Blog: Lucy Grayson

This is Human has been crafted from a year-long residency, featuring artists based in and around Greater Manchester aged 18-25. The month-long season is taking place at Home, one of Manchester’s cultural hubs, with a takeover that will encompass all the building – its galleries, cinemas, theatres and the foyer.

As a collective, Project X decided from day one that our aim was to diversify the building and shake things up. Through our research and development stage, we found that Home does attract multi-generational audiences, but that a significant proportion of visitors are 30-50 years old. We want to challenge that, and increase the number of young people visiting the venue.

I wanted to be involved from the off. To me, Home is a place that supports the underdog and the unseen, championing contemporary artists and work. I’m mostly involved in film production, but there are also dancers, photographers and even a scientist among us in the collective – we bring our expertise but all try things that are new and completely out of our comfort zones.

This is Human is based around four parts of the mind, focusing on the elements that make us human. These include biological rhythms, movement, emotion and sensory aspects.

I have curated a film season around human stories and emotion, presenting a number of real gems, including Fish Tank, Blue is the Warmest Colour and Little Miss Sunshine. And I’ve also been working on In Motion, taking place in Home’s Theatre 2, revolving around the concept of emotion, with a stripped-back version of the typical cinema experience that audiences are familiar with.

Removing actors, narrative and dialogue, In Motion will focus on sound, light, visuals and music, allowing the spectator to create their own narrative. The piece will include evocative digital imagery and live VJing from Sean Clarke, live music from Manchester Musician Shunya, and performance and movement choreographed by the Meraki Collective. Manchester-based singer-songwriter Megan Dixon Hood will also perform, followed by a DJ set from Christie, resident at Cache and Prawn.

This is only a small part of all of the amazing things we have planned. All the events are free – have a look at Home’s website to find out more, and I hope to see you all there for our big launch on Wed 9 Aug (6-9pm).

Lucy Grayson is one of the artists in the Project X Collective. This is Human runs until 31 August at Home, with a distinctive series of events that question the way we view art and how it is presented. All areas are free to enter. For further information, visit homemcr.org/this-is-human. #ThisIsHuman. Photo: David Fawcett