Our first pick of the Fringe! Afreena is an incredibly charismatic performer, a brilliant writer, and - most importantly - this is a proper no messing about quiz. Fun, touching, human, and a show that can be enjoyed by real people and not just theatre people, absolutely fantastic. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ From us!

Obscene ideas are injected into public life with "humour" ... and then enacted. My column this week is pegged to the recent calls in the Spectator to murder people at Glastonbury, and on GB News to starve and shoot disabled people. You could call it wink murder. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Playwrights! Screenwriters! Friends of playwrights and screenwriters! If you're in London on the 24th July PLEASE join us for a #SupportPlaywrightsSummerSocial at Soho Theatre Walthamstow. Pls share.

I'm speaking at Resistance in Game Space on Sat 26th July in Edinburgh! It's a *free* event by @rachelhamada.bsky.social featuring an exhibition, a workshop about unionising in video games, and a discussion about the gamification of society, and a curated film screening. Come along!

UK playful pals & mutuals- we've been given a bit more capacity for our boutique Car Boot Casino night at Develop on Tues 8 July If you enjoy homebrew card & bluffing games, poker visors, janky prizes then ticket details are below: www.ticketsource.co.uk/booking/t-zz... Code: DOGPLAYINGPOKER

this is the real use case for AI: creating a centralized source of "truth" that can be altered at the whim of its fascist owners. technology cannot be disconnected from its financial backing & political consequences. pretending it "could be useful" in a vacuum is a fantasy. bsky.app/profile/pale...

Giving this a lil refresh - are you an/do you know any artist/companies hanging around in the interactive-y, immersive-y, gaming-y, audience pressing buttons and shouting and throwing stuff bit of theatre? Let us know, and we'll get them on the list! #Interactive #Immersive #Gaming #Theatre

Just went to a workshop on creating interactive theatre and it made me realise how unusual my perspective is as someone who's come into theatre from video game design. 🧵

Just had the privilege of being in a room of wonderful people, with a phenomenal piece of #interactivetheatre, and the most compelling thing a room full of wonderful people can possibly be given: A MYSTERY BOX. Fantastic as always @ontroerendgoed.bsky.social ontroerendgoed.be/en/projecten...

The Greens have eviscerated Labour in a council by-election in Haringey. This is David Lammy's constituency.💚🌳 @zackpolanski.bsky.social

Attention small theatres - still time to apply for this fantastic opportunity to have your seats refurbished by prestigious Race Furniture Deadline: Monday 28 April www.theatrestrust.org.uk/ssa

Very nice review of our show, touring now: www.westendbestfriend.co.uk/news/review-...

Thinking differently and beyond ACE investment is urgent and needs to be done now, writes @lyngardnertheatre.bsky.social 👇

Remarkable clip. The OBR apparently has a new role - a tool for ministers to outsource the negative impacts of government policy.

Hilarious and heartbreaking in equal measure, the sold out production of TOXIC, the powerful and passionate play by Nathaniel J Hall and Dibby Theatre Productions, hits the playhouse this week! 🎭 Thu 20 – Fri 21 Mar 🎟️https://bit.ly/4iSs7x9

⚠️ WEEKLY WARNING 🔍 discover new #performance to watch in #Manchester and beyond… 📰 read our latest #signpost to the bizarre, beautiful, and best upcoming shows and events…

🎟️ Two new productions have just gone on sale for 2025 🎟️ Liberation with Factory International for #MIF25 27 JUN - 26 JUL Dancing at Lughnasa with @sheffieldtheatres.bsky.social 11 OCT - 8 NOV Get 10% off total ticket price when you get tickets at the same time! 👉️ rxtheat.re/GSale25Fb

Just 1% of the UK population has wealth of £2.8 trillion, compared to £2.4 trillion held by 70% of the population combined. The richest FOUR Britons have more wealth than 20m people combined. Rich have hijacked govts. Must tax the rich to improve life chances of the rest.

Keir Starmer has declared war on disabled people. Labour are planning to be even crueller than the Tories. Is this why people join Labour - to kick vulnerable people? New post 👇 www.owenjones.news/p/labour-dec...

Choosing to take money from disabled benefit claimants rather than levy a wealth tax is simply immoral 👇

The Government is planning to unveil more than £6 billion of welfare cuts that will see even people with extreme disabilities lose money. None of this is necessary. Billions could be raised by taxing the super-rich fairly. Labour are choosing to punish the most vulnerable.

www.politicshome.com/news/article... The findings come as the Labour government prepares to cut welfare payments in the upcoming spring statement so that Chancellor Rachel Reeves can stick to her fiscal rules. Achieves nothing and people will die to satisfy her ego. Knowingly cruel. Try caring FFS.

Jeremy Corbyn: Keir Starmer says there's no money - I don't believe him metro.co.uk/2025/03/05/j...

"We have to make cuts so we can build more bombs". I think this is bollocks. Defence spending involves vast amounts of waste. Russia represents a real and hideous threat to Ukraine. The threat beyond that is exaggerated. New column 👇 www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

A reminder for these times.

And then after the obvious rejoinder—"Ukraine is at war with an aggressive foreign invader, and Ukrainian law says they can't hold elections under such martial circumstances"—expect nonsense about how America is under invasion too (defined not as armed attack, but as unarmed people walking north).

When Trump tries to postpone elections at some point one argument his people will make is, “But Zelensky postponed elections and you didn’t think that made him a dictator.” Just get ready for that. It’s coming.

Very proud to have produced this work for Factory International with artists BRiGHTBLACK, who co-created it with 14 Greater Manchester residents. Come along this weekend and spend some time in the clouds! #TheatreSky #CreaTech #CreativeTechnology www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/art...

Want to know more? Find us on: 💻 www.rtyds.co.uk 📷 www.instagram.com/rtyds_uk 📧 [email protected]

Hi 👋 We are RTYDS & we're running Fair Play, a nationwide initiative addressing socio-economic inequity in theatre. Our vision is an industry where working class leaders can thrive & where our theatre sector is robust, socially just, & able to recognise, develop & nurture working class talent.

2/ Respond to the Government consultation by midnight tomorrow - we have produced a guide to make it easy for you (and pls share with colleagues and friends!) writersguild.org.uk/fight-back-a...

1/ If the Government goes ahead with its proposals on AI, it will give tech companies the ability "to take what they like, when they like, without informing or compensating the writers of the work they use to train their models," says WGGB President Sandi Toksvig writersguild.org.uk/copyright-ai/

Nah, it's easy. Just work unpaid for a decade, beg for more work that people in power will pretend they'll eventually pay you for, spend your own money to create things that people in power may or may not come and see, and then eventually- What do you mean you can't afford that? Learn to budget.

It was fabulous to see this brilliant production of The Cost of Everything! I was so impressed by the thoughtful way that @hiddentrack.org.uk co-constructed the show with their audience, creating an urgent interrogation of neoliberalism and a joyful exploration of a meaningful alternative economics!

Hi all, everyone should read this because while ACE has announced a delay and consultation to their proposed changes, what was leaked about what was going to be put in place from April 1 would have been catastrophic and the end for many companies and a migraine for NPOs too.

WEEKLY WARNING discover new #performance to watch in #Manchester and beyond… read our latest #guide to the bizarre, beautiful, and best upcoming shows and events…

Many blame the planning system for the UK's housing crisis, but the bigger issue lies with developers. Too often, they get permission but don’t build—waiting to sell at a higher price or keep supply low to prop up house prices. Read our new report here: www.ippr.org/articles/str...

Very excited to announce that our Artistic Director Elliot Hughes has been selected as part of the Factory International Fellowship 2025! You can see the full list of fellows here, such an exciting group of artists!

I went to the first Arts Emergency meeting led by Neil and Josie Long. I was pregnant and in the end couldn’t volunteer at that time but I remember just thinking YES. Yes to this. Have a read. Sign up.

Oh hey fellow creatives, how d'you feel about AI stealing your work? Do you think that's great and you love it or do you think that might be bad actually? You can fill in the government's online consultation here. @equityuk.bsky.social also have some advice at www.equity.org.uk/campaigns-po... #ai

Not spreading this too widely, but we're holding some industry sharings of our newest show 'The Cost of Everything' at Camden People's Theatre on Weds 19th Feb @ 7pm; and HOME, Manchester on Fri 28th Feb @ 2pm & 5pm. This is invite-only, but if you're a friend of the company, do drop us a message ❤️

Three by-election gains for Reform last night, two from the Tories and one from Labour. Can see the rightward turn of both parties is reaping them dividends.

Happy "Microsoft trying to force CoPilot subs" day in the UK for all who celebrate. (They just pinged me my renewal notice with it carefully worded to sound like a compulsory general price increase). 1) Go to your account page 2) Hit cancel 3) Change sub back.

🧬 #SocialExperiment A new gathering for #LiveArt & contemporary #performance — meet artists & others, take a few risks, maybe test out an idea… A series of free, #informal evenings at @contactmcr.bsky.social — today we're showing five works from 6pm to about 9pm wordofwarning.org/socialexperiment

Don’t just call for action to support the theatre sector – take it, says Amanda Parker 👇

Do you go to the theatre? Do you care about Palestinian art and culture? Do you want the Edinburgh Fringe to be an internationalist platform where Palestinan artists can be seen and celebrated? Then give these people your money, they need it! www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/welcome-to...

📢 CALLING DANCE ARTISTS 🔵 #Turn2025 will platform North West #dance-makers at @contactmcr.bsky.social on 4 Apr. 🔵 APPLY via turnmcr.posthaven.com (deadline Fri 31 Jan, 5pm) 🔵 PARTNERS: hÅb, Contact, Company Chameleon, Dance Consortia NW, Project Auske, supported by @artscouncilengland.bsky.social

Here’s a quick introduction to some of the legal and industrial relations work ITC will be doing in 2025 www.itc-arts.org/coming-up-in...

The news is out - Perfect Show For Rachel is going international! We will be heading to Aarhus, Denmark to take part in the ILT Festival in May 2025. They have lots more exciting shows to announce, but for now check out more about the festival and Perfect Show for Rachel below. We can't wait.