THE Unity has divided its 2010 programme into three sections to celebrate 30 years in its Hope Place building.

The year will begin with the theme of Past, summer will cover Present and autumn/winter is based on Future.

“It’s not a nostalgic look at the past,” explains artistic director Graeme Phillips.

“We used to run a programme of late-night foyer monologues which were very successful and a lot of people have now established themselves as writers, for example Esther Wilson and Jeff Young.

“We’ve asked the people that started out with us if they’d like to contribute. The unifying theme is Turning Thirty and they’ve been given carte blanche to interpret that as they see fit.”

The summer months will focus on Merseyside-based talent.

“It’s our access season when we throw the doors open to an awful lot of local companies so that’s a good opportunity to celebrate what’s happening locally and now,” explains Phillips.

“Then we launch our autumn season by doing something extraordinary with the building, which is still very much under wraps at the moment.”

He is prepared to reveal, however, that one project will be a collaboration between Montreal-based theatre company Les Deux Mondes and Liverpool actor David Yip.

It will be based on his father’s journey from Communist China to Merseyside.