Schools and Learning

About

We help to bring out creativity through our artist commissions and educational resources. The goal is to make connections between what’s inside you and the world around you.

To offer the most varied and stimulating year-round programme, Factory International is developing relationships with schools, colleges, the city’s universities, young people’s support groups and community hubs.

Our approach focuses on three key stages of learning: early years, at school (9-14) and in later life.

Current Opportunities

Plan your visit

If you’re bringing a group of 10 or more to Aviva Studios then please contact groups@factoryinternational.org in advance. Alternatively you can call 0161 817 4531 (phone lines are open 10am to 5pm, Monday to Friday).

If you want to get in contact with our learning team at Factory International, then please contact learning@factoryinternational.org.

For more information about our visitor information, including access and facilities provisions, please visit the Aviva Studios page.

Our Work

As we open our doors to our new home at Factory International, we will be inviting the youngest of our audiences to get involved in a little creative mischief for them to start building their cognitive and social skills.

Our early years programmes are in development but they will harness the power of art, play and creativity to catch little ones’ curiosity and trigger their imagination. One of the first commissions to mark the opening of Factory International will be First Breath – a celebration of new life in the city.

If you have any questions and suggestions, or you would like to partner with us, then please get in touch with us on creativengagement@factoryinternational.org.

Adolescence is the second most prolific period of brain development, building on formative experiences in early years.

Greater exposure to arts and cultural learning not only improves a teenager’s chances of success in their studies and future career, it boosts health and wellbeing.

Our year-round programme of collaborative sessions are inspired by commissioned artists at Factory International. They nurture creativity in the widest sense, from making things to problem solving and critical thinking.

Factory International new school’s partnership programme will be open for applications in Spring 2023. Through this new year-round programme we hope to inspire young people across Greater Manchester to gain confidence from working together, build resilience and develop a deeper sense of empathy as they use art to find meaning in their own lives. To find out more about our schools programmes, please get in touch on creativengagement@factoryinternational.org.

Educational Resources

We have created several activity packs that can be used in classes and group sessions to encourage collaborative learning. Click to download:

Throughout the year, young people can experience what it’s like to work at Factory International with priority given to pupils in our partner schools and colleges who wouldn’t usually get the chance to work in the arts. To find out about becoming a school partner, please get in touch with us at creativengagement@factoryinternational.org.

There is no age limit at Factory International, or on creativity. Curate, design, deconstruct, film, write, reimagine… Anyone can have a go, in any number of ways.

You will use commissioned work as your starting point to question and make sense of the world around you.

Along the way, you will meet new people, pick up a skill or two and find a new perspective on any number of topics – all you need is a sense of curiosity!

Factory International’s Lifelong Learning Programme will launch in Spring 2023 in partnership with our Community Hub partners across Manchester. Get in touch on creativeengagement@factoryinternational.org to find out more.