AUTUMN-WINTER HIGHLIGHTS 2026-27

  • Artist photographer, speaker, activist and campaigner Cephas Williams’s Portrait of Black Britain (from 1 Oct).
  • The irreverent and sharply satirical black comedy Application 39 from Palestinian theatre maker and writer Ahmed Masoud (9 - 10 Oct).
  • Lightroom returns with a new 360° immersive experience - David Bowie: You’re Not Alone (8 Dec 2026 - 10 Jan 2027).
  • A new dance piece inspired by Channel 4’s award-winning series It’s a Sin, presented by Rambert and Factory International, with Executive Producers Russell T Davies, Pet Shop Boys and Gyn Fussell (16 - 27 Feb 2027).
  • Black History Month programme featuring the return of black-tie celebration Black Creative Trailblazers (4 Sept), and a collaborative interpretation of Gemma Cairney’s literary work The Immortal Sisterhood (8 Oct).
  • Talks from chef and food-writer Yotam Ottolenghi with his new cookbook Simple Too (6 Sept), The Rest is Politics: US host Anthony Scaramucci in conversation with political satirist Matt Forde (16 Sept) and bestselling author Jon Ronson with Enter The Castle (20 Sept).
  • Gigs spanning genres from pop to metal to classical including Bloc Party and Interpol (23 - 24 Nov), Ward Thomas (19 Sept), Bill Callahan (12 Oct), The Dead South (6 March), Manchester Collective (4 December) and Slippery People recreating Talking Heads’ iconic 1984 concert film in Stop Making Sense: Live (17 April).
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Press Release

Portrait of Black Britain

Artist, photographer, speaker, activist and campaigner Cephas Williams’s Portrait of Black Britain is a collection of portraits interrogating what it means to be a Black person living in the UK. Part of a project to build the largest collection of photographic portraits of Black British people ever created, the exhibition was originally commissioned for Manchester International Festival (MIF) 2021 and shown as a major public exhibition in Manchester’s Arndale Centre. The exhibition will run at Aviva Studios as part of Black History Month (from 1 October).

A photo of photographer Cephas Williams speaking as a guest speaker for Black Out
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Cephas Williams

A black and white photo of photographer and artist Cephas Williams
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Cephas Williams

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Application 39

The irreverent and sharply satirical black comedy Application 39 from Palestinian theatre maker and writer Ahmed Masoud imagines Gaza as host of the 2048 Olympics, exactly 100 years after the Nakba. A surreal yet pressing journey through occupation, bureaucracy, absurdity and reconstruction - rooted in hope and drawing on real-life testimonies - the bold theatre work is produced by ETT, Matthew Schmolle Productions and Theatre Royal Stratford East. (9 - 10 October).

three people doing backflips against a wall
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Lightroom

Utilising the versatility of Aviva Studios’ Warehouse space, Lightroom return with a new 360° immersive experience. David Bowie: You’re Not Alone gives audiences insight into the creative mind and performances of one of the world’s most visionary artists, featuring David Bowie as its sole voice (8 December - 10 January).

A person looking at five versions of David Bowie singing on a large screen
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It's A Sin

The visceral new dance piece inspired by the Channel 4’s award-winning series It’s a Sin will receive its World Premiere at Aviva Studios. Brought to life by Rambert in partnership with Factory International the era-defining story of love and survival is directed and choreographed by Rambert’s Artistic Director Benoit Swan Pouffer, with series creator Russell T Davies, Pet Shop Boys and Gyn Fussell as Executive Producers (16 - 24 February).

Neon-lit dancers posing inside a glowing triangle frame at a nightclub.
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Black History Month

Further events will be announced over the coming months including the full Black History Month programme, which kicks off with the return of Black Creative Trailblazers (4 Sept), a spectacular black-tie celebration of unapologetic Black excellence showcasing the work of Black artists through fashion, music, art and poetry. The programme also features a collaborative interpretation of Gemma Cairney’s literary work The Immortal Sisterhood through music, movement and poetry (8 Oct, on sale from 15 Jul), and the exhibition Portraits of Black Britain (from 1 Oct).

Group photo of the performers at Black Creative Trailblazers, wearing cultural attire and black tie in a ball room
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Black Creative Trailblazers

Black and white photograph of five people stood up laughing and smiling
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Gemma Cairney's The Immortal Sisterhood

Portrait of Cephas Williams wearing black on a white background
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Cephas Williams Image courtesy of the artist

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Talks

Highlights in the autumn-winter season also include talks from chef and food-writer Yotam Ottolenghi with his new cookbook Simple Too (6 September), The Rest is Politics: US host Anthony Scaramucci in conversation with political satirist Matt Forde (16 September) and bestselling author Jon Ronson with Enter The Castle (20 September).

Yotam Ottolenghi wearing a light blue shirt cutting lemons on a wooden board
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Yotam Ottolenghi

A tiled composite portrait of a smiling Anthony Scaramucci, mixed with U.S. flag and dollar bill elements.
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Anthony Scaramucci in conversation with Matt Ford

Jon Ronson smiling in front of a wall, wearing a blue t-shirt and glasses
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Jon Ronson

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Music

Split image of a modernist building shown in daytime on the left and nighttime on the right.
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Interpol & Bloc Party

Two members of Ward Thomas stood against a pale sky background smiling
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Ward Thomas

Bill Callahan wearing a green shirt sitting indoors, overlaid with a double exposure of a guitar and patterned rug.
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Bill Callaghan

Four members of The Death South stood on a moor wearing suits
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The Dead South

Manchester Collective performing on a stage with blue lighting
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Manchester Collective

Luke Mombrea wearing a black shirt on a red background
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© Mike Skelton

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