News
→ things to watch · artist opportunities, advice, support Updated 23 January 2026
Audiences
First up this year is Victoria Melody’s tale of high jinks and resistance (dir. Mark Thomas) in a WTF Wednesday at Lowry on 11 February at 8pm — then our informal Social Experiments continue at Contact on Thursday 19 February from 6pm to 9pm (Queer Contact Edition) and Thursday 9 April from 6pm to 9pm — with Turn’s whirlwind night of new North West dance at Contact on Friday 20 March from 7pm — more Spring/Summer events to be announced…
• See what’s happened recently in our image galleries for Social Experiment, Emergency, Haphazard, Works Ahead, and Turn.
• Find work to watch by reading our latest Weekly Warning: a regular signpost to performance live and online in Manchester + beyond (sign-up here).
• Visit our YouTube channel to watch archived livestreams and more. Amongst other digital platforms, there’s Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage.
• And finally, please fill in our survey and tell us your thoughts if you came to a recent event.
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Artists
Essentially industry-facing, hÅb advises and supports artists and freelancers in our sector where we can — signposting help and opportunities below.
• Social Experiment is our free, informal, semi-regular evening gathering for Live Art and contemporary performance at Contact, next on Thursday 19 February 2026 (Queer Contact Edition) — followed by Thursdays 9 April and 11 June 2026 — the Call for Proposals is open on a rolling basis, closing seventeen days before each event. (The priority is for Greater Manchester artists, we will consider applications from other North West based artists but not from other regions.)
• Do It Together (DIT) 2026 is a peer-to-peer professional development programme that enables artists to explore ideas, aesthetics and sociopolitical realities together. The Live Art Development Agency and 19 national partners have selected 10 peer-to-peer DIT projects to take place across the UK from April to September 2026, igniting a nation-wide network for process-led experimental practice which artists are now invited to apply to take part in. Jo Hellier’s project Birth the Musical is partnered with hÅb and Lowry at Salford in early April. The DIT 2026 Call for Participating Artists closes on Monday 23 February at 6pm.
• Join hÅb’s artist mailing list, the Emergencymcr Google Group.
• Other mailing lists that you (as an artist) may find useful to join include: Arts Jobs & Arts News from Arts Council England · Live Art UK · LIVEART from JISCmail · SCUDD (Standing Conference of University Drama Departments) from JISCmail.
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Advice
• hÅb offers free 30-minute Advice Sessions via Zoom on Mondays (excluding Bank Holidays) with Tamsin Drury, our Director:
— our specialism is Live Art and contemporary performance, including dance & theatre, though all-comers are welcome;
— if you’re an artist wanting to discuss creative ideas, funding, opportunities, or just need a chat, please book an Advice Session here.
• hÅb also offers guidance on two Arts Council England funding schemes (DYCP & NLPG) via recordings on our YouTube channel:
— watch August 2022’s in-depth look at Developing Your Creative Practice with Tamsin & guests; see the GMAH DYCP guidance page;
— watch November 2023’s initial analysis of updated National Lottery Project Grants by Tamsin; see the GMAH NLPG guidance page.
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Support
• Arts Council England’s grant management system (Grantium) is currently unavailable — please read latest information on their funding schemes.
• Arts Council England’s Developing Your Creative Practice Round 24 is now paused until April 2026; instead there is a ringfenced £7.5 million Research and Development (R&D) fund now available within National Lottery Project Grants (NLPG).
• Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants (NLPG) are now available again in all strands using a new online platform.
• Arts Council England host occasional information webinars for DYCP & NLPG applicants — find dates and book on the ACE North eventbrite page.
• Arts Marketing Association’s Community Support Facebook Group — for arts, culture, and heritage professionals with marketing and communication responsibilities to engage audiences with cultural organisations.
• Factory International’s Artists & Freelance Creatives’ facebook group facebook group.
• Freelancers Make Theatre Work has comprehensive guides to financial support, advice, and resources.
• Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s mental health services for people affected by social restrictions.
• Money Saving Expert — Martin Lewis & his team’s information is regularly updated.
• The Space’s guide to live streaming for the arts by Jason Crouch — lo-fi and low cost options.
• UK Theatre & SOLT’s Theatre Support Information — advice/info about how and where you can access support from leading theatrical charities.
• Unlimited’s blog includes opportunities and resources for disabled artists and freelancers.
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