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about

Let’s Talk About It!

Our Story

SICK! Festival faces up to the complexities of mental and physical health. We present an outstanding international arts programme, weaving in perspectives from researchers, clinical practitioners, public health professionals, charities and those with lived experience of the issues we address.

Themes are explored through many art forms – dance, theatre, film, spoken word – and through discussion and debate. SICK! Festival presents and commissions powerful, innovative and engaging work by artists from across Manchester, the UK and the world. We take the conversation into the heart of the communities where the subjects matter most as well as major cultural venues.

SICK! Festival has grown and evolved since 2013, emerging from reflections on our own lives and the lives of people around us to embrace issues of wider significance for communities and deep importance for individuals.

We are constantly guided by those communities and individuals, who ground our work in real-life experience, huge knowledge and immense understanding of the sensitivities of emotive issues. All too often these subjects are kept away from public view and debate. We exist to change that.

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Our Team

Danielle Porter

Creative Producer (Communities)

Helen Medland

International Development Consultant (Founder)

Ian van der Heyden

General Manager

Miles Murgett

Communications Manager

Paul Cocker

Head of Business Development

Rose Sergent

Creative Producer (Commissions)

Tanya Pascoe

Finance Manager

Tracy Gentles

Artistic Director & CEO

OUR TRUSTEES

Christine D’Cruz

Paul Russ

OUR OPPORTUNITIES

The North Manchester Film Festival: Your Voice [Film Makers Call Out] 

The North Manchester Film Festival: Your Voice will take place at the Miners Community Arts and Music Centre on 3-4 May, as part of SICK! Festival 2024. We’re looking for local film makers to submit their work to showcase at the event.  

CALLING ALL EVENTS, PRODUCTION & STAGE MANAGERS WORKING ON & OFFLINE – WE NEED YOU!

We are seeking to develop our pool of exceptional Events, Production and Stage Managers to help us deliver our ambition. If you think this could be you, we’d love to hear from you.

SICK! Ambassadors

We are looking for a small group of four young people aged 18 – 30, with a range of experience and perspectives, to help us to continue to shape our 10-year programme of exciting creative projects in Charlestown, Moston & Harpurhey.

You will attend bi – monthly meetings to discuss issues that are important in the area, help us come up with new ideas and look at
how we communicate with the wider community.

MENTAL HEALTH PRACTITIONER

SICK! Productions is seeking to expand our pool of experienced and effective Mental Health Practitioners to support our Creative Team to deliver Creative projects across 2023-2024.

Specifically supporting our Community Mental Health Arts Programmes (SMASH! Women & Girls and SMASH! Mixed), which form part of our creative engagement with Moston, Harpurhey and Charlestown Manchester.