Curve's INSIDE OUT Festival Returns This Spring

Leicester's Curve theatre will host 7 world premières and over 900 artists as part of this year's Inside Out Festival, the major festival dedicated to celebrating the work of emerging East Midlands' artists this spring.

INSIDE OUT takes place from the 22nd April - 6th May and features a diverse range of performances, workshops and events to showcase the East Midlands' leading theatre makers, performers and writers.

The programme includes a dynamic and original collection of new work including theatre, dance, live music, spoken word and performance art all of which have been created in the Midlands and made possible through Curve's year-round talent development programmes. This year's Inside Out Studio 2, a new temporary performance space at Curve, will showcase a range of brand new shows from Curve's Breakthrough Artists whilst Curve's main auditorium plays host to a series of concert events created by Curve Affiliate Community Groups.

Highlights of this year's festival include:

Shiv, 22-25 April, a Curve production and the European première of a new play by leading American playwright Aditi Brennan Kapil and directed by Suba Das. Shiv follows a young woman's search for the truth about her dead, immigrant father.

Chicken Dust, 2 May, written by Ben Weatherill, winner of Curve's Playwriting Competition 2014, this brand new play, set in a chicken farm in Leicestershire, is a hard hitting exploration of the human cost of our enormous appetite for cheap meat.

Lyric Lounge, 25 April, the pop-up live literature festival, delivered by Writing East Midlands, is set to include performance poetry workshops, an exploration of city life and sounds in the East Midlands, open mic sessions and an exclusive first look at new work by John Berkavitch.

Mrs Green: The Musical, 24-25 April, Sheep Soup Productions, part of the BAFTA award-winning Television Workshop, bring laughter, tears and original songs with a Motown flavour as they invite you into the living room of ageing soul legend Mrs Green.

Ventoux: 29-30 April, 2Magpies Theatre make use of projection, live and archive footage and dynamic staging to create a unique and inspirational theatre experience about Mount Ventoux, the greatest ever stage of the Tour de France.

Girls With Balls, 1-2 May, Leicester writer Alison Dunne tackles football and feminism head on with this new play, produced by Off The Fence Theatre and inspired by the true events behind the beautiful game.

2015 also sees the return of the Inside Out Park, which offers a full programme of free entertainment in Curve's fully transformed foyer. Designer Kate Unwin draws on Curve's treasure trove of theatre scenery and props to create a fantastical wonderland in which to enjoy live music and spoken word, including the BBC Introducing Stage on the 23rd April.

Suba Das, Curve's Associate Director and curator of the festival commented:

"It's incredibly exciting to be building on the success of the last Inside Out Festival with an even bigger programme of cutting-edge work made by artists from the East Midlands. Every show included in this year's festival is part of a longer term community partnership or artist development programme by Curve making the festival a true celebration of the year round work we do to nurture creativity in the region."

Festival goers this year have the opportunity to see three shows for the low cost of just £12. To find out which shows are included please visit www.curveonline.co.uk Terms and conditions apply.