Introducing our reimagined festival for 2021-2022

As we move into a new phase of the pandemic that brings different kinds of uncertainties and challenges, we are eager to be moving back into live production and festival creation, in a way that allows utmost flexibility for artists, creative people, audiences and our own team.

To say that the last 18 months has been challenging for the cultural sector is an understatement and we are starkly aware of the continued knock on effects that the pandemic is having for independent artists. We know that ‘going back to normal’ isn’t an option. 

Transform 21-22 is an experiment to reimagine what an international festival can look like and represent in the future. It is an invitation to artists and communities to join us in manifesting an extended festival for our times, one that is slower, more sustainable and care-led. From Autumn 21-Spring 22, this extended festival will invite audiences from across Leeds and beyond to rediscover and explore the city and to connect with bold, brave, vivid and socially-conscious performance by powerful artists from across the globe.

Our reimagined festival will launch this October with the world premiere of ‘12 Last Songs’ by Manchester based and internationally renowned company Quarantine. From midday to midnight on Saturday 23 October 2021, people from across Leeds from different walks of life will be invited to work a shift on the Quarry stage at Leeds Playhouse. Constructing a fleeting portrait of society, ‘12 Last Songs’  will bring together people who might not otherwise meet in order to question the notion of work, the role it plays in our lives, how it shapes our identity and in the context of a pandemic, how these ideas have been completely turned on their heads.

Tickets for this extraordinary production are available now. As part of our commitment to inclusion and accessibility, Transform is trialling a Pay What You Can ticket model, with ticket options ranging from £2-25. Audiences can select from a range of ticket options, making a choice based on their individual financial circumstances.

We hope that this approach, inspired by some fantastic organisations in our home city and across the world, will mean that a greater number of people can have access to the performances and events we present, and that finance will be less of a barrier. We hope this approach will also enable more people to take more risks on discovering extraordinary, unusual and international performance. By trialling this approach and through our next festival, we want to be able to have more of a transparent conversation around the costs that go into realising the festival and the kinds of projects Transform is known for.

We hope that you will join us this October by booking for ‘12 Last Songs’ . We will also shortly be announcing details of some festival launch activities alongside the production, and you will then be able to expect a series of projects and participation activities extended across this Autumn/Winter, culminating in a number of bold and exciting productions and performances in Spring 22. To be the first to find out news and updates, join our mailing list and follow us on social media.