50 HOURS OF FOCUS is a week of talks, workshops and masterclasses that explore the arts industry's most burning issues. Arm yourself for 2023 and beyond with wisdom and skills from an acclaimed selection of artists and experts, connect with others working in the creative industries, and have the chance to meet the Contact team. Staging Complex Conversations
Join 20 Stories High and Contact as they screen and discuss the making of their BBC commissioned I Told My Mum I Was Going On An RE Trip...; a frank, funny and moving drama about four young women’s abortion experiences. Julia Samuels, Roxy Daykin-Moores, and Lisa Hallgarten will reflect on making a piece of work that deals with complex and sometimes polarizing subject matter.
Julia Samuels is a freelance theatre and film-maker. Previously Co-Artistic Director of 20 Stories High (Liverpool), where she made a range of award-winning work through collaboration between artists and young people. 20SH highlights include: Buttercup (20SH/Tigerlily Films/BBC Arts), Offie/Oncomm award-winning Touchy (20SH/Unity/Wellcome Collection) I told my Mum I was going on an R.E. Trip..., (20SH/Contact/BBC & Toronto’s HotDocs festival selection) and She’s Leaving Home (20SH/Phelim MacDermott/Culture Liverpool).
Freelance projects include directing Glowing by Amy Vreeke (Contact), and developing new collaborations with artists Brodie Arthur (Everyman Playhouse), Saphena Aziz (Unity) and Afreena Islam-Wright (Contact).
Roxy Daykin-Moores -
As Creative Producer at Contact Roxy produces Contact commissions and co-productions. This has included working with artists ranging from early career to internationally renowned: Looking Forward to Tomorrow and Chim↑Pom: A Drunk Pandemic (with MIF); I Told My Mum I Was Going On An RE Trip… (with 20 Stories High/BBC); The Forest of Forgotten Discos; RITES (with NTS); The Bread We Break (Miray Sidhom); and Under The Covers (CYC, Wellcome Trust).
Lisa Hallgarten -
Lisa is Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Brook the national sexual health and wellbeing charity where she advocates for young people’s rights to accessible sexual health services and sex-positive, inclusive Relationships and Sex Education. She has spent her career championing reproductive rights and justice; starting and amplifying conversations that challenge abortion stigma: in politics, in the public sphere, at work, in the arts and everywhere.
Event Venue
Contact, Oxford Road, Manchester, United Kingdom
Tickets