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Factory+

From video series and podcasts to editorial takeovers, artist experiments and virtual worlds - it’s all here at Factory+

Series

In the Studio

Artists and collectives show us the space where their ideas come to life.

Dream Space

What does art have the power or potential to do, when we allow ourselves to dream? We explore this in our new podcast, hosted by Gemma Cairney.

Factory Talks

A series of talks where the brightest minds in art, culture, and innovation come together to share their insights and creative journeys.

Factory Sessions

Discover live performances from the best in the business and Manchester’s next gen of musicians.

Art of Technology

Get to know the artists who are pushing the boundaries of what's possible and redefining the future of art.

Read

Editor in Residence

Factory+ commissions some of the most exciting voices in contemporary writing to explore a selection of themes.

Editor in Residence | Ruby Tandoh

Ruby Tandoh takes over Factory+ to explore alternate realities of food – covering the past, present, future and virtual world.
Food and culture writer Ruby Tandoh

Editor in Residence | McKenzie Wark

Author McKenzie Wark muses on the question: where do you go to free your body? Read the full collection of essays here.
Writer, editor and academic McKenzie Wark

Editor in Residence | Kemi Alemoru

Our first Editor in Residence was Gal-dem Editor Kemi Alemoru who commissioned a collection contemporary UK writing to explore the theme of spaces.
Factory+ Editor in Residence Kemi Alemoru wears a pink trench coat and smiles at the camera

An Introduction to...

Get to know our diverse alumni of artists and their work.

An Introduction to Vogue

For over a century, Vogue has set the standard for fashion, creativity and culture. Get to know the history behind the iconic glossy.
Front cover of Vogue magazine – April 1922

An introduction to Aardman

All you need to know about Aardman and their cult characters, stories and worlds.
Shaun the Sheep, Bitzer and Timmy outside Mossy Bottom Farm

An introduction to David Hockney

David Hockney is known world-over for his portraits, landscapes and paintings of swimming pools. Find out more about Hockney and his iconic artworks.
David Hockney's 'The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate' – a painting of the woods, with a path going through the middle.

An introduction to Beverly Glenn-Copeland

This is Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s remarkable story – of discovery, deep spirituality and a joyous musicality that is finally shared with the world.
Glenn wearing a brown jacket and smiling, stood outside in a field of flowers

An Introduction to Balkan Erotic Epic

Explore the stories behind Balkan Erotic Epic – a brand new performance work by legendary performance artist Marina Abramović
Marina's mother, Danica Abramović, during the visit of the Bulgarian delegation, Belgrade, 1966

An introduction to Marina Abramović

Meet Marina Abramović – the iconic performance artist whose work pushes the limits of body, mind and audience connection.
Marina Abramović on a white horse holding a white flag

An introduction to DARKFIELD

DARKFIELD don’t just make theatre – they pull you into pitch‑black worlds where what you hear, feel and imagine is more vivid than anything you see
The inside of an aeroplane cabin as part of the FLIGHT experience. The lighting is blue.

An introduction to Everything is Recorded

Get to know Everything is Recorded – the boundary-blurring project from XL boss Richard Russell.
A portrait of Richard Russell wearing a light-coloured shirt, standing in front of a window with a blurred green outdoor background.

An Introduction to Juliet Ellis

We take a closer look at the film director, actor, theatre maker and MIF25 performance artist Juliet Ellis
Juliet Ellis inside a dark bar, looking out the window at the street outside.

An introduction to Balmy Army

What do Gen Z think about the world? For MIF25, wonky young people from Balmy Army and Balmy Ukraine are demanding change.
A group of young people marching through Manchester City Centre with a huge banner that reads 'Balmy Army'. Many are holding placards and megaphones.

An introduction to THE HERDS

From the Congo Basin to the Arctic Circle, THE HERDS is on the move. Here is all you need to know.
A large crowd of people at an outdoor market wearing hats. They are looking at large giraffe and elephant puppets.

An introduction to Benji Reid

Meet Benji Reid – the multifaceted, multi-talented Manchester artist whose decade-spanning career takes in dance, theatre and photography
A photograph by Benji Reid, showing a man wearing an elaborate feathered headdress, which hides his face. He is standing against a deep red background.

An introduction to Hamlet

Shakespeare’s Hamlet has captivated audiences for over 400 years. Here’s a whistle-stop guide to the most famous play on the planet.
Russell Enoch towering over Mark Rylance, who is looking up at him in fear. Russell has his hands on Mark's neck. Both are wearing black coats.

An Introduction to Boy Blue

Meet Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante and Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy – the masterminds behind hip-hop dance company Boy Blue.
Five contemporary dancers perform with intense, expressive movements on stage, dressed in earthy-toned clothing. The central dancer leads the powerful scene, surrounded by others in dynamic, dramatic poses.

An introduction to Figures in Extinction

Find out more about Crystal Pite and Simon McBurney's award-winning dance trilogy on the natural world and our relationship to it.
A still from Figures in Extinction [1.0] showing a performer on stage with two giant horns covering their arms

An introduction to Derek Jarman

Derek Jarman was one of the great British filmmakers of the twentieth century and a titan of queer cinema. Get to know the avant-garde artist here.
Still from Derek Jarman's The Garden (1990), showing a close up of Jarman's face. He is lying on a cabbage plant, wearing a black leather jacket and golden crown.

An Introduction to Laurie Anderson's United States Parts 1-4

We look back at Laurie Anderson’s seminal multimedia artwork United States Parts 1-4 ahead of ARK: United States V
Black and white still from Laurie Anderson's United States Parts 1–4, showing Laurie wearing goggles with lights on

An Introduction to Ivan Michael Blackstock

Introducing Ivan Michael Blackstock – an Olivier Award-winning dancer, choreographer and creative director bringing Traplord to Manchester
Three dancers dancing on stage around a pole during Traplord, with a projection behind them.

An introduction to Marshmallow Laser Feast

Meet Marshmallow Laser Feast – the artist collective creating immersive art and experiences.
An orange and red visualisation of a forest

An Introduction to Huang Ruo

Get to know composer and artist Huang Ruo, one of the most exciting figures in contemporary opera.
Huang Ruo looking to the side, posing next to a large white lamp

An introduction to David Hoyle

Actor, cabaret star and visual artist – get to know David Hoyle and his many personas
Close-up photo of David Hoyle having his face painted, looking at the camera

An introduction to Yayoi Kusama

From polka dots to performance art, and pumpkins to mirrored rooms, Kusama’s vision and determination have made her a cultural phenomenon.

10 Facts About...

A new series for kids, young people and anyone who wants a quick introduction to the artists we work with at Factory International.

10 Facts About... The Moon

10 mysterious facts about the Moon and its cultural influence
The Moon

10 Facts About... David Hockney

Who is David Hockney? 10 facts about the world-famous artist, his artwork and his dogs
David Hockney sat on a striped arm chair with his two dogs. The wall behind him is filled with his paintings of the dogs.

10 Facts About... Shaun the Sheep

10 facts about Shaun the Sheep, his Flock and the iconic Aardman show. How many do ewe know?
Shaun the Sheep with his Flock

10 Facts About... William Shakespeare

Who is William Shakespeare? 10 facts about the playwright and his most famous play Hamlet
Jane Lapotaire and Kenneth Branagh on stage as Gertrude and Hamlet. Jane is wearing a white lace dress with her hands on Kenneth's chest. He is wearing a suit and looking off-camera.

New Writers

New Writers brings you flash fiction, poetry and prose from emerging writers based in the North of England.

New Writers | Masculinity/Rebirth

In this collection, global majority writers to respond to the themes of Ivan Michael Blackstock's TRAPLORD and Jenn Nkiru's THE GREAT NORTH.
This image features a soft, abstract blend of dark blues and greens with flowing, ripple-like patterns, resembling light filtered through water or reflections on a moving surface.

New Writers | Folk Horror

For our first New Writers commission we asked writers to respond to the themes of Robin/Red/Breast - the cult horror classic.
A forest in winter

Games

I CAN'T FOLLOW YOU ANYMORE

I CAN'T FOLLOW YOU ANYMORE
This new browser-based video game from artist and world builder Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley explores Black trans identity, spirituality and resistance through vampires – all wrapped up in a 90s horror aesthetic.
Discover more and play →

  • We Dwell in Possibility

    The latest digital work in our Virtual Factory series is a queer gardening simulation by Robert Yang and Eleanor Davis.
    An illustration by Eleanor Davis showing two nude characters walking to the right of the frame. The character on the left holds a boombox on their shoulder.

  • Your Progress Will Be Saved

    LaTurbo Avedon journeys inside Fortnite Creative for the first work in our Virtual Factory series
    A screenshot taken in Fortnite, showing artist LaTurbo Avedon from behind, looking out at their art installation in Fortnite Creative

  • Songs of the Lost

    Paloma Dawkins' magic-realist game odyssey through a surreal and absurd digital landscape.
    A screenshot by Paloma Dawkins, showing a wolf character in Songs Of The Lost sitting on the edge of a dock at night.

  • Lost Memories Dot Net

    MIF’s first ever game commission, courtesy of one of the most innovative and individual video game designers working today - Nina Freeman.
    A screenshot from Lost Memories Dot Net, showing a fictional personal website from the early 2000s. The browser window has a pink and peach colour scheme and the website contains a paragraph of welcome text and selfie photographs.

Art

  • Factory Works

    A new audio artwork and accompanying film by Neville Gabie – created with Nabihah Iqbal, Mark Thomas and the construction workers who built Aviva Studios.
    Image of Factory Works cover

  • Postcards From Now

    Postcards from Now presents five distinct films from leading international artists that responded to the Global Pandemic.
    An illustration of two men, drawn in white outlines against a black background

  • What do you want? | Joshua Bridge

    A new short film by Joshua Bridge with poetry by Charlie O’Brien – commissioned as part of Mary Anne Hobbs and Anna Phoebe's WHAT DO YOU WANT?
    A person sat on a carpark roof at night, with a city skyline behind them

  • To the Moon

    In this interactive essay, Laurie Anderson shares how she drew inspiration from constellations to create a new work in VR for MIF19, To the Moon.
    A black and white, computer generated 3D image showing a rose stem in front of the moon, against a backdrop of a galaxy

  • Big Ben Lying Down With Political Books

    Explore Argentinian art pioneer Marta Minujín’s participatory artwork alongside comprehensive archives of her work.
    A screenshot showing a 3D model of Marta Minujín's Big Ben installation against a dark blue background. The sculpture of Big Ben is lying on it's side, and is constructed from scaffolding and clad with abstract, multi-coloured shapes. An entrance ramp on the left of the frame leads directly inside the sculpture.

  • Portrait Of Black Britain Online

    This online gallery profiles a range of Black people living in the UK today, the contributions they make and the roles they play in society
    Cephas Williams is photographed standing among his photographs, which are hanging from the ceiling at the Arndale Centre in Manchester.

  • The Story of Aviva Studios

    Explore the journey from ambitious idea to landmark cultural venue through four commissioned projects.

Experiments

Behind the Scenes

Building Worlds

Building Worlds takes you behind the scenes of our productions to meet the teams and people that create a show.

  • Dancer wearing a red dress surrounded by dancers in black clothing in Free Your Mind

    Free Your Mind, the official opening production for Aviva Studios, the home of Factory International © Tristram Kenton, October 2023

    Invent a better tomorrow together

    A huge thank you to our extraordinary supporters and partners who support our mission to invent a better tomorrow together.

    As a registered charity, we work to grow our community of individual donors, corporate partners, and grant makers. Their support helps us make art accessible to everyone, transform lives through creative engagement, develop the next generation of diverse talent and power the future of the arts sector.

    Find out how you can support our work to use art as a catalyst for social change, creativity and innovation – both in Manchester and beyond.

    Support us