The world is moving so fast.

Just over a week ago, under the banner of Take Back Manchester, we collaborated with Take Back Theatre for the first time to commission 12 local writer-performers to respond within 48 hours to the news that Manchester would head into a Tier 3 Lockdown. For both of us, this was our first proper foray into digital theatre. Since Friday 23 October, the day Tier 3 came into force, the world has moved on again. In this fast-paced, 24-hour news climate, Tier 3 is old news as we head into a second national lockdown.

≡ Click on the Playlist icon (top right of video) to select which response you want to watch.

The short responses are testament to the talent we have here in Manchester. In no time at all, a dozen creatives created something out of nothing and captured a response to a moment in time. Some were funny, some were angry, some were lyrical. All of them were fiercely Mancunian.

Locked down and shut up, it is impossible to not reflect on the role of art at a time of crisis. As another national lockdown looms this week, and theatres go dark once again, how can artists raise their voices and audiences unite as we're separated and socially distanced? Our thoughts go out to all our friends and colleagues in the industry who have worked so hard - under impossible circumstances - to bring live work back to our stages only to have to close their doors again. Deprived of our creative crucibles, how can we continue to forge new work and respond to these challenging times?

With bad news around every corner, remember to take a moment out of your day to reflect and connect. A moment to watch something funny, something angry, something lyrical. Something that brings us together whilst we're all kept apart. Again.

We'll fight another day. After all, you can't keep a good Manc down!

Love and solidarity,

Adam Quayle & Hannah Tyrrell-Pinder
Joint Artistic Directors, Box of Tricks