Contact

We had a fantastic time at The Agency Programme Community Day ✨ It was great to have the chance to speak to the young people, learn about their inspiring projects, ask questions, and share ideas. From mental health support initiatives and career advice workshops to podcasts and creative magazines, the range of projects this year is really diverse. We’re so excited to see how these ideas develop over the coming weeks and can’t wait to hear their final pitches at the panel event in December. Thanks to the brilliant Agency Manchester team, Bianca Prince, Amy and Joshua Wilkinson for organising the day! For those unfamiliar, The Agency is a programme empowering young people to become creative leaders and change-makers in their communities. It’s amazing to witness and support their passion for generating social change firsthand! #TheAgency #TheAgencyUK #YouthEmpowerment

It’s been such a pleasure to have Tom use Contact to ‘clown around in’ 🤡 Plus people have been so excited whenever we mention there are clown workshops happening in the building, that we think audiences will love the final show next year!

🌟 Support Contact this #GivingTuesday and help us empower the next generation of creative leaders... Since 1972, Contact has been at the centre of Manchester’s arts scene - empowering young people, championing diversity, and bringing boundary-pushing performances to life. From inspiring the next generation of artists to creating a space where everyone belongs, we’re all about sparking creativity and connection. But we can’t do it without you! By donating even a small amount, you help us to: 🎭 Provide free, accessible arts programmes for young people 🌟 Support and develop local talent 🎉 Bring unique, high-quality performances to our city 💡 Provide a free space where anyone can come to work or study Donate today and help us continue to be the place where Manchester comes together, gets inspired, and escapes the ordinary. 🎁 https://lnkd.in/e4ghsdnf 🎁 #GivingTuesday #SupportContact #CreativityForAll #ManchesterArts

Contact are looking for casual technicians to provide technical and operational support of a high standard to all of Contact’s performances, participatory projects and operational activities, including maintenance. Salary: £12.92 per hour Deadline: 2 December https://lnkd.in/e9a7Bneh #ContactMCR #theatrejobs #Manchester #artsjobs #productionjobs #eventproduction

We’re excited to be attending the Mcr Culture Awards tomorrow! Nominated for our Studio School project funded by Nordoff and Robbins. Studio School is a music programme designed for young people aged 11-16, who have been excluded, or are at risk of exclusion, from mainstream education. 🍀 Wish us luck!

We will no longer be posting on X (Twitter). You can read the full reason behind our decision below and if you follow us there, please do make sure to follow us on our other platforms because we'd love to stay in touch! At Contact, we're committed to fostering diversity, inclusion, and sustainability in everything we do. These principles are central to our mission, and we actively work to uphold and promote them. Over recent months, it has become increasingly clear that remaining on X (formerly Twitter) conflicts with these values. The platform has allowed disturbing content, including racism, homophobia and climate change denial, to not only persist but, in some cases, be actively promoted. We’ve also heard from similar organisations about their team members facing targeted abuse, simply for being part of organisations that stand against such harmful ideologies. After thoughtful consideration, we have made the decision to step away from X because the benefits of being on there are now outweighed by the negatives. This wasn’t an easy decision, especially since X has historically been home to some of our largest and most longstanding audiences, but we believe it is vital to take a stand against hate, misinformation, and discrimination. By leaving, we are prioritising the well-being of our staff, the young people and communities we work with, and the integrity of our values. We also believe our time and resources are better spent on platforms that align more closely with our mission. While no platform is perfect, we will continue to connect with you via Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, BlueSky and TikTok all using the handle @ContactMcr. You can also stay up-to-date by signing up for our mailing list... https://lnkd.in/dMxdKv5v

📢 Heads Up! We will be temporarily closed for a Private Event this week... Please note that Contact and brew. cafe will be closed for a private event all day on Wednesday 20th November, and on Thursday 21st November until 3:30pm. We apologise for any inconvenience and look forward to welcoming you back later this week!

🎧 Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month: Introducing "Creatively Minded Men" This #MensMentalHealthAwarenessMonth, we’re excited to share #CreativelyMindedMen - our new Contact Young Company project dedicated to supporting all young men including male-identifying individuals aged 18-30 who’ve experienced mental health challenges. We know that mental health can feel like an isolating journey, and that many young men connect more easily with music. So, thanks to funding from The Baring Foundation we’re kicking off this project with six months of music workshops led by our in-house Music Therapist funded by Nordoff and Robbins. Through music, participants will find a way to express themselves and start a creative journey with others who’ve been through similar challenges. In summer 2025, they’ll then have the chance to combine their music with theatre, by creating and performing an original piece that brings their stories to the stage. Like past projects, our hope for this one is that we build a lasting cycle of creativity and connection, with some members from this first cohort coming back to mentor the next - creating a ripple effect of support and empowerment. We would love to encourage others, whether personally or professionally to use this Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month to spark real change for young men in your community. But, most importantly, please reach out to colleagues, friends and loved ones and ask how they are. Sometimes even just realising that someone has taken a small amount of time from their day to see how you are can make a real difference. #MensMentalHealthMatters #ContactYoungCompany #MusicForWellbeing #ContactArts #mensmentalhealthweek #MensMentalHealthSupport #MensMentalHealthMattersToo