This time last year, the lockdown forced Edinburgh‘ s Manipulate festival to go online. For Dawn Taylor, who was making her debut as artistic director, that was hardly ideal. But the switch had two positive consequences.
The first was simply about numbers. People logged on from 39 countries and audience numbers doubled. That’s an audience she is determined to keep.
The second was about who watched what. In the past, this self-styled “celebration of innovative puppetry, visual theatre and animated film” has attracted two distinct audiences. There are those with an interest in live performance and those who are drawn to animation. When the programme went digital, the line between the two became blurred. [READ MORE]