Heads Up Festival is back – and here are the highlights

A look at the role of screens in observing global conflicts, a Macbeth re-imagining and an alternative guided tour of Hull will highlight the Heads Up Festival’s 12th season.

The festival will take place at venues including Hull Minster, Hull Central Library and Kardomah94 from Wednesday 27 March to Saturday 30 March.

This season’s artistic programme includes The Paper Cinema’s Macbeth, at Hull Minster on 29 March and 30 March. It follows the company’s critically acclaimed show The Odyssey with a re-imagining of the Shakespeare tragedy as a cautionary tale for our times, with puppets, evocative music and cinematic projection.

Now Is The Time To Say Nothing is an interactive sound and video installation exploring the role of screens in observing global conflicts. It is a collaboration between Syrian filmmaker Reem Karssli, a group of young Londoners and artist Caroline Williams. It will take place from 28 March to 30 March at Hull Central Library.

And The Land’s Heart Is Greater Than Its Map, by Olivia Furber, Ramzi Maqdisi, 9T Antiope and Hannah Mason, takes place on 29 March and 30 March at Kardomah 94. It will see audiences invited on an alternative guided tour of a city where truth promises to be stranger than fiction.

The Paper Cinema’s Macbeth takes place at Hull Minster on 29 March and 30 March.

This season also sees the first play by Hull filmmaker Dave Lee, The Orchidian, which takes place at Kardomah 94 on 27 March.

The festival, delivered in partnership with Battersea Arts Centre and part of the Collaborative Touring Network, will also provide free workshops to schools in Hull.

Festival producers E52 said: “This is the 12th season of Heads Up Festival. The festival has been in existence for six years. That’s quite an achievement. During that time we’ve consistently brought work of the highest artistic excellence to the city of Hull, including productions and performances by Kaleider, Jess Thom, Theatre Ad Infinitum, Theatre Conspiracy, non zero one, Victoria Melody, Berkavitch, Conrad Murray and Will Dickie, and look forward to welcoming this season’s artists and theatremakers to Heads Up.

“We have demonstrated that we are about bringing the very best work to the city, presenting that work in unique surroundings, and playing a big part in the development of new pieces of work, both nationally, internationally and more locally. We’re continuing to work behind the scenes to ensure that Heads Up exists, continues and thrives long into the future but, for now, we’re getting really excited for festival number 12.”

Heads Up Festival is produced by E52 in partnership with Battersea Arts Centre. Get tickets and more information at headsup.e52.co.uk/headsup

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