Factory+

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

Featured: New Writers x Angel's Bone

To celebrate Angel’s Bone – the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera by Du Yun and Royce Vavrek opening at Aviva Studios – we commissioned six new and emerging writers to write a piece inspired by the idea of an angel arriving on Earth for the first time.

Read the commissions here.

An Inventory of Loss

Written by Allison Lee
Glitch-style monochrome portrait of an angel clasping their hands together

An Angel in Blackpool

Written by Ella Dufton
Glitch-style monochrome portrait of an angel with wings

Be Not Afraid

Written by Ibtisam Ahmed
Glitch-style monochrome portrait of an angel with wings

Connections

Written by Anie Hu
Glitch-style monochrome portrait of a person sleeping

Vignettes from an Angel’s Visit

Written by Kamran Sajid
Glitch-style monochrome outline of an angel with wings

The Human Condition

Written by Lucy Edmiston
Glitch-style monochrome portrait of a person resting their chin on their hand.

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.

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 the diverse roster of artists, ideas and creative companies we work with.

An introduction to Black Creative Trailblazers

Allow us to introduce you to Black Creative Trailblazers – the social enterprise dedicated to showcasing and supporting Black creatives
Adeola and Ronke Jane Adelakun smiling, wearing colourful dresses in a Museum setting

An introduction to Ai Weiwei

Meet Ai Weiwei – the art world’s biggest disrupter
Black and white photograph of Ai Weiwei stood in front of a bookshelf

An introduction to Theatre-Rites

Here is everything you need to know about Theatre-Rites and the exciting world of puppetry.
A person on stage in a boat with lifejackets

An Introduction to Thundercat

Meet the Grammy Award-winning bassist, songwriter and producer who’s known for moving fluidly between genres
Thundercat wearing futuristic glowing visor glasses and metallic claw-like gloves against a dark blue background.

An introduction to Trackie McLeod

Get to know Glasgow artist Trackie McLeod – one of the sharpest voices in contemporary British art
Trackie McLeod wearing all black and smiling

An introduction to Manchester Collective

Meet Manchester Collective – the award-winning experimental ensemble flipping the script on contemporary classical music
Manchester Collective performing on a stage with blue lighting

An introduction to Circa

An introduction to Circa and the thrilling history of circus from the eighteenth century to the present day.
Circa acrobats performing on stage

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 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 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... Ai Weiwei

10 Facts about Ai Weiwei – the world-famous artist and human rights activist
Ai Weiwei filming himself on a phone camera from above, next to a desk

10 Facts About... Opera

10 facts about opera from 16th century Florence to the present day – plus one more for the encore!
An opera stage, showing one person climbing steps in an opulent dress with others raising their hands towards them. The background is red and blue.

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 | Angel's Bone

In this collection, six new and emerging writers respond to Angel's Bone.
Glitch-style monochrome portrait of a person sleeping

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

SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL

A still from Something Beautiful video game, showing a puzzle board in a jungle setting with a carved statue at the far end.
Something Beautiful is a new music-driven, point-and-click adventure game from multidisciplinary artist Murlo.
Discover more and play →

I CAN'T FOLLOW YOU ANYMORE

A video game by artist Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley that explores Black trans identity, spirituality and resistance through vampires.
I CAN'T FOLLOW YOU ANYMORE

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

Postcards From Now

Commissioned and created at the height of the global lockdown, these five films explore everything from community to communication, patriarchy to power.
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

Art of Technology

Get to know the artists who are experimenting with technology and redefining the future of art.

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

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