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Featured: Balkan Erotic Epic

Building Worlds: Balkan Erotic Epic Set Design

Set Designer Anna Schöttl walks us through the world of Balkan Erotic Epic and talks through its inspiration.
Aleksandar Timotić, Blenard Azizaj, Marina Abramović and Kath Fitzgibbon in Marina Abramović's Balkan Erotic Epic

An Introduction to Balkan Erotic Epic

Balkan Erotic Epic draws on centuries of traditions, tales, folklore and speculation from across the Balkans.
Marina's mother, Danica Abramović, during the visit of the Bulgarian delegation, Belgrade, 1966

Building Worlds: Durational Choreography

How do the practices of dance and long durational performance come together in Balkan Erotic Epic?
Balkan Erotic Epic Behind the Scenes

An introduction to Marina Abramović

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

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.

Editor in Residence

Read

An Introduction to...

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

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 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

Balkan Erotic Epic draws on centuries of traditions, tales, folklore and speculation from across the Balkans. Find out more here.
Marina's mother, Danica Abramović, during the visit of the Bulgarian delegation, Belgrade, 1966

An introduction to Marina Abramović

Meet Marina Abramović – the iconic, uncompromising 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 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 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.

New Writers

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

Bronze is the colour of failure

Obesi Osi-Iyere looks back through generations of men to tell a story of migration, persistence and survival
This image has an abstract, fluid-like pattern with dark blue and black tones, creating a sense of flowing water or rippling textures.

V.I.S.I.B.L.E. (Valued Identity Seen In Black Lives Everywhere).

Courtney 'CourtsWrites' Hayles explores societal pressures and stereotypes through the story of a young Black man journeying home
This image shows textured ripples on water. Light is reflecting off the water.

The TRAPLORD

Griot Gabriel imagines a dramatic battle for the soul of a young Black man
This image has an abstract, fluid-like pattern with deep blue and black tones, creating a sense of flowing water or rippling textures.

The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth

Chris Adedigba reflects on how underdogs achieve their loftiest goals
This image shows a dark, wavy surface with subtle reflections, resembling the texture of water ripples or light passing through water.

A Letter to My Father

Evita Akomode explores some of the hardships faced by Black fathers, through the eyes of a child
This image has an abstract, fluid-like pattern with deep blue and black tones, creating a sense of flowing water or rippling textures.

Kaleidoscope

Jennifer Luciano pens an essay on Black History Month and the superpower of her culture

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

  • 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

Immersive Tech In Performance

In 2019, we began a major piece of research and development exploring how audiences of the future will experience live performance. Fifteen specialist organisations, including MIF brought together their expertise in theatre and performance, the music industry, video production, gaming and the research sector to explore what it means to perform live using technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality.

To celebrate the completion of this research many of the findings have been published at Findings In The Future, a collection of panel discussions and technical documents that share insights into the making of DYSTOPIA987, Dream and more.

‏‏‎ ‎

Adapting Story, Character & Performance for XR

00:58:10

Performance, Puppetry and XR Stages

01:05:37

Cross Sector R&D

00:44:10

Physical and Virtual Counterparts: Blending Real and Virtual Worlds

00:52:49

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

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