Aviva Studios and Robe – Lighting Open Day

30 Jul 2025

Date: 30 Jul 2025
Venue: The Warehouse, Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester, M3 4JQ

10am – 8pm

Accessibility features available for this event: Wheelchair Access

Robe and Factory International at Aviva Studios invite you to drop-in to see the Robe show truck featuring the full range of Robe lighting products, demonstrated all in one place. This free event is ideal for freelancers, technical staff, students, designers and all lighting creatives wanting to learn more.

The day runs from 10am to 6pm and you can drop in at any time. You can find us in the Warehouse space at AVIVA Studios.You can also book onto any of the following free ticketed events taking place there (or ask on the day if you'd like to fill any remaining available spaces):

10am–1pm: Robospot training

A practical hands-on session to learn how to setup and operate a RoboSpot system delivered by Will Blackie of Robe. Certificates can be earned. Max 12 spaces per session. Book here.

11am–12pm: An Introduction to Lighting Networking

Tim Smith of Artistic Licence unscrambles the jargon in this informative and educational session concluding with a Q&A. Book here.

2–5pm: Robospot training

A practical hands-on session to learn how to setup and operate a RoboSpot system delivered by Will Blackie of Robe. Certificates can be earned. Max 12 spaces per session. Book here.

3–4pm - An Introduction to Lighting Networking

Tim Smith of Artistic Licence unscrambles the jargon in this informative and educational session concluding with a Q&A. Book here.

6–8pm: ABTT, ALPD social

Including a limited guided tour of Aviva Studios. Book here.

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 Warehouse is by lift or stairs from the Social. Two lifts and a staircase to the Warehouse are located in the Social opposite the bar.

The entrance to the Law Family 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 Law Family 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).

This event is taking place in the Warehouse at Aviva Studios. There is step free access to all areas of the venue.

The Robe Show truck is not accessible to wheelchair users as the single point of access is up a staircase comprising of 7 steps, however, attendees are able to activate the technical demonstrations remotely on ground level through the use of an iPad.

The bookable Robospot training sessions and Lighting Network Q&A’s will be delivered outside of the truck on ground level, so will be accessible to those requiring step free access.

If you have any additional questions about access for this event, please email us at access@factoryinternational.org or give us a call on 0161 817 4531 (phone lines are open 10am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday).

Travel information

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:

Salford Central rail station: 10-minute walk via Red Rose Way and Irwell Street.
Deansgate rail station and Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop: 12-minute walk via Liverpool Road.
St Peter’s Square tram stop: 15-minute walk via Quay Street.
Manchester Oxford Road rail station: 25-minute walk via Oxford Street/Quay Street.
Manchester Piccadilly and Victoria rail stations: Both stops have frequent trams operating to and from Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop.

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 0.2 miles (350m) from Aviva Studios at Water Street Car Park, New Elm Rd, Manchester, M3 4JH.

There is also a NCP car park (Manchester Spinningfields) approximately 0.25 miles (400m) 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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