Factory International

ARK: United States V

Artist Talk with Laurie Anderson

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A photograph of artist Laurie Anderson seated in a green jumper
Date
22 Nov 2024
Venue
The Social, Aviva Studios, Manchester, Water Street, M3 4JQ
Tickets
FREE, Pre booking required

5.30–6.30pm

We have free personal assistant tickets available for wheelchair users and disabled visitors. We do not require proof to book a personal assistant ticket with your access ticket. 

To book access tickets please call 0161 817 4531 (Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm) or email access@factoryinternational.org.

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Suitable for ages 11+ Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult aged 18+
Running time: 1 hour

Accessibility features available for this event: Wheelchair Access

Join Laurie Anderson in conversation with Michael Morris about her epic live show ARK: United States V

ARK: United States V is a momentous mix of music, cinematic imagery, songs and stories for the end of the world from the mind of Laurie Anderson. Join the legendary multimedia artist for a live Q&A about the work – led by the former Co-Director of Artangel Michael Morris.

Best known for her multimedia performances and poetic use of technology, Laurie Anderson is one of the world’s most pioneering creative artists. As a writer, director, visual artist and composer, she’s created work that spans the worlds of art, theatre, film and music, receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 Grammys.

Her work has been presented all over the world with recent solo exhibitions in Stockholm, Montreal, Adelaide and at Washington D.C.’s iconic Smithsonian. Closer to home, Anderson presented To the Moon at MIF19 with Hsin-Chien Huang and in 2017, she broke ground at Aviva Studios. Her latest album Amelia, was released to critical acclaim in August 2024.

As Co-Director of Artangel with James Lingwood from 1991-2023, Michael Morris commissioned and produced ambitious artworks for a range of distinctive and unexpected sites and situations throughout the UK and beyond. Moving across disciplines and genres, Artangel became a byword for originality and integrity through landmark works developed slowly over time by Jeremy Deller, Jonathan Glazer, PJ Harvey, Roni Horn, Roger Hiorns, Miranda July, Mike Kelley, Michael Landy, Steve McQueen, Rachel Whiteread, Taryn Simon and Sarah Sze, amongst many others.

ARK: United States V

Black and white image of Laurie Anderson with her eyes closed and hands on her hand. Behind her is the earth.
A momentous mix of music, cinematic imagery, songs and stories for the end of the world from the mind of Laurie Anderson
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Access information

Our full address is Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester M3 4JQ and the what3words is chop.feeds.chase.

You can approach Aviva Studios along Water Street (coming from Quay Street) or along Liverpool Road (coming from Deansgate or Castlefield). Both entrances to the building have double sets of glass doors.

Once inside Aviva Studios, there is step-free access to all areas of the venue. The flooring throughout the building is smooth concrete.

The entrance to the Hall is by lift, escalator or stairs from one side of the Social beside the brick arches. There is only one escalator, and this will take you up to the Hall before the show, and will be reversed so that you can travel down at the end of the performance.

The Social has a range of seating, including those with arms and backs.

The bars in the Social and Hall Foyer have lowered accessible service points.

Our building is large. We have portable stools available to borrow if you would benefit from resting along the way during your visit.

We have wheelchair spaces and seats at standing events for all events.

There are accessible toilets on all public levels of our building.

Accessible toilets are located inside the main toilets space in the brick arches of the Social.

Here you’ll find a mixture of accessible cubicles with left- or right-hand transfer, towards the back of the space, as well as ambulant accessible cubicles with grab rails, as well as a Changing Places facility.

The toilets in the brick arches of the Social are split into male, female and gender neutral – all of which contain accessible cubicles. There are shared handwashing facilities in each arch – they have soap dispensers under the mirrors to your left and dryers to the right. There are separate handwashing facilities inside the accessible cubicles.

There are additional single-room accessible toilets located in both Hall Foyers, at stalls and circle level.

There are additional single-room accessible toilets located in the Warehouse Foyer.

You do not need a key to use the accessible toilets at Aviva Studios.

Assistance dogs are welcome in our building, and we can provide mats and water bowls on request, just ask a host when you arrive. We can also take care of your assistance dog if you do not want to take your dog into the performance space. Please also refer to our assistance dogs policy.

If you are bringing an assistance dog to a ticketed event, please let us know in advance by contacting access@factoryinternational.org or calling our access phone number: 0161 817 4531 (phone lines are open 10am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday).

We are sorry that assistive listening is not available for this event. To explore events that do have this access provision available, check out our access performance information page.

There is step-free access to all areas of the venue, including the Social.

There will be unallocated seating available for this event. If you have specific access requirements and require reserved seating, please call 0161 817 4531 (Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm) or email access@factoryinternational.org.

Travel information

The building can be approached along Water Street (coming from Quay Street) or along Liverpool Road (coming from Deansgate or Castlefield).

The Water Street route is the quickest way to arrive at our City Square entrance.

There are a number of rail and tram stations within the city centre which are just a short distance from Aviva Studios. The closest stations are: 

By Bike

There are 40 bike parking spaces at Aviva Studios including space for two accessible bikes.

National Cycling Route 6 passes close to the venue and this TfGM webpage can help with route planning.

You can also hire bikes from on-street docking stations across the city centre. The closest docking stations to our venue are currently on Deansgate by Liverpool Road and (400m from the building) and by King Street (500m from the building). Take a look at Transport for Greater Manchester’s webpage for advice on cycle hire.

By Walking and Other Active Means

Aviva Studios can be approached along Water Street via Liverpool Road (coming from Deansgate or Castlefield).

If you're coming from Quay Street, the safest route to avoid construction works is via the cut-through opposite Gartside Street and past Booking.com.

All footways in the surrounding area are well lit and there are appropriate crossings across all main roads.

Pedestrians with visual impairment are recommended to approach the building via Water Street, from Liverpool Road. This route has traditional carriageway and footway design with fixed street furniture which should help with navigation to the entrance.

A footbridge at Left Bank in Spinningfields provides an accessible link across the River Irwell to Salford Central station, and a further footbridge also links Aviva Studios with the Salford area of Middlewood Locks.

Free bus

The free bus 1 service connects Piccadilly Station, Oxford Road and Deansgate rail stations, as well as other areas of the city centre to Aviva Studios.

The service stops on both Liverpool Road and Quay Street, close to the venue. Buses operate every 10 minutes during the day from Monday to Sunday and they are wheelchair accessible. For full details of the free bus 1 route and timetable, please visit the Bee Network website.

Bee Network services

Piccadilly Gardens is situated in the heart of Manchester and there are a number of bus services that will take you on to Aviva Studios. The 33 bus which starts at Shudehill, calls at Piccadilly Gardens and will take you straight to Liverpool Road. Services operate every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday and every hour on Sunday.

Alternatively, you can board either a 35, 36 or 38 bus to Bridge Street bus stop which is a seven-minute walk via Left Bank and Water Street to the venue.

Coming into Manchester Victoria rail station? Head on over to Shudehill Interchange (which is a seven-minute walk via Hanover Street) where you can catch the 33 bus to Liverpool Road. 

Alternatively, you can board either an 8, 67 or 100 bus from Manchester Victoria to Bridge Street bus stop, which is a seven-minute walk via Left Bank and Water Street to the venue.

There is a car park approximately 0.6 miles from Aviva Studios at Water Street Car Park, New Elm Rd, Manchester, M3 4JH.

There is also a NCP car park (Manchester Spinningfields) approximately 0.5 miles away from Aviva Studios at Spinningfields, New Quay Street, Manchester, M3 3BE. It has 35 accessible bays.

There are a small number of Blue Badge spaces along Water St and Quay St. Otherwise head towards Liverpool Road, Great John St and Lower Byrom St – close to our neighbours, the Science and Industry Museum where there are a small number of additional Blue Badge spaces.

For a list of other parking bays available in the area, visit Manchester City Council website.

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