Manchester School of Theatre student showcases short film at HOME

Manchester Met MA Performance student, Lauren Manville, recently had her short film ‘GRNDLFRD0825’ screened at PUSH festival at HOME Manchester as part of Spit That Out 2025: North-West Artist Film Programme. 

The film featuring dancers Reon Nash and Samuel Wise, is a short video dance piece shot in the Peak District over July 2024. Made in response to themes of freedom and protest in the context of the outdoors, it explores the presence and movement of the body within landscapes of the British countryside, and the relationship between the two. All dancing was improvised, only edited to the music (“Outlook Remains Untouched” by barcode noun) later on.

Speaking on the themes of the piece, Lauren Manville said: “For many of us, getting out into nature is one of the most freeing feelings - something about escaping from the cities we work and commute in, and getting away from the constant noise and rush. The relationship between humans and the natural world has been a theme constantly explored throughout art history, but it feels particularly prevalent at the moment with the world’s current state. With that I feel there is a growing importance to not lose touch with the outdoors and it’s different landscapes: this film set out as the start of an ongoing exploration of that connection and sought to celebrate it. The British countryside is of particular interest to me because of how little access there is to it - with the right to roam in less than 10% of England. The film doesn’t comment on this issue specifically, but in its response to the ideas of freedom, people and the natural world, the British countryside seemed like a critical and highly relevant context”.

The ‘Spit That Out’ showcase is curated by Alice Wilde, HOME’s Artist Development Producer for Visual, and aims to bring together artist films that reflect the broad nature of this medium—embracing experimental approaches, diverse themes, and unique perspectives that challenge and inspire audiences. 

Although Lauren originally created this short piece before her time at Manchester School of Theatre, she explained that “I am still able to apply my learnings from the course to my reflections on the film’s making process, my actions in taking it forwards and sharing it more widely, as well as my ideas for future projects of a similar nature. I have had a lot of guidance on the Performance MA in considering my practice as an artist, and this has helped me realise how I have developed an approach to film-making much like the process of devising theatre - something I am keen to lean into further. Moreover, the study of performance work which incorporates mediatized elements (i.e., live-streamed or prerecorded video) on the course has expanded my skill set in, and knowledge and understanding of, this world where live performance and video come together, again helping me in framing my practice. The staff and other students here have all been incredibly supportive and given me a lot of confidence with it too!”.

Find out more about the Spit That Out north-west film programme