3am Waitress Image from previous TILT festival

TILT FESTIVAL is back in Birmingham in July 2023

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TILT FESTIVAL is back in Birmingham in July 2023

Via M Seven Public Relations

June 2023: TILT FESTIVAL, one of the UK’s largest aerial and physical theatre festivals, is back this summer celebrating its 8th year in central Birmingham.

TILT23, will run for seven days opening Monday 10th and running until Sunday 16th July. It will bring together some of the world’s most renowned artists presenting jaw-dropping, breath-taking physical theatre and aerial performances right in the heart of the city.

Forests photo by Richard Battye

TILT23 is produced by Birmingham’s award-winning highly physical theatre company RoguePlay based at their headquarters at West Midlands Circus Centre, Digbeth. Touring internationally, RoguePlay have an impressive 12-year history of inspiring people to embrace new experiences and challenge convention.

Artists already announced for TILT23 include:

  • Angeliki Nikolakaki from Greece (Straps, Silk Hoop) who originally trained in ballet, modern jazz theatre and contemporary dance.
  • Portugal based Fabio Pinna one of the first active Cyr Wheel coaches in Europe.
  • Michael Standen (Hand balancing, Acrobatics, Partner Acrobatics and Dance Trapeze) an international circus powerhouse, who has hailed from London’s National Centre for Circus Arts.
  • Rebecca Hannah (Backbending, Yoga, Contortion) who has taught worldwide, in over 16 different countries.
  • Plus this year’s festival will also feature Felix Fogg who will be teaching Trapeze and Chinese Pole.
  • And Kim Wildborne Director of West Midlands Circus Centre and Producer of TILT23 Festival, a specialist in silk and rope.

This year’s exciting programme will open with PRO NIGHT (14th July 2023) a truly spectacular night of performances by the professional artists. PRO NIGHT offers a fast-paced evening of everything from 5-minute circus acts to brand-new shows providing audiences with the chance to experience up close and personal performances within the intimate setting of the Circus Centre studio.

3am Waitress Image from previous TILT festival

THE TIME IS NOW (15th July) is an all-day family-friendly event staging sustainable performances by sustainable organisations.

Events include Parent and Child Aerial, the Birmingham premiere of RoguePlay’s brand new show FORESTS, Upcycling Workshops, free Champagne Reception with live music and Scratch That! a community and emerging artist showcase.

Local groups and artists featured include Midlands-based Company Apidae, engaging in storytelling, through hybrids of breakin’ and contemporary language, Worcester’s Translucent Dance, Rogueplay’s Young Aerialists (7-14 years) with a climate change-based performance piece and emerging dance and hoop artist Fleur Hall with ‘Between’ a new work supported by Arts Council England.

RoguePlay’s Kim Wildborne Producer of TILT23 said

We’re very excited to be back once again this year to offer our audiences, and new fans, the chance to experience performances from some of the most talented physical theatre and aerial performers in the world.”

This year, RoguePlay has announced its Nothing New strategy, a pledge for TILT to strive to be zero waste. The company have already committed to waste sorting, upcycling, tree-free paper, solar-powered lighting and sound, plastic-free and renewable energy.

Kim added;

We are especially delighted that our Saturday events feature sustainable organisations and the Birmingham premiere of our brand-new show FORESTS with a vegan performance team of global heritage artists.

FORESTS confronts the systemic racism driving the creation of ‘treeless land’, whilst exposing the futility of losing precious resources for ‘fleeting’ products such as toilet paper.”

Following its success at last year’s festival TILT23 once again aims to create opportunities for artists and engage audiences both on and offline via hybrid programming, including the TILT Aerial Dance Film Festival – particularly highlighting marginalised voices and underrepresented women. Films are selected based on challenging the possibilities of what aerial dance and circus can look like in video form. The chosen films will be screened at the TILTed Film Festival which takes place on Sunday 16th July at West Midlands Circus Centre, Digbeth. The screening will also feature RoguePlay’s award-winning film, 3am Waitress. For further information and submissions please contact info@rogueplay.co.uk

TILT23 will also hold a week-long series of training workshops which provide those in the industry with the chance to work with professional artists across a range of aerial and physical theatre skills. Attracting people from across the UK, these sessions will be held both in person and online between 10th and 16th July 2023.

Booking details for performances and training workshops can be found here tiltfestival.com Please note that tickets will still need to be pre-booked for those events that are FREE.

TILT23 will take place at West Midlands Circus and Creative Centre, Minerva Works, Digbeth and is in easy walking distance from Birmingham Coach Station, Birmingham Moor Street Station and Birmingham New Street Station. Look out for further announcements on the TILT23 website tiltfestival.com.

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