By Grace Hatchell
Right then love — I’ve just dragged myself back from a week up in Yorkshire (winds strong enough to exfoliate you), and what’s the first thing I pull out of my satchel? A proper Wigan wonder. And yes — before you ask — I know Wigan is technically in Greater Manchester. I can hear you all shouting it. But it’s only a quick hop over from Yorkshire, so close you can practically smell the gravy crossing the border. I’ll allow it. Just this once.
High above Wigan, where wind and whispers meet — and where your umbrella is frankly a decorative item — a legend is getting ready to wake up. This December, Spirix Collective’s community-led magic continues with Spirix Retold: a full-scale mass-movement dance theatre production co-created by 80 young artists from across the borough. Eighty! I struggled coordinating myself and a sandwich on the train, so hats off to them.
The show dives into the origin story of the Spirix — a modern folklore championing creativity, courage and connection. It follows that sacred moment when young people, guided by the Spirix spirit, start gathering, dreaming and daring. Sort of like assembling The Avengers, only with more heart, less spandex, and choreography that won’t give you motion sickness.
Performers come from Spirix Creatives, Spirix Youth Dance Company, All Child at St Peter’s Primary, and Fred Longworth High School — and they’re transforming the mighty Engine Room at Trencherfield Mill. Industrial steel meets mythic storytelling. Honestly, it’s giving “Wigan Wakanda” and I’m here for it.
Behind the scenes, Artistic Director Amy Hodgson leads the troop, with choreography by Jessica Bennett (Cheshire Dance, Wild Aerial Theatre) and Associate Dance Artist Jessica Clarke. They’ve been mentored by Helen Linsell from Dance United Yorkshire — a woman with wisdom, warmth, and a Yorkshire work ethic strong enough to power the National Grid.
With that influence, Spirix Retold feels every bit like one of those huge Dance United Yorkshire performances — full of physicality, humanity and that unmistakable thump-in-your-chest heart.
The soundtrack comes courtesy of local DJ Tom2Trax, blending atmospheric soundscapes with pulse and energy — the kind of music that makes you want to move even when you’ve sat down with a brew promising “five minutes’ peace.”
Founding Director Amy Hodgson says seeing non-dancers and seasoned performers stand shoulder-to-shoulder, owning their movement with absolute conviction, has been incredible. This isn’t just a show — it’s the beginning of a bold new era for Spirix, built with and for Wigan’s young people. Lovely stuff.
Supported by Wigan Council and funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England as part of Forging the Future, this production celebrates youth voice, ambition and artistry across Wigan.
If Greater Manchester keeps producing work like this, I might even forgive it for not being Yorkshire. Might.
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/spirix
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