SICK! Festival 2022

About

Presented in three open-sided shipping containers, Mindgames Arcade uses computer games to explore issues of mental health. It includes a brand-new game Never, Forever, Always created by young people and game designers from North Manchester and Finland

For SICK! Cars, artists Woodrow Phoenix and Courtney Hayles have worked alongside a group of young men in North Manchester to create artwork on two ‘vinyl-wrapped’ cars

The full programme for SICK! Festival 2022 has been announced with new interactive, community-focused projects unveiled including SICK Cars! and Mindgames Arcade alongside a host of performances and events.

Mindgames Arcade features computer games across three shipping containers - fun for all from young gamers to those new to the digital world. The games featured focus on mental health and wellbeing. Can computer games help us to understand our mental health better? Can they help us feel better? Maybe playing games can offer new ways to make friends and share experiences. Visitors to the arcade can play award-winning games and try out  fantastic new game Never, Forever, Always created by young men from North Manchester and Finland. This interactive arcade is free and open to all. No competitions, no tournaments, just pure fun! Funded by the Finnish Institute and in partnership with Bury Arcade Club. Participants include Michael Burton, Sami Hakonen, Jani Halonen, Jason Heginbotham, Dan James, Zain Janwani, Jarkko Rautuva, Mikey Woolls.

Cars are sometimes seen as an extension of our identities. Particularly for young men, cars can become symbols or power and status. I’m strong, I’m fast, I’m an individual: Don’t stand in my way…

SICK! Cars is a new project that challenges stereotypes about masculinity and looks at the pressures we put on people to ‘be a man’. Two ‘vinyl-wrapped’ cars have been covered in amazing artwork created by artists Woodrow Phoenix, Courtney Hayles and a group of young men based in North Manchester. Get ready to challenge notions of masculinity and everything that you thought you knew about men! Created with support from Autotrader. Participants are Dominik Kraus, Success Aiguobasinwim, Adam Scott, Abdinasir Mohammed.

Both of these projects, as well as Jimmy Cauty’s MDZ Estate will be presented at The Green, a space created by SICK! Festival in Moston, Haprurhey & Charlestown for people to hang out, grab a bite to each and have some exciting and thought-provoking experiences. Also at the Green will be Love Letters to Moston Lane, a sculpture for people to decorate, adding their own thoughts and feelings about where and how they live.