your own festival plan together!