Manchester to host international convention for performing arts professionals this summer

5th April 2023

Manchester is set to host a prestigious international convention for the performing arts this summer. 

The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) conference will see hundreds of global performing arts professionals descend on the city for the three-day conference from 27 to 30 June. 

ISPA brings global arts professionals together twice each year to share ideas and collaborate on best practices. An annual conference is held each January in New York, followed by a mid-year conference which is held in a different world city each year. Last year's mid-year ISPA conference was held in Hong Kong, and next years is taking place in Perth, Australia.   

Manchester hosting the annual conference on behalf of the UK coincides with what is shaping up to be a culturally significant year for the city. 

Host cities are chosen through a competitive bidding process during which they have to demonstrate their commitment to culture and the performing arts and show what their city has to offer delegates. 

A partnership of Manchester stakeholders including cultural institutions and The Manchester Convention Bureau part of Marketing Manchester, collaborated on the bidding process, highlighting the significance of culture to the region in both its heritage and its future. 

This year's event in Manchester will be the first in-person mid-year ISPA conference to take place since the pandemic and more than 500 diverse arts leaders from over 50 countries are expected to attend, representing different genres and disciplines from within the performing arts field, including theatre, music, and dance.  

Delegates will include arts managers, promoters, presenters, festivals, producing companies, consultants, and government cultural leaders. 

Conference delegates will arrive in the city just days before the start of this year's Manchester International Festival - which sixteen years on from the very first festival in 2007 now has a worldwide reputation for the innovation and quality of its biennial programme of cultural firsts that regularly go on to tour the world.  

Their visit also comes as the city gears up for the much-anticipated opening of Factory International. 

Factory International’s first event You, Me and the Balloons opens on 30 June as part of the Manchester International Festival and will see one of the world's most loved artists, Yayoi Kusama, bring her largest-ever immersive environment to Manchester with her gigantic psychedelic inflatable artworks, shown together for the first time. 

Partners including the city council, Marketing Manchester, HOME, Factory International, and the Bridgewater Hall, are working together to deliver the June conference. The Manchester Convention Bureau, part of Marketing Manchester, has provided support to event planners to ensure that ISPA delegates get to experience the best of the city, from accommodation to delegate welcomes. 

Over the years ISPA has served as a fantastic opportunity and meeting place for industry professionals - providing a place to learn about performing arts in different regions of the world and to keep up to date on issues, challenges, and solutions from others working in the sector around the world. It seems fitting, that in such a significant year for Manchester's cultural scene, these industry professionals will get to experience new openings first-hand. 

As part of each mid-year congress, the host region also delivers the Anthony Field Academy, an intensive arts administration programme which is dedicated to developing the next generation of talent. In Manchester, this will see a one-and-a-half-day programme of activity and discussion tailored specifically to new and emerging arts professionals, who are looking to gain experience in arts leadership. 

Dave Moutrey, Director of Culture for Manchester City Council, and Director of HOME said: "We're delighted to be welcoming the ISPA mid-year congress to Manchester in June 2023. At a critical time for the sector, bringing together performing arts professionals from across the globe to collaborate and exchange ideas feels more important than ever, and we're proud to be providing a space for this to happen. It has been a pleasure working with the British Council and Arts Council England, whose support was integral to our successful bid, and we look forward to working with colleagues from across the sector and other partners to showcase the wealth of talent, innovation and culture that Manchester, and the UK, has to offer." 

Sheona Southern, Managing Director of Marketing Manchester said: “This year is a monumental year for Manchester’s cultural scene with new openings across the city like Factory International paving the way for cultural firsts that will reposition Manchester as a global arts hub. Hosting the ISPA mid-year congress helps us to cement that status and celebrate what is a really exciting time for the city. 

“The Manchester Convention Bureau and Marketing Manchester have worked closely with key stakeholders from across the city in the bidding process to show the strength of our cultural narrative and why Manchester is the ideal space for global creatives to come together. Manchester has a strong heritage in music, literature, arts and theatre. Now we’re entering a new era for culture which is incredibly exciting for our residents, arts professionals and visitors. We look forward to showcasing Manchester’s cultural scene to the world and confirming to the global creative community that this city is a must-visit destination.” 

ISPA 23 in Manchester is also being supported by Arts Council England, Visit Britain, and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). 

Find out more about the conference and how to register as a delegate here.