Manipulate Festival

The 18th edition of Manipulate Festival will take place between 12th and 15th February 2025.

About Manipulate Festival

	, Various Locations Edinburgh
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Listed Under Attractions - Festivals

Manipulate Festival is an annual celebration of excellence in the fields of visual theatre, puppetry and animated film, bringing the very best of international and Scottish work to audiences across Edinburgh and beyond, in February each year. Creating a platform for creative exchange, debate and discussion alongside staging boundary-pushing new work for adult audiences, the Festival has gained recognition nationally and internationally for its innovative curation and unique blend of artforms.

Manipulate Festival is a home for performance, installation and film works which are either driven forward primarily by image rather than text, or which breathe life into the inanimate. This can include physical theatre, animated film, object theatre, mime, circus theatre, puppetry, dance theatre and installation work. We are particularly excited by work which sits at the margins between artforms, plays with form or challenges perceptions.

By bringing together leading puppetry, visual theatre and animated film from across the globe with work which has been developed here in Scotland, we aim to spark opportunities for artistic exchange and to offer our audiences a diverse palette of rich visually led work.

We take every opportunity to ensure the details for Manipulate Festival are accurate, if any of the above information is incorrect we would appreciate if you could take a minute to suggest an edit.

All information (whether in text or photographs) is supplied in good faith but should not be relied upon as being a statement of representation or fact.

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Upcoming Events at Manipulate Festival

Theatre

Manipulate Festival: Snapshots

12th February 2025

The Studio Edinburgh, Edinburgh South

Snapshots is a platform for artists based in Scotland to try out new or developing work across puppetry, circus, physical theatre, visual theatre and dance!

Arts and Crafts

Manipulate Festival: Cartography

12th February 2025 - 13th February 2025

Fruitmarket, Edinburgh Old Town

Where are we? How do we relate to each other now? How do we orientate and anchor ourselves in this tumultuous moment?

Film

Manipulate Festival: These Things Aren’t Mine

13th February 2025

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh West

These Things Aren’t Mine is a visceral, abstract and emotive exploration into the psyche of an ex-child athlete living with PTSD and hyper vigilance.

Theatre

Manipulate Festival: The Law of Gravity

13th February 2025

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh West

In a new collaboration between Blind Summit and Scottish Ensemble, puppeteers and musicians play together to discover the ways puppetry and music lead each other in a fragile dance.

Theatre

Manipulate Festival: Open Studio - Dusk Till Dawn

13th February 2025

The Studio Edinburgh, Edinburgh South

This intimate Open Studio brings drama on the small scale: a plant surviving a storm, a moth using celestial navigation to find its way, a barn owl quietly hunting for prey.

Workshops

Manipulate Festival: Mapping Degrowth Futures

13th February 2025

The Hub Edinburgh, Edinburgh Old Town

Join us for a playful, hands-on workshop reimagining the cultural sector as it is – and as it could be.

Theatre

Manipulate Festival: When Prophecy Fails

14th February 2025 - 15th February 2025

The Studio Edinburgh, Edinburgh South

Award-winning ensemble Groupwork present a daring new piece of physical theatre, based on a 1954 study outlining a groundbreaking theory of human behaviour now known as “cognitive dissonance”.

Film

Manipulate Festival: International Shorts

14th February 2025 - 15th February 2025

Institut francais d Ecosse, Edinburgh Old Town

The International animated shorts programmes celebrate extraordinary animation from around the globe, showcasing a dizzying range of styles, techniques, genres and ideas.

Workshops

Manipulate Festival: ChaosPlay

15th February 2025

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh West

Join artist Anthony Schrag and guests for a cosy conversation as we find common threads between forms, and then explore these meeting points, where we’ll we host an active play session together.

Theatre

Manipulate Festival: Double Bill: Elke / Ratkin

15th February 2025

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh West

Sarah Farrell and Ruben San Roman present new and developing physical theatre work, following a bursary and mentoring from SURGE.

Festivals

Edinburgh Science Festival

, Various Locations Edinburgh

Edinburgh Science Festival is an educational charity that aims to inspire all ages and backgrounds.

Festivals

Edinburgh International Magic Festival

Edinburgh International Magic Festival is back this Christmas with a mind-blowing programme of shows, events and workshops!

Festivals

Portobello Book Festival

, Various Locations Portobello

Portobello Book Festival is a volunteer run festival, taking place over the first weekend of October.

Festivals

FuturePlay Festival

54 George Street, Edinburgh New Town EH2 2LR

Formerly the Edinburgh Digital Entertainment Festival, FuturePlay is on from the 3rd to 26th August.

Festivals

Edinburgh Deaf Featival

49 Albany Street, Edinburgh New town EH1 3QY

Edinburgh Deaf Festival is an accessible celebration of deaf culture, language and heritage. Join us for a variety of performances and events throughout the week.

Festivals

Edinburghs Hogmanay

, Various Locations Edinburgh

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is back to celebrate the end of 2024 and the new year with an unforgettable experience for Edinburgh and beyond.

Festivals

ScotlandsFest

, Various Locations Edinburgh

2024 marks the 7th year of ScotlandsFest, more than 40 captivating events celebrating the vibrant literary, cultural and political landscape of Scotland.

Festivals