Manchester Collective x Thick & Tight: Papillons
The Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, 200 Jennens Road, B4 7XR
£15
£10 under 18, over 60
Wheelchair users are entitled to a complimentary companion seat.
You can book a free companion ticket by selecting the seat next to yours on the seating plan.
Or, for unreserved seating plans, add a second ticket to your basket.
If you wish to discuss your accessibility needs with a member of our team, please call 0121 331 5909.
Assistance dogs are welcome at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire venues. If you wish to bring an assistance dog, please let the Events Office know by calling 0121 331 5909.
Featured music
Kaija Saariaho Sept Papillons – cello, 2000
CHAINES (Cee Haines) oysters sing of silkworms – cello and electronics, 2026
Imogen Holst The Fall of the Leaf – cello, 1963
Line-up
Laura van der Heijden cello
Thick & Tight dance
CHAINES electronics, visuals
The Camberwell Incredibles mixed media
As their habitats deteriorate, butterflies are losing their colour. How do we appreciate something in a time of loss?
Part performance, part reflection, Papillons invites us into a world where artists respond to music through movement and composition, visual art and conversation.
The boundary-pushing Manchester Collective collaborate with dance-theatre company Thick & Tight and multimedia artist CHAINES for this disarmingly intimate performance.
At its heart is Kaija Saariaho’s Sept Papillons (Seven Butterflies) – an exquisitely brittle and luminous set of seven miniatures for solo cello performed by Laura van der Heijden, one of the leading cellists of her generation.
The Camberwell Incredibles, an arts collective of practising and learning diverse artists, complete the line-up on film.
Weaving haunting electro-acoustic sound worlds, delicate choreography and live visuals together with personal reflections, Papillons celebrates the power of subjectivity and creativity within each of us.
Each performance is captioned and partially audio described and will be followed by a Q&A with the artists.
Papillons is co-created by Manchester Collective, Thick & Tight, CHAINES and Laura van der Heijden. CHAINES’ new work is commissioned by Manchester Collective with support from Hinrichsen Foundation and The Leche Trust. Thick & Tight’s work with the Camberwell Incredibles is supported by Lowry.
Running time approx. 70 minutes
Photo: Thick & Tight © Camilla Greenwell