All 16 performances promise to convey clear messages to their audience and will deal with issues like power, identity and economics.
A group statement issued by the artists read: "Vital 07 is a chance to experience the powerful, yet fundamentally simple, emotional relationship between the artist and the audience."
"With the use of technology playing an ever-increasing role in many artworks, the engagement between two people is often lost in the dazzling use of new media. Live Art is all about communication and Vital 07 will strip away the reliance on props and gimmicks to expose the essence of performance."
As part of last year's festival artist Marcus Young challenged people's notions of contemporary art (or confirmed them) by taking three hours to walk 250 yards down a rainy street in Manchester whilst dressed in strange brown costume and holding a brolly.
With a healthy crop of 16 artists, including the returning Coates, this year's festival promises to throw up some equally challenging and interesting events.
After the two days of live art a conference at John Moores University in Liverpool will look at the use of the body in Chinese arts, documenting current practice and establishing links between current and historical arts practice.
Vital 07 runs on November 20 and 21 2007 at the Chinese Arts Centre and venues across Manchester and then moves to John Moores University on November 22 and 23. For more information visit www.vitalfestival.org
