Vision, Mission & Values
Together with artists, audiences and our communities we will shape a more inclusive and equitable world.
Submerge is a forward thinking international arts festival of innovative performance, music and creative technology in Manchester, an an artist and performance sector development organisation. We work in partnership with venues and cultural organisations in the city to bring international work to the North West. Through our biennial festival we bring artists, audiences, participants and communities together through contemporary performance events which amplify under-represented voices, challenge the status quo and demonstrate alternate ways of being, doing and thinking.
VISION
Together with artists, audiences and our communities we will shape a more inclusive and equitable world. We believe in the power of art to transform lives, contribute towards social justice in the UK and affect personal and social change. We know that giving people opportunities to experience and participate in moving and meaningful arts experiences can enrich how they feel in the world, and about the world. Through our work we help to imagine, envision and build a less selfish and less capitalist-oriented society that promotes sharing, welfare, and taking care of each other.
MISSION
We work towards our vision by connecting Northern artists, audiences, and communities with innovative performance, art and ideas from around the world, bringing international and intersectional perspectives which can change lives, challenge xenophobia and contribute towards creating a more fair and tolerant society.
VALUES
Submerge operates from within four core values that lay the foundation on which we build our festival and our organisation.
EXPERIMENTAL
We create contexts for artists to explore wild ideas, creating performance, art and experiences that rip up the rulebook. We focus on developing artists whose work defies classification and blurs the boundaries of genre and form. We pride ourselves on being the first to support artists to experiment with new ideas, technologies and artforms; many artists we have presented have subsequently found their work propelled to international success.
INTERNATIONAL
We think globally, connecting artists and communities with ideas from around the world. International perspectives can challenge xenophobia and ultimately contribute towards creating a more fair and tolerant society.
EXTRAORDINARY
We support artists to achieve high levels of ambition and excellence and work to ensure that we also uphold these values in our producing practice. We work with extraordinary artists to make extraordinary work.
INCLUSIVE
We want to create an environment where everyone is respected, encouraged, and able to contribute. We embrace intersectionality and want to make our work as inclusive as possible, whilst protecting safer space for the communities we serve. Equitable access is embedded at the core of our work. We aim to do everything we can to find solutions to make our work accessible to the artists, audiences, and communities we serve.