Wuthering Heights: Cathy's Modern Manifesto in Warsaw

Wuthering Heights: Cathy's Modern Manifesto is a collaborative video art project between Mind the Gap (Bradford, UK) and Teatr 21 (Warsaw, Poland) featuring six women with learning disabilities and/or autism who draw inspiration from Emily Brontë's novel and Kate Bush's iconic music video. The Warsaw part will take place today, September 6, and
the Bradford one will take place on September, 19.

Wuthering Heights: Cathy's Modern Manifesto - Warsaw

September 6, 2025, 6:00 PM

Center for Inclusive Art (Teatr 21), Władysława Skoczylasa Street 10/12, Warsaw

Duration: 60 minutes 

Video art language: Polish/English (subtitles in both languages)

The video art screening will be accompanied by a short performance by actresses from Teatr 21

Performance language: Polish

What happens when six women with learning disabilities and/or autism take inspiration from Emily Brontë’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ and the ethereal, otherworldly energy of Kate Bush’s iconic music video? The result is ‘Wuthering Heights: Cathy’s Modern Manifesto’. A ground-breaking collaboration between Mind the Gap (UK) and Teatr 21 (Poland) that redefines strength, desire, and inclusion on screen.

This manifesto raises a provocative question: how do we reconcile individual desires and ambitions in a world that too often excludes? The answer unfolds in the performers’ choreography—a collective yet deeply personal expression of joy, defiance, and longing. These women are not asking for permission to take up space; they are claiming it with every step and gesture. Their movements are filled with power and intent, reclaiming their stories with a rawness and intimacy that resonate long after the final frame.

Striking and unapologetic, this piece reminds us of the transformative power of truly being seen. Through hauntingly evocative imagery and fearless storytelling, the film challenges us to rethink what inclusion really means, inviting us to envision a world where every voice and body is valued.

Cathy/ Kate & Lyrics

Maja Kowalczyk

Aleksandra Skotarek

Julka Baranowska

Magda Świątkowska

Emily Kent

Charlotte Jones

Director of photography/ Editor: Wojciech Kaniewski

Music: Jez Colborne/ James Heselwood

Costumes: Wisła Nicieja

Creative Enabler: Karen Bartholomew

Dramaturgy: Justyna Lipko-Konieczna

Concept and direction: Justyna Wielgus

Production: Paulina Uryszek and Emily Blackwell