School halls across Greater Manchester will be transformed with a gigantic moveable climbing frame set as the National Theatre tours new production Shut Up, I’m Dreaming to nine secondary schools in Wigan, Salford and Rochdale in partnership with The Lowry.
The show explores the dreams of young people in an uncertain world through a combination of movement, dance and music. Created with secondary pupils, nationally the production will visit a different school every day for 11 weeks all around England, as part of the NT’s largest-ever schools tour.
In Greater Manchester from January 16-27 , the production will visit: Outwood Academy Hindley; Irlam & Cadishead Academy; Bedford High School, Leigh; Pendelton College, Salford; Edgar Wood Academy, Heywood; Kingsway Park High School, Rochdale; St Ambrose Barlow R.C. High School, Swinton; Fred Longworth High School, Tyldesley and Hollingworth Academy, Rochdale.
In an innovative collaboration with physical theatre company The PappyShow, residencies have already been held with 100 students in three partner schools in Wakefield, Sunderland and Walsall to understand the experience of teenagers in recent years and incorporate their voices into the piece.
Kane Husbands, director and founder of The PappyShow said, “This new production is a bright response to our time. The research alone has been an incredible journey and we have been inspired by how this next generation has responded to us.
"At a time when creativity is being removed from the curriculum, we believe taking performance and theatre directly to young people can inspire and make us see things differently. I hope we can inspire young people to lead BIG Lives and keep dreaming.”