Papillons

Butterflies: symbols of transfiguration and the ephemeral.

Don’t be fooled by their fragile appearance: the butterfly is a creature of extraordinary strength, breaking down its own body to rebirth itself anew. To take control of your destiny is an act of freedom and defiance.

Dissolving the boundaries between classical music and other artforms, Manchester Collective join forces with dance-theatre company Thick & Tight to present a searing live performance. Drawing on queer culture, Daniel Hay-Gordon and El Perry’s radical work flits between ballet and cabaret, the absurd and the disarmingly moving.

At the heart of the show is Kaija Saariaho’s Sept Papillons – a set of seven miniatures for solo cello, darkly exquisite and fiendishly difficult. Great strength is needed to handle something so delicate. Taking up the mantle is Laura van der Heijden, one of the leading cellists of her generation.

Manchester-based multimedia artist CHAINES completes this riotous line-up. Their work synthesises cutting-edge technology with their classical training to create surreal, glitchy textures.

Papillons is co-created by Manchester Collective and Thick & Tight. CHAINES’ new work is commissioned by Manchester Collective with support from their Commissioning Club.

Part of Multitudes 2026