A gathering for anyone interested in Live Art and contemporary performance to meet, chat, and try ideas out.
If you’re a Greater Manchester artist — this is your chance to test out a short performance, intervention, or durational work in front of an informal audience.
If you’re an audience member looking for something a little bit different — this is your chance to take a few risks and meet some artists in our social experiment.
Social Experiment is a free and informal, semi-regular evening event at Manchester's Contact. The remaining date for 2025 is:
Thursday 27 November → Deadline Wed 12 Nov 2025, 12:00
NEW dates for 2026:
Thu 19 Feb 2026 → Deadline Mon 2 Feb 2026, 12:00 (Please note this will be a Queer Contact Edition)
Thu 9 Apr 2026 → Deadline Mon 23 Mar 2026, 12:00
Thu 11 Jun 2026 → Deadline Mon 25 May 2026, 12:00
The call is open on a rolling basis, closing 17 days before each event.
PLEASE NOTE:
The overall dimensions of Space 0 are 13m x 7.6m - but this has to also accommodate an audience.
The focus of Social Experiment is Live Art. It is not a dance platform, and the space available is not suitable for dance duets, group dance pieces, nor for large physical performance groups.
Limited capacity and 1-2-1 pieces work best in Social Experiment when they are no more than 10 minutes.
You need to be available for a one hour get-in during the day of the event.
The priority is for Greater Manchester artists, we will consider applications from other North West based artists but not from other regions.
To apply to Social Experiment:
1. Complete and submit the proposal and monitoring forms (the proposal form is not as long as google makes it look!).
(Direct
form links: https://forms.gle/hdLD23WbC78NR8iQ9 + https://forms.gle/qtMvWxcZqB2XCsJ76)
2. Include some video and images if you have them — upload to your own
YouTube/Vimeo or similar page, and include the link in the proposal form;
alternatively send via www.wetransfer.com (or similar) to socex@habmcr.org
NB we'd appreciate if everyone could use the online form; if you have significant difficulties please contact socex@habmcr.org for an offline version.
For more information about the venue and Space 0, please read Contact's Info + Visiting Company Handbook.
Social Experiment presented by Word of Warning + Contact; produced by hÅb; supported by Contact and using public funding by Arts Council England.
Enquiries: socex@habmcr.org · wordofwarning.org/socialexperiment