PAPILLONS

There are nearly 20,000 species of butterfly on this planet. And yet, when I think of a butterfly, I not only marvel at the magical – yet fleeting – final outstretched flourish of pattern and colour, I think of all the steps a butterfly takes to achieve its final state of being.

Each step evolves with complexity and intensity; each step varies (sometimes wildly!) from the next, but all are driven by the same purpose and destination.

In that same way the making of our show, Papillons, is the distinct culmination of our collaborators’ different processes and perspectives. Each step is as vital and considered as the other. A co-creation between music, movement, poetry and moving image; provocation and response.

Creation and collaboration is never a simple nor easy process. That’s not a bad thing. It reminds us that to exist and maintain a relationship with ourselves and those around us is something borne from an active effort, through conversation and connection.

To listen, to really listen, requires attention and care.

Every facet of Papillons hopes to reflect this and reveal a little something you hadn’t heard or thought of before.

From Laura van der Heijden’s journey through an intimate, picturesque Imogen Holst through to the fragile yet strident soundworld of Kaija Saariaho; to CHAINES’ otherworldly washes of sonic colour, deep intensity and expansiveness in their brand new work. From Thick & Tight’s inimitable humour and intricate choreography; to The Camberwell Incredibles poetic and artistic responses to all of the above.

Each element celebrates the multitude of ways in which we might perceive sound, light and one another.

JASMIN KENT RODGMAN
Co-artistic director of Manchester Collective

Papillons is co-created by Manchester Collective, Thick & Tight, CHAINES and Laura van der Heijden. CHAINES’ new work is commissioned by Manchester Collective with support from Hinrichsen Foundation and The Leche Trust. Thick & Tight’s work with the Camberwell Incredibles is supported by Lowry.

Music

Biographies

MANCHESTER COLLECTIVE

Known for their experimental programming, daring collaborations and engaging performances, Manchester Collective are reshaping the future of classical music through radical work made in the north of England. The shape-shifting ensemble perform a combination of cutting-edge contemporary music, classical masterpieces and staged work nationally and internationally, in spaces ranging from concert halls to warehouses, nightclubs to festivals.

They collaborate with an exciting array of award-winning artists, pushing at the boundaries of how classical music is presented and experienced. Notable previous projects include Refractions with electronic artist Clark and choreographer Melanie Lane, Sirocco with South African cellist and composer Abel Selaocoe, and a multimedia performance of Michael Gordon’s Weather with an installation by sound recordist Chris Watson.

New music is of vital importance to the Collective. Crossing different musical genres, in recent years they have commissioned major works by composers including Edmund Finnis, Nabihah Iqbal, Oliver Leith, Laurence Osborn, Hannah Peel, Lyra Pramuk and Ben Nobuto.

In 2021, Manchester Collective made their Royal Albert Hall debut as part of the BBC Proms Festival and are currently artists-in-residence at the Southbank Centre in London. In 2023, they won the Royal Philharmonic Society’s prestigious Ensemble award.

THICK & TIGHT

Thick & Tight is a dance theatre company based in the UK, co-directed by Daniel Hay-Gordon and El Perry. Daniel and El create a mix of dance, mime, theatre, satire and drag, taking influence from a wide range of historical, political, literary and artistic subjects.

At the heart of Thick & Tight’s practice, steered by a queer identity and perspective, is the intention to open up restrictive and elitist ideas of ‘artistic excellence’ and to explore dance as a political art form with the power to entertain while challenging social stigma.

Thick & Tight’s work has been presented extensively in the UK, including at Southbank, V&A, Sadler’s Wells, Tate, Barbican, Lowry and Royal Ballet and Opera, and at many festivals internationally. Of equal importance is the company’s focus on working in socially engaged contexts such as LGBTQ+ venues, social clubs and with community groups (Duckie, Moth Club, Posh Club).

Thick & Tight work with an array of collaborators from across different artforms and with dance companies and arts organisations of many kinds. Thick & Tight are Associate Artists at Lowry and Philharmonia Artists in Residence and were recipients of Achievement in Dance at the 2025 UK Theatre Awards.

CHAINES

CHAINES (Cee Haines) is an Oram award-winning composer, arranger, improviser, multi-instrumentalist and multimedia artist who writes surreal, fantastical electronic and electro-acoustic music. As a classically trained musician with broad musical tastes, CHAINES’ work embraces both the beauty of acoustic instruments and the vast potential of digital technologies.

Recent works such as The Rite of Autopsy (featuring GBSR Duo) and Crystalqueer (in collaboration with Liza Bec) combine skilful instrumentalism with live signal processing and sound reactive visuals to create immersive, ambitious, one-of-a-kind musical experiences.

The live, semi-improvised version of their 2018 album The King was described by The Guardian as ‘a mesmeric collage of ecclesiastical beauty and creeping dread’. CHAINES' fascination with art and technology has additionally led them into the realms of visual art and game design, creating the esoteric Beethoven Simulator for Classical Remix in 2021.

CHAINES is also an imaginative orchestrator and arranger who has worked on numerous BBC Proms projects with the conductor Rob Ames and the London Contemporary Orchestra. Past BBC Proms orchestration projects include Anoushka Shankar's Chapters, JADE and the Royal Northern Sinfonia at The Glasshouse, the Everything Everywhere All At Once Suite for Reel Change and Tribute to Pokémon, Ecco and Secret of Mana Suite for From 8 Bit To Infinity. They have also arranged orchestral forces for artists such as Speaker’s Corner Quartet and violinist Galya Bisengalieva.

CHAINES is currently undertaking doctoral research at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, UK, where they also teach Sound Art and Composition with Technology.

LAURA VAN DER HEIJDEN

Laura van der Heijden is widely recognised as one of the leading cellists of her generation. Winner of the 2025 Royal Philharmonic Society Instrumentalist Award, she is celebrated for her perceptive interpretations and imaginative programming.

She opened the 2025/26 season as Artist in Residence at Scotland’s Lammermuir Festival, with concerto appearances including the Ulster Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Philharmonie Zuidnederland and Pilsen Philharmonic, alongside a play/direct project with Sinfonia Cymru. Chamber highlights include performances at Wigmore Hall, Saffron Hall and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw with the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective; collaborations with Her Ensemble at Ronnie Scott’s; and UK recital tours with pianist Jâms Coleman.

Since winning BBC Young Musician in 2012 aged 15, Laura has established an international career, working with conductors such as Sir Andrew Davis, Nick Collon, Gemma New and Karl-Heinz Steffens. Recent concerto appearances include the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, CBSO and Scottish Chamber Orchestra, alongside a play/direct programme with Britten Sinfonia. Recital engagements have taken her to venues and festivals including the Cello Biënnale Amsterdam, Pierre Boulez Saal, and Bad Kissingen.

A committed advocate for new music, she has premiered works by composers including Lara Weaver and Gavin Higgins, and gave the world premiere of Cheryl Frances-Hoad’s Earth, Sea, Air in 2023, later reprised at the BBC Proms. A Chandos artist, her latest recording features this work alongside Bridge and Walton.

A member of the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective, Laura collaborates widely and performs on a late seventeenth-century cello by Francesco Ruggieri of Cremona.

THE CAMBERWELL INCREDIBLES

The Camberwell Incredibles is an arts collective of arts facilitators and adults with learning disability. They run an innovative program where they focus on putting people with learning disabilities  at the heart of the local community. They are based in Trinity College Centre Camberwell and are part of the charity Cambridge House. Together they put on art exhibitions, festivals, tea parties, events, performances, you name it. All of their work stems from the interests of the individual group members where they respond and develop everyone’s personal interests. They are a close knit group made up of wonderful eccentric characters who all support each other through thick and thin. They are always looking for volunteers so if you fancy joining them please do get in touch.

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